Having Fun With Manicotti & Cannelloni: 9 Great Recipes

Manicotti vs. Cannelloni—Are They the Same Thing?

That’s a good question and the internet offers little help in finding an answer. Some experts say that manicotti and cannelloni are interchangeable—that they are one and the same. Others profess that these are two distinct types of pasta. Who are we to believe? For help, I went to the pasta bible, “The Geometry of Pasta” by Caz Hildebrand and Jacob Kenedy.

"Cannelloni are sheets of pasta wrapped around a sausage filling and baked. It is possible to buy dried tubes of pasta to blanch and stuff, but to my mind, these should really be called manicotti."

"Manicotti are the subject of some confusion. In the USA, where manicotti probably originate, the term often refers to a baked dish of stuffed tubular pasta rather than the pasta itself. Dried tubes of pasta are often sold as cannelloni, although cannelloni, at least originally, are sheets of pasta rolled around a filling, rather than extruded tubes that need to be stuffed from the ends."

So, there you have it. Manicotti is an American reinterpretation of the Italian cannelloni. True cannelloni is a flat square (or rectangle) of fresh pasta dough wrapped around a filling. Manicotti is an extruded tube of pasta; they are always sold dry.

Now That We Know Cannelloni is the "Original," Who Invented It?

I love a good mystery, and the food world abounds in a long list of "who-done-its." Who created blue cheese? Who originated the ice cream sundae? Are whoopie pies Amish? Let's sink our teeth into another culinary conundrum—who invented cannelloni?

Our first suspect is Vincenzo Corrado. His story begins in 1734 in the kingdom of Naples when there was an era of enlightenment under King Charles of Bourbon. Charles and his successor (son Ferdinand) promoted the arts. An opera house, with a seating capacity of more than 3,000 was commissioned and an art museum was established in the palace. Wealthy citizens invested in beautifying their city, and the ruins of Pompeii were excavated—one of the greatest cultural movements of the 18th century.

Was It an 18th Century Philosopher?

This is the world into which Vincenzo Corrado was born—a renaissance world of imagination and inspiration, a world of passion and contemplation. In 1755, at the age of 17, Corrado received his formal education in a Celestine monastery, receiving instruction in astronomy, mathematics, history, and philosophy. He also traveled throughout the kingdom, visiting markets, dining, and collecting recipes. Corrado was by education a philosopher, but he gained the reputation of being so skillful, so intuitive, and knowledgeable of all things gastronomic, that he was named Capo dei Servizi di Bocca, literally translated as “Head of Mouth Services,” at the court of Michele Imperiali, Prince of Francavilla. Corrado was charged with the planning of all banquets, and his productions were as much theatrics as they were haute cuisine.

In 1773 his first cookbook was published; "Il cuoco galante" (The Curious Cook) elevated Italian food, giving it distinction and celebrity. He has been credited with being the first to prepare a very large tube of pasta, fill it with meat and truffles, and finish it with a meat sauce.

That's one theory. Others believe the birth of cannelloni is much more recent.

Or Was It a 20th Century Head Chef?

This is a tale of two monasteries, two families, and two grand hotels.

Both abbeys were established early in the 13th century. Overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, they clung to the rugged cliffside, remote, isolated. For a 800 years, they were places of contemplation and servitude.

The Convent of San Francisco, founded in 1222 by St. Francis of Assisi was converted to a 19th-century inn. In the early 1920s, it ultimately became Hotel Luna Convento under the family of Don Andrea Barbaro, a well-known gourmet.

The foundation for the monastery of Saint Pietro a Toczolo was built under the direction of Cardinal Pietro Capuano and dates back to 1212; it too was converted in the 1920s and became Hotel Cappuccini, owned by Don Alfredo Vozzi (today it bears the name Grand Hotel Convento).

Now, let's fast-forward to 1987. Italian author Gaetano Afeltra wrote "Nascita dei Cannelloni ad Amalfi" (Birth of Cannelloni in Amalfi). In that publication, he told the story of the alliance between the Barbaro and Vozzi families.

According to Afeltra, the families had a pact. When the kitchen of one establishment created a new dish it would be evaluated by the owner of the other. As the story goes, the chef at Cappuccini, Salvatore Coletta, prepared and personally presented a dish to Don Andrea Vozzi.

"After he tasted the dish, he stood up with his napkin still tied around his neck and gave orders to ring the bells of the convent church in celebration. All the bells of Amalfi began to ring in response and a pasta star was born!" —The Pasta Project

Recipes

I have selected 9 recipes for you today. Some of them are identified as "manicotti" and some as "cannelloni." We're allowing those terms to be used interchangeably today to give you a wide range of options. Here is a list of the recipes I have chosen for you.

1. Italian Sausage and Cheese Baked Manicotti

2. String Cheese Manicotti

3. Creamy Ricotta Spinach and Chicken Cannelloni

4. Mushroom and Herbed Ricotta Cannelloni

5. Pumpkin Sage Manicotti with Crispy Pancetta

6. Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Manicotti

7. Mushroom-Ham Cannelloni

8. Crab and Ricotta Cannelloni

9. Mexican Manicotti

1. Italian Sausage and Cheese Baked Manicotti

Our first recipe features tender tubes of pasta filled with savory sausage, spinach, and grated Parmesan. Italian sausage and cheese baked manicotti is a recipe that can easily be adapted to suit your family's tastes and the ingredients you already have on hand in your pantry and refrigerator. You can use kale in place of the spinach, stir in grated carrots, or sauteed mushrooms. Use whatever brand of jarred spaghetti sauce you like—add a pinch of red pepper flake if you like a little kick of heat.

2. String Cheese Manicotti

I am a senior citizen, retired, and my children are grown, but I can still remember the days of working full-time, taking care of a home and garden, and having four hungry mouths to feed. Why didn't I think of this shortcut? It's genius. Christy Denney makes a quick meat sauce and spoons half of it into a baking dish. Manicotti tubes are placed on top—and each one is filled with a piece of string cheese! The remainder of the sauce goes on top. While everything gets gooey and melty in the oven you have time to toss a salad and slice some bread.

For a quick and satisfying meal for your family, try this string cheese manicotti.

3. Creamy Ricotta Spinach and Chicken Cannelloni

Our family tends to eat more poultry and fish rather than beef and pork, so I'm always on the search for new chicken and/or turkey dishes. This ricotta spinach and chicken cannelloni is not traditional, but it's savory, creamy, and delicious. You can use leftover rotisserie chicken in place of the cooked chicken breast, and I like to add chopped artichoke hearts to the filling.

4. Spinach and Ricotta Zucchini Cannelloni

In this spinach and ricotta zucchini cannelloni, pasta is replaced with ribbons of zucchini. This is a great recipe for those seeking a low-carb meal or are gluten sensitive. You can use a vegetable peeler or a cheese slicer to cut the zucchini. However, I would highly recommend purchasing a mandoline. You can find an inexpensive, durable, and perfectly good one for less than $25. One word of caution—please, always use the guard. I also have a cut-resistant glove. It's indispensable in the kitchen, protecting delicate fingertips from not only the mandoline but cheese graters and food processor blades. They are flexible, washable, and can be worn on either hand.

5. Pumpkin Sage Manicotti With Crispy Pancetta

Pumpkin always makes me think of the holidays and this pumpkin-sage manicotti would be a perfect addition to your dinner plans. Pumpkin and sage are such a winning combination—the perfect contrast of sweet and savory. Sage is such a unique herb, with a flavor unlike any other. Some people describe it as woodsy with hints of pine, mint, and even eucalyptus. Although the crispy pancetta adds a pop of salty crunchy goodness, you can omit it to make this a vegetarian dish.

6. Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Manicotti

For a change of pace, this chicken alfredo stuffed manicotti is blanketed with a luxurious white sauce rather than the traditional red sauce. If you don't like broccoli, you could substitute wilted spinach or baby kale, or even some cooked asparagus tips.

7. Mushroom-Ham Cannelloni

Our next recipe, mushroom-ham cannelloni, again uses a creamy white sauce. I love the flavors in this dish. The ham is both salty and a bit sweet, and the mushrooms provide a pop of umami flavor. This would be the perfect place to use up leftovers from that Sunday ham dinner.

8. Crab and Ricotta Cannelloni

I have a confession. I am a crab snob. Yes, I know that snow crab is abundant and easy to find at your local grocery store's seafood aisle. New Englanders favor their blue crabs and stone crabs are abundant off the Florida coast. King crab is indeed the king of Alaska crustaceans. But, I live in the state of Washington, and in my heart, mind, and stomach, I believe that the only truly worthy crab is the Dungeness.

Dungeness crab would make this crab and ricotta cannelloni absolutely swoon-worthy.

9. Mexican Manicotti

Our final recipe is a fusion of the best of Mexican and Italian cooking. Mexican manicotti is filled with ground turkey and refried beans and layered with green taco sauce and shredded Mexican-blend cheese. What I like most about this recipe is that the pasta shells are not cooked. They are stuffed right out of the box and cook in the baking dish. Easy peasy.

Sources

• Travel Amalfi Coast

• Palladian Routes

• The Paris Review

• The Pasta Project

• Historic Hotels