Cannelloni, you say? Isn’t that the type of old-school Italian food you order at places with red-and-white checked tablecloths and candles stuck into Chianti bottles? Well, yes, and no. For this dish, you first braise some succulent pork cheeks until they shred when you look at them. Then you create a rich, savory broth that you use to moisten the pork, and accent it with sweet cicely, an herb with an aniselike flavor. Roll it in silken squares of pasta and coat with Parmigiano-Reggiano and cream. Sometimes old school is worth resurrecting.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Filling
Cannelloni
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 2
To make the filling, season the pork liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Using 2 sauté pans to avoid crowding, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in each pan over high heat. Sear the pork cheeks for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until nicely caramelized.
Step 3
Transfer the meat to a braising dish. Divide the carrots, garlic, and onion between the pans and sauté just until they get a hint of color, 2 to 3 minutes. Deglaze the pans with the wine, scraping up any crusty bits. Put the vegetables and wine into the braising dish with the pork cheeks, then pour in the broth and add the bay leaves. Cover the dish with foil or a heavy, tight-fitting lid and braise for 3 hours, or until the meat shreds easily with a fork.
Step 4
Remove the meat from the braising dish and shred with two forks. Add the sweet cicely and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add a couple of spoonfuls of braising liquid and drizzle with olive oil to moisten. Stir to combine and set aside. Strain the braising liquid into a clean pan and reduce by half; the timing will vary depending on your stove and pan, but will be about 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 5
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 6
To make the cannelloni, roll out the pasta dough to #2 thickness. Using a pastry wheel and a ruler, trim the rolled-out sheets to measure 5 inches across. Then cut the sheets horizontally to create 5-inch squares. You should end up with 8 pasta squares in all.
Step 7
Using a 13 by 9-inch baking dish, spoon enough reduced braising liquid to cover the bottom. Place about 3 tablespoons of the pork filling along one edge of a pasta square. Roll up to encase the filling and form a cylinder, then place seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining pasta squares and filling. Sprinkle the diced butter over the top of the dish and then sprinkle with the cheese.
Step 8
Cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Increase the heat to 400°F and remove the foil. Bake for 10 minutes longer, or until the cheese browns and bubbles. Remove the dish from the oven and drizzle with the olive oil. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
