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Italian


Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 ounces chopped roasted red pepper, drained
4 ounces chopped fire-roasted tomatoes, drained
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
3/4 cup heavy cream
Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Cannelloni:
One 8-ounce box cannelloni shells (12 shells), soaked in warm water for 2 minutes
1 pound whole milk ricotta cheese
4 ounces whipped cream cheese
1 1/3 cups grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
1 large egg
3 grounds fresh nutmeg
1 1/2 ounces chopped spinach leaves (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup chopped fire-roasted tomatoes, drained
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 cup coarsely ground panko breadcrumbs

Smoked Chicken shredded about 1 1/2 cups

Bring the oil to medium heat in a large saucepot. Sweat the onions until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sweat until fragrant, about a minute. Stir in the peppers and tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes. Working in 2 cup batches, process the sauce on high in a blender until smooth. Return the sauce to the pot, reduce the heat to low and whisk in the cream. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. If making ahead, cool before refrigerating for up to a week.

For the cannelloni: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, cream cheese, 1 cup of the Parmesan, the egg and nutmeg with a wooden spoon. Fold in the reserved shredded chicken, spinach, tomatoes and some salt and pepper. Spoon the filling into a medium pastry bag fitted with a large open tip. Spread 1/2 cup of the creamy roasted red pepper sauce evenly on the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch gratin dish. Pipe about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the filling into the cannelloni shells and place them into the gratin dish. Spoon the remaining sauce over the cannelloni. Sprinkle with the panko and remaining Parmesan. Cover and bake until the filling is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Bake uncovered until the top is golden and bubbling, an additional 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and cool on a resting rack. Garnish with Parmesan and serve.

Unrated