Creamy Cannelloni with Chicken and Almonds
Title: Creamy Cannelloni with Chicken and Almonds
Categories: Chicken, Pasta
Yield: 6 servings
22 Precooked dried cannelloni -shells (see note)
3/4 c Grated Swiss cheese
FILLING:
2 Chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 c Diced cooked chicken
2 tb Freshly grated Parmesan -cheese
1 pk Frozen spinach, thawed and drained
SAUCE:
3/4 c Ricotta cheese
3 tb Butter
1/3 c Toasted slivered almonds
1 Chopped onion
1/4 c Freshly grated Parmesan -cheese
3 tb Flour
1 1/2 c Chicken stock
1 Egg
1 c Light cream
1/4 ts Grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
Sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan. Saute onion until tender. Stir in flour and
cook for 1 minute. Add stock, cream, salt and
Filling: Combine chicken, spinach, Ricotta, almonds, Parmesan, egg and nutmeg. Blend all ingredients together.
Assembly: Place filling in the pre-cooked shells. Pour a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of a baking dish. Arrange the stuffed cannelloni in a single layer over the sauce. Sprinkle with the chopped tomatoes, and pour the sauce over the cannelloni. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover with aluminium foil. Bake at 350 degrees F for 60-70 minutes or until pasta is soft and the top bubbles.
Note: The kind of pasta used in this dish is dried, but is usually called "oven ready". I believe it is coated in egg whites to enable it to cook right in the oven when well-covered in sauce. If you make the dish ahead and refrigerate, the cooking time will be cut down because the pasta will soften in the refrigeration.