Cooking with Kids: Cannelloni

This post is by regular contributor Kyrstie Barcak of A Fresh Legacy.

My family loves to eat pasta all year round. It is the favourite meal of my boys Punky (4) and Cuddles (17 months). I make a very good Spaghetti Bolognese (if I do say so myself!) However, I get bored cooking the same things over and over. I enjoy trying new variations on a favourite recipe.

Using a recipe similar to my Spaghetti Bolognese I regularly change to Cannelloni instead.

My 4 year old “Punky” and I picked the herbs for this dish together from our garden. He identified each of the different herbs himself. Since he was a tiny boy he has always smelt everything before eating it, occasionally refusing to eat something based on the smell. As a baby I carried him around in a sling. I collected things from the garden that I would present to him to smell. I told him what the plant was and then used it to cook.  I think that the constant exposure to fresh herbs and ingredients has resulted in both of my boys being happy to try new flavours picked from the garden. The boys also help me to plant and care for the produce as it grows.

Cannelloni Recipe

Serves: 6 (if served with a side dish)
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 25-35 minutes

You will need;

Bolognese Filling:

• ½ tablespoon of cooking oil of choice
• 1 onion finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 500 grams of good quality beef mince
• 1 carrot peeled and finely diced
• ½ small eggplant peeled and finely diced
• ½ zucchini peeled and finely diced
• ½ capsicum finely chopped
• 8 -10 mushrooms chopped
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes (unflavoured) – 400 grams
• Salt and pepper to season
• 1 packet of dried cannelloni (ready to cook)

Cannelloni Sauce:

• ½ tablespoon of cooking oil of choice
• 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 2 x 700 ml tomato Sugo or 4 cans of tinned crushed tomatoes (unflavoured)
• 6 sprigs of parsley – chopped
• 2 sprigs of basil – torn
• 1 sprig of oregano – chopped
• salt and pepper to season

To make the Bolognese filling

1. Add the oil to a pan to warm and then add the garlic and onion. Stir until fragrant and the onion softens
2. Add the mince and stir until browned
3. Add all of the vegetables and then the tinned tomatoes, stirring to combine
4. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for about 30 minutes
5. Lay empty tubes out to fill a baking pan snuggly
6. Remove the Bolognese from the heat and spoon the mix into each of the cannelloni tubes one at a time until all are filled. Push the mix down with your finger to ensure they are well filled

To make the Cannelloni Sauce

1. Set the oven to 180˚C to preheat
2. Heat a small amount of oil in a pan and add the garlic
3. Add the sugo and stir
4. Add the herbs and simmer for 10 minutes
5. Season and pour over the filled cannelloni tubes. The sauce should cover all of the tubes to ensure they are well cooked, if the tubes are not covered they will not soften well
6. Place in the oven to cook for 25 – 30 minutes. Test readiness by poking one of the tubes with a sharp knife. If cooked there will be no resistance, the tubes will be soft
7. Serve with a salad or side of vegetables if desired

Hints and Tips:

• There will be excess Bolognese based on this recipe – approximately 3 children sized meals, or an adult meal
• This Bolognese should be thick not watery. It is the sauce that cooks the pasta.
• This meal can be made in stages – I sometimes make the Bolognese the day prior to cooking. If you do this the dish will take an extra 10 – 15 minutes to cook.
• This meal can be frozen after cooking. Add a few tablespoons of water when re-heating from frozen to prevent the pasta from drying out.
• If you would like my regular Spaghetti Bolognese recipe you can find it here. It was reviewed by Sarah from Spaghetti Blogenese earlier this year.

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