Event enthusiast and facilitator at the creative events venue The Old Lumberyard in Livingston, Alain Kennedy Willich honors her grandmother Anna Mariano every time she makes this Northern Italian cannelloni recipe. Their family breaks tradition by not rolling the pasta sheets, but rather leaving them “lasagna-style.” And to be honest, that decision makes the assembly a thousand times easier and doesn’t affect the deliciousness in the least. The flavors are so complex and the vegetables shine in this homage to Grandma Mariano.
MAKES A 9- BY 13-INCH CASSEROLE
WHITE SAUCE
1 stick butter (8 tablespoons)
½ cup flour
4 cups milk
1½ cups grated Parmigiana cheese
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Melt butter in a saucepan, add flour, and cook until golden. Add milk, stirring constantly until mixture begins to thicken. Add grated cheese and continue to stir till cheese is incorporated into sauce. Salt and pepper to taste. Reserve for use when assembling the cannelloni.
CANNELLONI
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground veal
3 eggs
1½ cups Parmigiana cheese
1 generous bunch parsley, chopped
1½ cups Italian seasoning breadcrumbs (Alain uses Progresso because her grandmother did)
6–8 garlic cloves, finely minced
Salt
Pepper
2 large celery stalks
1 large onion
2–3 carrots
8 tablespoons butter, divided
4 tablespoons olive oil
½–1 cup Madeira wine
4 ounces tomato paste
1 cup chicken stock
½ cup heavy cream
2 pounds lasagna noodles
White sauce (recipe above)
Mix the first 10 ingredients together as for meatballs. Set aside.
Finely chop celery, onion, and carrots. There should be equal amounts of each, so adjust the number of vegetables as needed.
Sauté vegetables in 4 tablespoons of butter and 4 tablespoons of olive oil until onion is translucent and celery and carrots are lightly browned, approximately 8–10 minutes. Add meat mixture to vegetables and brown until completely cooked.
Add Madeira wine to taste, then let simmer for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Add tomato paste and chicken stock to the meat and vegetable mixture. Stir until combined and then let simmer for another 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and add remaining butter and heavy cream.*
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Boil lasagna noodles till al dente.
To assemble the cannelloni, put a generous portion of white sauce on the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch casserole dish. Layer with noodles then meat sauce, then noodles, then white sauce, then noodles. End with a final layer of meat sauce on top. Bake for 30–40 minutes.
*The meat can be prepared in advance and frozen, but leave out the butter and cream until ready to assemble. After thawing the meat mixture, reheat, add butter and cream, then proceed with preheating the oven.
Kitchenware available at THE KITCHEN SHOP, Livingston, MT
Emile Henry Modern Classics Rectangular Baker in Rouge | BH Harlow Series Spatula | 5-inch Creative Square Plates with Chickens | KAF Lyon Towel
Photoshoot sponsored by 2ND STREET BISTRO, Livingston, MT
For this issue, Chef Bob Perdan, co-owner of 2nd Street Bistro with his wife, Jessy, and General Manager Elise Boehler sponsored our winter photo shoot in their cozy restaurant in the heart of Livingston.
