Seafood Cannelloni With White Sauce Recipes

SEAFOOD CANNELLONI

Steps:

• Make sauce:
• Cook shallot, carrot, celery, reserved shrimp shells, and reserved scallop muscles in 3 tablespoons butter in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and pale golden, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine and boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 6 to 8 minutes. Add water, seafood glaze (if using), and parsley sprigs and simmer, covered, 30 minutes.
• Discard parsley and purée stock, including shrimp shells, in 2 batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids). Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on and discarding solids.
• Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in cleaned saucepan over moderately low heat, then add flour and cook roux over low heat, stirring, 3 minutes. Add warm seafood stock all at once, whisking, and bring to a boil, whisking. Add 1/2 cup cream and gently simmer sauce, whisking occasionally, 10 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Transfer 1/2 cup sauce to a bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water to cool for filling.
• Make seafood filling:
• Cut one third of shrimp and one third of scallops into 1/4-inch pieces and toss with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Purée remaining shrimp and scallops in a food processor with Cognac, cooled 1/2 cup sauce, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add remaining 1/2 cup cream and pulse just until combined. Transfer mousse to a large bowl and stir in shrimp and scallop pieces and chives.
• Cook pasta and assemble cannelloni:
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Boil lasagne noodles a few at a time in a large pot of boiling salted water , stirring to separate, until al dente, about 2 minutes for fresh noodles or about 6 minutes for no-boil. Gently transfer noodles with tongs and a slotted spatula to a large bowl of cold water to stop cooking, then lift out, shaking off water, and lay flat on dry kitchen towels (not terry cloth). Spread 1/3 cup mousse over each noodle, leaving a 1/2-inch border on both short ends. Starting with a short end, loosely roll up each noodle.
• Spread about 1/2 cup sauce on bottom of casserole dish and arrange cannelloni, seam sides down, snugly in 1 layer over sauce. Pour remaining sauce over cannelloni and bake, covered with foil, in middle of oven until sauce is bubbling and filling is just cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. (To test filling for doneness, insert a metal skewer into a cannelloni and hold it there 5 seconds. Remove skewer and press it against your bottom lip: If metal is warm, casserole is hot all the way through and filling is cooked.)
• Preheat broiler.
• Remove foil and broil cannelloni about 3 inches from heat until brown spots appear, 3 to 5 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
• Available at some supermarkets, specialty foods shops, and More Than Gourmet (800-860-9395).

CRAB AND RICOTTA CANNELLONI

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.
• In a large bowl, mix together ricotta, 3/4 cup Parmesan, egg yolk, basil, crab, salt, and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Fill the cannelloni with the crab mixture and place in a buttered baking dish. Top the filled cannelloni with the Bechamel Sauce and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake until bubbly and the top is golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the warm milk, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thick, smooth, and creamy, about 10 minutes (do not allow the sauce to boil). Remove from the heat and stir in the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. (The sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead. Cool and then cover and refrigerate.)
• Yield: about 4 cups