Three Meat Cannelloni

I have been trying to experiment with new pastas, trying anything that is different.  Recently, I thought about making cannelloni, but I wanted to use fresh pasta.  I though to myself, how am I going to make those tubes?!  Then, I thought, why not just roll out sheets of pasta, with the filling and seal the "tube" with a seam.  In thinking about the process, I definitely knew I was going to have to make this more than once, but it was actually surprisingly easy!

Ingredients;

1 28oz can of tomato puree
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp crushed red peppers

2.5lbs of a combination of pork, beef and veal
1 medium onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 red pepper, minced
1/4 c chopped parsley
1/3 c Parmesan Romano cheese
1/3 c mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp crushed red peppers
1 egg, beaten
salt and pepper to taste

Pasta recipe can be found here

Combine the tomato sauce, bay leaf and crushed red peppers into a pot, and simmer on low heat.

In a large saute pan, brown meat, drain the grease from the meat, set aside in a medium bowl.  Add the garlic and onion to the pan.

Once the onions are opaque, add the red peppers.

 After sauteing for about 5 minutes, add the onion mixture to the same bowl as the meat.  Add the parsley, salt and pepper - mix to combine.

Add the Parmesan Romano and mozzarella cheese.  Add the crushed red peppers, the egg, salt and pepper.  Add 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce, from the pot.

Mix everything together.
In the bottom of a large pan, spread some tomato sauce, to cover the bottom.

Take a rolled out pasta sheet and add some of the meat mixture.  Form in the shape of a log.

Roll the pasta over the meat mixture.  Cut the dough according to how much pasta you need and wipe water across the seam.

Seal the "tube".  Place in the baking pan, seam down.

Cover the pasta with sauce and sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Once they are finished, you can chop basil and top with the basil and some finely grated Parmesan Romano cheese.

Thyme 2 Taste....