Cannelloni Stuffed with 'Nduja, Ricotta and Aubergine

Cannelloni are a cylindrical type of filled lasagna covered by a simple tomato sauce and baked in the oven. 'Nduja is a typical spicy, spreadable salumi from Calabria, which you’ve probably tried before on pizza or bruschetta and is pretty much a cheat's way to make anything delicious!

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Serves: 2 
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Ingredients

• Egg Pasta dough or dried cannelloni.
• ​100g ricotta 
• 2 tbsp Nduja
• 1 aubergine chopped into 1cm cubes
• 1 shallot
• 500g tomato passata 
• A small bunch of basil 
• 1 garlic clove 
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. If you are using fresh pasta follow the Egg Pasta dough recipe. Roll out the dough into thin pasta sheets (like a lasagna sheet shape). Cut the dough in rectangles sheets around 8 cm long and 12 cm large. Transfer them on a plate one on top of each other with a sprinkle of semolina or flour to avoid sticking. Cover and keep them in the fridge. 
2. Start making the tomato sauce. In a small sauce pan over a medium high heat add a glug of olive oil with the thinly chopped shallot, fry gently for 2 mins or until golden. Then add the thinly chopped garlic and cook for another 30 second. Add the passato, 5/6 basil leaves and 100ml of water. Season with salt and pepper. Let the sauce cook for 30/40 minutes on a very low heat.
3. For the cannelloni filling, in a frying pan over medium heat add a drizzle olive oil. Fry the aubergine chopped in 1 cm cubes until soft. Stir in the 'nduja and cook for another minute. In a bowl add the ricotta, few chopped basil leaves, a pinch of salt and pepper and the 'nduja aubergine. Mix all together until the mixture is well combined.
4. Now take the fresh pasta and working with one sheet at a time add the filling long ways along the border of the largest part of the rectangle and close the cannelloni by rolling it like a cigar. If you're using dry cannelloni cook them for 1 minute in salted boiling water and set them on a side just to cool down for few minutes. With a spoon fill the cannelloni with the ricotta and aubergine filling. 
5. In a ceramic tray, add some of the cooked tomato sauce so the dish is completely covered on the bottom. Line up the cannelloni on top of the sauce and cover the top of the cannelloni with more cooked tomato sauce and grate parmesan all over.​
6. Pre-heat your kitchen oven to 180°C and when ready bake the cannelloni for about 30 minutes to 40 minutes , or until golden and the pasta is fully cooked. Serve and enjoy!

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