What’s the difference between cannelloni and manicotti?
Truly, they are first cousins once removed; the former are a much-loved staple of banquets, especially wedding banquets, in Italy, while the latter are featured on Italian American restaurant menus. Manicotti are usually made with preformed and packaged pasta tubes (although there’s no rule that says you can’t make the pasta yourself from scratch), while cannelloni are almost always made with fresh pasta, rolled out in a sheet and cut to size. Because they’re made with fresh pasta, cannelloni tend to be lighter and somewhat more elegant than manicotti, but that all depends on the hand that rolls the pasta. Both are essentially pasta tubes with savory fillings, but manicotti are usually filled with a cheese mixture, while cannelloni are apt to have a filling of meaty ragù. Honestly, we have to say, one man’s manicotti is another man’s cannelloni and leave it at that.
Have the ragù ready before you start making the pasta. We suggest the Ragù Bolognese (here), Mita’s Oxtail Ragù (here), or the wild mushroom ragù here for a vegetarian presentation. Whatever you choose, you should have about 5 cups of ragù in all. Make the pasta, and while it is resting, mix the peas, onions, and cheese into half the ragù. Then roll out the pasta, cut it to size, fill it, and most of your work will be done.
SERVES 6
1¼ pounds fresh pasta (here)
5 to 6 cups ragù (see headnote)
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the baking dish
1 cup frozen green peas
1 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
Sea salt
¼ cup torn fresh basil, if available
1 pound thinly sliced fresh mozzarella
Following the directions here, make the pasta.
While the pasta dough is resting, heat the ragù to just barely simmering.
Combine the onion with the butter and 1 tablespoon of the oil in a skillet. Cook over low heat just until the onion bits soften. Do not let them brown. Stir in a teaspoon or two of water and add the frozen peas. Cover the pan and cook until the peas are tender, adding a little more water, if necessary.
Divide the ragù into two roughly equal portions. Stir the onion-pea combination into one portion and add ½ cup of the grated cheese, mixing well. Keep both portions of ragù warm while you work the pasta.
Using half the dough at a time, roll the pasta out on a lightly floured board to a broad, thin sheet, not more than ¹⁄16 inch thick. Cut the pasta in large regular rectangles, about 4 x 5 inches each. When you’re done with both portions of dough, you should have at least 16 pasta rectangles. (You may not use all of them, but some may tear while you’re working so it’s best to have a few extra.)
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add a big spoonful of salt. Have ready a bowl of cold water next to the stove into which to drop the pasta squares to stop the cooking. Next to the bowl, or on a nearby counter, have clean, lightly dampened kitchen towels spread out on which to lay the pasta squares.
Drop 3 or 4 of the pasta rectangles into the boiling water and cook for just about 1 minute, then remove with a slotted ladle and drop them into the cold water. Remove the squares from the cold water and lay them out delicately on the kitchen towels. Proceed with the remaining pasta squares.
Butter or oil a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Set the oven on 375ºF.
Spread half the plain ragù over the bottom of the baking dish. Then, using the ragù mixed with peas and onion, take one of the pasta rectangles and spread several spoonsful of ragù down the long side of the rectangle. Roll the pasta around the filling, jelly-roll fashion, to make a loose tube or cigar. Set the tube, seam side down, in the baking dish on top of the plain ragù, and continue with the remaining pasta and filling. You should have enough pasta tubes to fit comfortably side by side in the baking dish. Spoon the remaining plain ragù sauce over the top, scatter the basil (if using) over it, and layer the mozzarella slices on top. Sprinkle generously with the remaining ½ cup grated cheese and dribble oil over the top.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and blistered on top. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 or 15 minutes before serving.
NOTE If you lack time or inclination to make the pasta from scratch, Rustichella d’Abruzzo makes cannelloni shells that do not require precooking. You will need some sort of pastry bag or piping tube to fill them with the stuffing.