Delight in the flavors of Italy with Sausage Cannelloni. This twist on a classic pasta dish features savory Italian sausage, creamy ricotta, and aromatic herbs, all enveloped in tomato pasta sauce. Discover how to create this comforting favorite that's perfect for any meal.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Flavorful Filling: The sausage stuffing adds a hearty, savory twist to traditional cannelloni.
- Family-Friendly: This Sausage Cannelloni dish is a crowd-pleaser, perfect for family dinners or gatherings.
- Straightforward Steps: Even novice cooks can master this recipe with its clear, easy instructions.
🥘 Ingredients
- Italian Sausage: The star of the dish, providing a robust meaty flavor and texture.
- Pepper and Salt: Enhance the natural flavors of the other ingredients.
- Cottage Cheese: Adds a creamy richness to the filling, balancing the spicy sausage.
- Marinara Sauce: Gives the dish a tangy, tomato-based flavor that complements the sausage.
- Lasagna Sheets: Used to create the cannelloni tubes, they provide a tender pasta layer.
- Egg: Binds the cheese and sausage filling together, ensuring it stays intact while baking.
- Shredded Mozzarella Cheese: Melts beautifully in the oven, giving the dish a gooey, cheesy top layer.
- Parmesan Cheese: Adds a sharp, salty flavor that contrasts nicely with the other ingredients.
For the complete list of ingredients with measurements and instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
📖 Substitutions & Variations
- You can also use Cooked Ground Beef if you don't have sausage. You could also add a little béchamel sauce on top for extra flavor.
- If you want more filling options for your cannelloni tubes try a Ricotta filling or a mix of ricotta, Parmesan and mozzarella cheese.
🔪 How To Make Sausage Cannelloni?
Step One: Bring a skillet to medium heat. Brown off the sausage meat. If in a casing, remove the casing. Add salt and pepper.
Step Two: Once nearly cooked, add 1 cup of marinara or tomato sauce and mix. Remove from heat and add the cottage cheese. Stir it in.
Step Three: Coat the bottom of your baking pan with a light layer of marinara sauce. Lay the lasagna sheets flat and add 2 tablespoons of meat. Roll the noodles until closed.
Step Four: Place rolled cannelloni on the baking sheet. Whisk the egg and brush the cannelloni with the egg wash. If you prefer to use cannelloni shells that is fine but I find rolling after adding the filling easier and it saves time.
Step Five: Add a baking sheet to the air fryer and cook at 350°f for 5 minutes, remove and add the remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese to the top of the cannelloni.
Step Six: Return to air fryer and cook at 350°f for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Now your cannelloni is ready to serve! Cover with parmesan and enjoy!
Add More Vegetables To This Dish
- Make Hearty: If you're looking for an even heartier meal, try adding some fresh spinach or other vegetables for a veggie-packed version of this classic.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
- Use Fresh Lasagna Sheets: For the best texture, use fresh lasagna sheets rather than dry pasta. Fresh sheets roll more easily and cook to the perfect tenderness when baked in the air fryer.
- Balance Spices with Cheese: Adjust the sausage filling by adding a pinch of red pepper flakes or a teaspoon of garlic powder for a bolder flavor. The cheese helps balance out the spices for a creamy, flavorful bite.
- Add Extra Vegetables: Enhance the dish by incorporating spinach, mushrooms, or zucchini into the filling. These vegetables not only add nutrition but also bring extra flavor and moisture to the cannelloni.
- Avoid Overfilling: When rolling the cannelloni, don't overstuff the pasta sheets. Overfilling can lead to uneven cooking, and the filling might spill out during baking.
💭 FAQs
Believe it or not, I didn't try cannelloni until my 30's and boy was it good. Cannelloni is a type of Italian pasta dish that consists of large tubes of thin pasta sheets that are filled with meat, vegetables, or cheese. The Cannelloni is then baked in an oven and served with a creamy marinara sauce. This is a rich dish and a favorite recipe you will simply love.
Cannelloni and Manicotti are both types of stuffed pasta dishes, however, it's important to note that they're not the same. Cannelloni is larger than manicotti - its tubes also tend to be thicker and wider. The filling used for cannelloni is usually meat or cheese while manicotti may contain a mix of vegetables, cheese or other ingredients.
When it comes to Cannelloni, the classic way of preparing it would be to boil the pasta and bake it in an oven with a creamy marinara sauce. But if you want to avoid all that mess and time-consuming preparation then why not try making it in your air fryer? By using an air fryer you can get that crispy golden outside while still keeping the inside wonderfully moist. Plus, if you're trying to avoid all the extra fat and calories from frying then air fryer cannelloni is a great option for that too!
Ricotta Cannelloni tastes amazing and adding a ricotta filling topped with red sauce and smothered in delicious cheese is always a winner in my house.
Yes, baked cannelloni is an Italian comfort food that can be air fried or baked. To bake in the oven simply follow the same instructions as for the air fryer, but instead of air frying, cook in a preheated oven at 350°F for 30-35 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly. Enjoy!
After cooling to room temperature, store the sausage cannelloni in an airtight container or sealable bag in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Once completely cooled, portion the sausage cannelloni into freezer-safe containers for up to 2-3 months. Transfer the frozen sausage cannelloni to the refrigerator and allow it to thaw overnight for optimal results.
🧂Serving Suggestions
Here are my favorite appetizers to serve with Sausage Cannelloni:
- Garlic Breadsticks: Warm, buttery garlic bread sticks with a hint of garlic to soak up the savory flavors of the sausage cannelloni.
- Classic Caesar Salad: Crisp romaine lettuce, parmesan, and Caesar dressing – a refreshing contrast to the rich pasta.
- Air Fryer Asparagus: Tasty asparagus spears coated in Parmesan and cooked until tender.
- Mushroom Risotto: Creamy and flavorful risotto with earthy mushrooms is a luxurious side dish that pairs perfectly.
🍽 Related Recipes
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Best Sausage Cannelloni Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Ib Italian Sausage links, or unpacked ground
- ⅛ Teaspoon Pepper
- ¼ Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Cup Cottage Cheese
- 2 Cups Marinara Sauce
- 10 Pre Soaked Lasagna Sheets
- 1 Egg
- 1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese
- ½ Cup Shredded Parmesan cheese Shredded
Instructions
- Bring a skillet to medium heat. Brown off the sausage meat. If in a casing, remove the casing. Add salt and pepper.
- Once nearly cooked, add 1 cup of marinara or tomato sauce and mix. Remove from heat and add the cottage cheese. Stir it in.
- Coat the bottom of your baking pan with a light layer of marinara sauce.Lay the lasagna sheets flat and add 2 tablespoons of meat.
- Roll the noodle until closed. Place rolled cannelloni on the baking sheet. Whisk the egg and brush the cannelloni with the egg wash. If you prefer to use cannelloni shells that is fine but I find rolling after adding the filling easier and it saves time.
- Add a baking sheet to the air fryer and cook at 350°f for 5 minutes, remove and add the remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese to the top of the cannelloni.
- Return to air fryer and cook at 350°f for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted.Now your cannelloni is ready to serve! Cover with parmesan and enjoy!
