Sorrento-style cannelloni
This Sorrento-style cannelloni recipe is Italian comfort food at its best, with roasted peppers and aubergines nestling against gooey fior di latte cheese – a type of mozzarella made with cow's milk. This recipe is taken from the book Naples and the Amalfi Coast by The Silver Spoon, published by Phaidon. Photographs by Simon Bajada.
Ingredients
SORRENTO-STYLE CANNELLONI
6 slices of aubergine, vertically cut, 1/2cm thick
250g of fior di latte cheese
2 red peppers
10g of butter
50g of grated Parmesan, or Pecorino
200ml of passata
basil leaves
oil, for drizzling
salt
black pepper
FRESH PASTA
500g of 00 flour
1 pinch of salt
1 egg yolk
3 tbsp of olive oil
hot water, as needed
Method
To begin, arrange the aubergine slices in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Press down with a weight and leave to sit for 1 hour
Cut the fior di latte into strips and drain in a sieve
Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6
Roast the peppers for 30 minutes, turning them over after 15 minutes. Remove from the oven but leave the oven on and reduce the temperature to 180°C/gas mark 4
When the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel and deseed them. Cut into strips and allow to drain on paper towels
Meanwhile, make the pasta dough. Pile the flour on a work surface and create a well in the centre. Add the salt and egg yolk
Blend in a little flour at a time, work in the oil and knead the mixture, gradually adding 1 tablespoon of hot water at a time until the dough forms a ball
Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, for 2–4 minutes. Divide the dough in half and, on a floured surface, roll out 2 rounds 45cm across and about 4mm thick
Cut the pasta into twelve 8–10cm squares and cook in a large pan of salted boiling water until al dente. Plunge into cold water, drain, and allow to rest for 15 minutes
Rinse and dry the aubergine thoroughly. Drizzle some oil over the bottom of a shallow baking dish and arrange the eggplant in the dish. Drizzle with more oil and bake until browned on both sides. Remove from the oven but leave the oven on
Butter a baking dish that will hold the 12 cannelloni snugly. Divide the aubergine, peppers, cheese and basil among the 12 pasta squares and season with salt and black pepper
Sprinkle with the Parmesan or pecorino, roll up into tubes and arrange them in the baking dish. Cover with the passata and knobs of butter and bake for 20 minutes
Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 5–10 minutes before serving