Brocciu Cannelloni Recipe from Corsica

Corsica’s best known cheese, brocciu, is used in many traditional recipes, and this delicious hot dish makes a great winter warmer.

I’ve seen a number of variations of this recipe, some leaving out the béchamel sauce entirely, but this is my favourite version of this well-loved dish.

 

Brocciu Cannelloni Recipe

Ingredients for 4 servings

Salt and pepper for seasoning

Olive oil

Grated cheese

 

Pasta:

Fresh or dried sheets of lasagne pasta (if using dried cook as per instructions)

Stuffing:

1 bunch of mint

1 egg

1 bunch of chard (or spinach)

500g brocciu (or ricotta cheese)

Béchamel sauce:

50 g butter

50 g flour

500ml milk

Tomato sauce:

1 chopped onion

400 g crushed tomatoes

Italian style mixed dried herbs (oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, sage)

 

 

Method

1. Preheat the oven at 180 C / 350 F / Gas Mark 4.

Tomato Sauce

2. Remove the leaves from the chard and blanch them, then leave them to refresh in cold water.
3. Boil the chard stalks for around 20 mins, drain and leave them to one side.
4. Add a little olive oil to a frying pan and brown the chopped onion, mix in the crushed tomatoes.
5. Season with a little salt and pepper, add the mixed herbs and put to one side for 10 minutes.

Béchamel sauce

6. Melt the butter in a saucepan.
7. Little by little, add the flour and milk while mixing well with a whisk.
8. Season.

Stuffing

9. Chop up the chard leaves, chop the stalks into cubes and add them both to a mixing bowl.
10. Add the brocciu, mixing it in with a fork.
11. Season.
12. Chop and add the mint.
13. Mix in the egg and leave to one side.

Preparing and cooking the cannelloni

14. Flour a work surface and place the pasta sheets onto it.
15. Place a little stuffing on each sheet and roll.
16. Place each roll into an oiled oven dish.
17. Pour over the béchamel sauce and top with grated cheese.
18. Cook in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
19. Remove from oven and pour over the tomato sauce.
20. Bake for a further 5 minutes.

Enjoy!