with Sainsbury’s

FULL DISCLOSURE: THIS ISN’T YOUR TRADITIONAL ITALIAN STYLE CANNELLONI. I’VE SWAPPED OUT PARMESAN FOR A SWEETER AND SOFTER GRUYÈRE ADDING A SLIGHT FRENCH TWIST TO THIS MEAT-FREE PASTA DISH. 

MUSHROOM & GRUYÈRE CANNELLONI

FEED – 4

PREPARATION TIME – 30 MINUTES

COOKING TIME – 45 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS –

MUSHROOM FILLING –

600G SAINSBURY’S SUPER MUSHROOMS – FINELY SLICED

3 GENEROUS GLUGS OF OLIVE OIL

3 HEAPED TBSP BUTTER

GENEROUS SPRINKLE OF SEA SALT FLAKES

SEVERAL TURNS OF FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER

2 BAY LEAVES

3 CLOVES OF GARLIC – FINELY GATED

6 SPRIGS OF FRESH THYME, LEAVES REMOVED FROM STALK

30G DRIED MUSHROOM MIX – HYDRATED IN 200ML BOILING WATER

GRUYÈRE SAUCE – 

3 TBSP BUTTER

3 TBSP PLAIN FLOUR

1 HEAPED TSP DIJON MUSTARD

450ML MILK

2 FRESH BAY LEAVES 

¼ FRESHLY GRATED NUTMEG

65G GOOD QUALITY GRUYERE – GRATED

GENEROUS SPRINKLE OF SEA SALT FLAKES

1TSP FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER

RICOTTA FILLING –

600G RICOTTA

2 EGGS – WHISKED

3 CLOVES OF GARLIC – FINELY GRATED

5 SPRIGS OF THYME – LEAVES REMOVED FROM STALKS

¼ FRESHLY GRATED NUTMEG

ZEST OF HALF A LEMON

GENEROUS SPRINKLE OF SEA SALT FLAKES

SEVERAL TURNS OF FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER

A THIRD OF THE COOKED MUSHROOMS

*PIPING BAG NEEDED

250G CANNELLONI PASTA 

50G GRUYÈRE – FINELY GRATED 

¼ ZEST OF LEMON

INSTRUCTIONS –

MUSHROOMS –

BEGIN BY PREPARING THE MUSHROOM FILLING. FIRST PLACE THE DRIED MUSHROOMS IN BOILING WATER AND ALLOW TO SOFTEN. BRUSH ANY DIRT OFF THE MUSHROOMS THEN FINELY SLICE. PREPARE INTO THREE ROUGHLY EQUAL BATCHES. PLACE A LARGE FRYING PAN OVER A HIGH HEAT, ADD OIL AND BUTTER AND ONCE HOT ADD IN YOUR FIRST BATCH OF MUSHROOMS COOKING UNTIL THEY DARKEN AND CRISP UP. REPEAT THIS PROCESS UNTIL ALL THE MUSHROOMS ARE COOKED. 

ONCE ALL MUSHROOMS ARE COOKED COMBINE THE HYDRATED MUSHROOMS, ADDING TWO THIRDSOF THE WATER TOO. BE CAREFUL TO AVOID THE GRIT THAT MAY BE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BOWL. 

NOW ADD IN YOUR GARLIC, THYME, BAY LEAVES AND SEASONING AND COOK OVER A HIGH HEAT UNTIL MOST OF THE WATER ADDED HAS EVAPORATED. TASTE AND ADJUST SEASONING TO YOUR PREFERENCE. 

GRUYÈRE SAUCE – 

BEGIN BY MELTING THE BUTTER OVER A MEDIUM HEAT. ONCE MELTED ADD IN THE FLOUR AND STIR UNTIL FULLY COMBINED ALLOWING TO COOK FOR 3-4 MINUTES, STIRRING OCCASIONALLY TO AVOID IT STICKING. 

PLACE THE MILK AND THE BAY LEAVES IN A SAUCE AND PLACE OVER A MEDIUM HEAT, BRING ALMOST TO THE BOIL THEN REDUCE TO A LOW HEAT. 

NEXT ADD IN THE DIJON MUSTARD TO THE BUTTER AND FLOUR MIXTURE THEN A LITTLE AT A TIME BEGIN ADDING IN THE WARMED MILK STIRRING TO CREATE A THICK, SMOOTH PASTE. CONTINUE THIS PROCESS UNTIL YOU’VE ADDED ALL THE MILK AND HAVE A SMOOTH, THICK SAUCE. FINALLY ADD IN THE CHEESE, SEASONING AND NUTMEG ADJUSTING TASTE TO YOUR PREFERENCE. SET TO ONE SIDE UNTIL READY TO USE.

MUSHROOM & RICOTTA FILLING – 

COMBINE ALL INGREDIENTS APART FROM THE EGGS, TASTE AND ADJUST SEASONING TO YOUR PREFERENCE. NEXT ADD IN THE EGGS STIRRING UNTIL THOROUGHLY COMBINED AND FINALLY ADD IN A THIRD OF THE COOKED MUSHROOM MIX. 

PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 180 DEGREES CELSIUS. 

BRING A LARGE PAN OF WATER TO THE BOIL THEN ADD A GENEROUS SPRINKLE OF SALT AND PLACE IN THE CANNELLONI TUBES AND COOK UNTIL AL DENTE. ONCE COOKED RINSE UNDER COOL WATER SO YOU CAN HANDLE. 

SPOON YOUR RICOTTA FILLING INTO THE PIPING BAG AND CUT THE END OFF SO YOU HAVE A GENEROUS HOLE. AROUND THE SIZE OF A POUND COIN THEN PIPE THE FILLING INTO EACH TUBE.

TAKE A MEDIUM SIZED OVEN DISH, DRIZZLE WITH A LITTLE OIL THEN ARRANGE THE FILLED TUBES ALONG THE BOTTOM. SCATTER A GENEROUS LAYER OF MUSHROOMS FOLLOWED BY A GOOD DRIZZLE OF THE GRUYERE SAUCE AND REPEAT WITH ANOTHER LAYER OF THE FILLED CANNELLONI TUBES. FINISH WITH A SCATTERING OF MUSHROOMS AND LAYER OF GRUYÈRE SAUCE PLUS A LITTLE GRATED LEMON ZEST AND EXTRA GRATED GRUYERE THEN PLACE IN THE OVEN AND COOK FOR AROUND 30-35 MINUTES OR UNTIL GOLDEN AND CRISP ON THE TOP.

SERVE WITH BUTTERED GREENS OR A FRESH, CRISP SALAD. 

YOU CAN ALSO SWAP OUT THE GRUYÈRE AND OPT FOR THE MORE TRADITIONAL PARMESAN CHEESE IF YOU PREFER.