Seafood Cannelloni or pasta rolled around a creamy filling of ricotta, shrimp, crab, and scallops makes an elegant entrée for the holidays.
Seafood Cannelloni
Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime
The holidays are quickly approaching and with these come an amazing display of parties for adults to attend. Whether it is a gathering of friends at home with dinner and wine, or a potluck at work, celebration seems to be all around!
I always get excited once Thanksgiving is past and I can decorate my home with a holiday tree and other decorations such as wreaths, pine boughs, candles and other things I have collected over the years. It sets the stage for the excitement which will happen in my kitchen, as I plan for dinners among family and friends.
And while we celebrate the bounty and mirth of the season, it is also a good time to reflect upon those who might be in situations without family and friends and who might also be unable to cook a delicious meal for themselves.
This week, I have put together a favorite family recipe for Seafood Cannelloni, which is a lovely Italian entrée that I think pairs great with wine, as part of a campaign for Holiday Wine Pairings. For my recipe, I chose to pair my cannelloni with Pinot Grigio which is a very delicate white wine which pairs well with the flavors of seafood and lighter sauces, such as béchamel and as well, fresh crisp salads such as Caesar. Another wine I chose was Red Moscato, which pairs well with things you might serve along with your cannelloni, such as spicy Italian appetizers, citrusy desserts, cranberry desserts, fresh figs, buttery cheeses, or fruit pies served with ice cream.
Seafood Cannelloni
Ingredients for Sauté:
- 8 ounces shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped
- 8 ounces bay scallops, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup chopped shallot
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 fluid ounces Pinot Grigio wine or vegetable broth
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Ingredients for Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 fluid ounces Pinot Grigio wine or vegetable broth
- 2 cups warm whole milk
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- liquid from sauteed seafood
Other Ingredients:
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 5 ounces cooked flaked crab
- 12 ounces fresh pasta sheets or 6-8 cooked and drained cannelloni shells
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Method:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Prepare the filling and set aside:
- Sauté the shallot and garlic in butter until shallot is soft; season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in the shrimp, scallops and wine or broth and cook until just opaque, then set aside to cool.
- When cool, strain away liquids from pan and reserve.
- Prepare the sauce and set aside:
- Melt butter in a large skillet then stir in the flour to make a roux; cook, stirring, over low heat until a light nutty color.
- Season with salt and pepper then stir in wine/broth, reserved seafood liquid, and milk.
- Continue to cook, stirring, until mixture comes to a boil and thickens, stirring in the ground nutmeg; remove from heat.
- Stir together the ricotta cheese, egg yolk, parsley flakes, and half cup Parmesan with the picked and flaked crab meat.
- Fold the cooked seafood into the ricotta mixture.
- Pour some of the béchamel sauce into the bottom of an oblong casserole dish, covering evenly.
- Take an uncooked piece of fresh pasta and roll up 1/2 cup of the filling inside, placing it seam side down in the casserole dish. If using cooked cannelloni/manicotti tubes, cook those according to package, drain, and stuff loosely with filling (no gaps but not overfilled).
- When all pasta is filled, top with remaining sauce and the remaining Parmesan.
- Bake uncovered for 25-35 minutes or until hot and lightly browned.
From the kitchen of palatablepastime.com
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Now that is one tasty feast for sure!
Thanks, Renee!
Yum – thank you
SEAFOOD cannelloni? I love it!
Thanks, Constance!
Cannelloni filled with shrimp and scallops? What an exquisite recipe for the holidays!
Thanks, Liz!
I love seafood and pasta. This sounds like dinner to me!
Thanks, Cindy!
OK, that’s it, someone has to cook this for me. 🙂 I’m forwarding this to family members who would like to make me something for Christmas…
(Yes, I could cook it myself, but I need a cooking break!)
Remember it when Lent arrives! 🙂
My Mom makes a wonderful seafood lasagna that I love, so this sounds like it is right up my alley! What a fun idea for Christmas Eve!
Thanks, Sarah!
This is a perfect recipe to serve at our traditional meatless Christmas eve meal. Thanks Sue!
Thanks, Renee!
What a great idea! Sounds scrumptious!
Thank you!