Tender rolled pasta cradling a creamy ricotta-and-salmon filling, baked under a wild garlic pesto cream sauce until golden and bubbling — a refined Italian primo that's as elegant as it is surprisingly simple.
| Amount | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 200 ml (scant 1 cup) | Semi-fat cream (15–20% fat) Or single cream |
| 4 tbsp | Wild garlic pesto |
| 2 tbsp | Grated Sbrinz (or aged Gruyère / Parmesan) |
| 2 tbsp | Pine nuts |
| 1 | Organic lemon Zest only |
| 1 handful | Fresh arugula (rocket) For garnish |
This cannelloni brings together the sweet richness of salmon, the tangy creaminess of ricotta, and the verdant punch of wild garlic pesto in a single, gratifying baked pasta. The salmon is cut into small pieces, quickly marinated in pesto and lemon juice, then rolled inside individual pasta tubes alongside a seasoned ricotta-Sbrinz filling. A quick sauce made from cream, more pesto, and grated cheese blankets the rolls before a hot oven turns the top bronzed and the filling molten. Finished with fresh lemon zest and peppery arugula, each bite delivers a bright, herbaceous, deeply satisfying pasta experience — the kind of dish that feels like a restaurant secret, made in your own kitchen.
Place the salmon fillet on a clean cutting board. Slice it lengthwise into two long strips — this makes it easier to portion evenly. Then cut each strip crosswise into 6 pieces, giving you 12 pieces total (roughly 40 g / 1½ oz each). Each piece should be roughly rectangular, about the width of your lasagna sheet.
Transfer the salmon pieces to a medium bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of wild garlic pesto and the ½ tablespoon of lemon juice. Gently toss with your hands or a spoon until every piece is evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the pasta and ricotta — this brief marinade infuses the salmon with the garlicky, herbal brightness of the pesto.
The salmon doesn't need a long marinade — 15 to 20 minutes is plenty. Any longer and the acid from the lemon juice can begin to lightly \"cook\" the exterior of the fish, turning it opaque. We want the pesto and lemon as a flavor cloak, not a ceviche treatment. 🐟
Fill a large pot with water — at least 4 litres (4 quarts) — and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of salt. Carefully slide in 12 dried green lasagna sheets, one at a time, stirring gently to prevent sticking.
Cook according to the package directions until al dente — usually 8–10 minutes. The pasta should be tender but still firm enough to roll without tearing. It will continue to cook slightly in the oven, so undercooking by about 30 seconds is actually ideal.
Drain the lasagna sheets in a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold running water to stop the cooking and cool them enough to handle. Lay the sheets out flat in a single layer on a clean, damp kitchen towel — not overlapping. The damp towel keeps them from drying out and sticking to each other.
If the sheets feel sticky or tacky, dab them gently with the towel. Don't let them sit dry and uncovered for more than a few minutes, or they'll become brittle and crack when you try to roll them. If that happens, a quick dip in warm water will restore their flexibility. 🍝
In a medium bowl, combine the 250 g ricotta with 6 tablespoons of grated Sbrinz (or aged Gruyère / Parmesan). Add a pinch of salt, a few grinds of black pepper, and a generous grating of fresh nutmeg — about ⅛ teaspoon. Stir vigorously with a fork until the cheese is evenly distributed and the ricotta is smooth and creamy.
Taste and adjust seasoning. The ricotta should be well-seasoned but not salty — remember that the pesto and top cheese will also contribute salt.
Good ricotta is the backbone here. If yours seems watery, drain it in a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl for 15–20 minutes before mixing. Excess moisture will make the filling runny and can cause the cannelloni to weep during baking. The nutmeg is not optional — it's the quiet note that makes ricotta sing. 🧀
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with the rack in the center position. Lightly grease the baking dish with a thin film of olive oil or butter.
Lay one lasagna sheet flat on your work surface, with a short end facing you. Using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, spread about 1½ tablespoons of the ricotta mixture evenly across the pasta, leaving a 1 cm (½ inch) clear border on the short side farthest from you and along both long edges. The border prevents the filling from squeezing out the ends when you roll.
Place a piece of marinated salmon across the ricotta, positioned near the short end closest to you — about 2 cm (¾ inch) from the edge. Fold the near edge over the salmon and roll firmly but gently away from you, tucking the filling in as you go, until you have a neat cylinder. Place the cannelloni seam-side down in the prepared baking dish.
Repeat with the remaining 11 sheets and filling. Arrange the rolls in a single layer in the dish — they should fit snugly, touching one another, which helps them hold their shape during baking. If your dish is slightly too wide, tuck a crumpled piece of foil at one end to keep the rolls upright.
Roll firmly but don't squeeze — the pasta should wrap around the filling without being stretched tight. A loose roll is fine; the sauce and baking will set everything. If a sheet tears (it happens), just place it torn-side down in the dish — no one will ever know. 🌀
In a small bowl, combine the 200 ml semi-fat cream, 4 tablespoons of wild garlic pesto, and 2 tablespoons of grated Sbrinz. Whisk until smooth and evenly coloured — the sauce should be a pale, creamy green.
Pour the sauce evenly over the assembled cannelloni, making sure each roll gets some coverage. The sauce should pool around and slightly between the rolls, not just sit on top. Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of pine nuts evenly over the surface.
Don't be tempted to thin the sauce with milk or water — the cream reduces and concentrates as it bakes, wrapping each cannellone in a velvety, clingy blanket. If you want a lighter topping, substitute half the cream with whole milk, but expect a thinner, less luxurious result. 🥛
Place the dish on a baking sheet (to catch any drips) and bake at 425°F (220°C) on the center rack for 20–22 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling vigorously around the edges, the top is golden in patches, and the pine nuts are lightly toasted. The internal temperature of the filling should reach about 145°F (63°C) — the salmon will be just cooked through and flaky.
If the top is browning too quickly (after about 12 minutes), tent loosely with aluminum foil for the remaining time.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes — this allows the sauce to settle and thicken slightly, making the cannelloni easier to serve without collapsing.
Resist the urge to bake longer than directed. The salmon is already partially cooked by the hot oven's ambient heat; overbaking will turn it dry and mealy. The cannelloni should be piping hot and bubbling at the edges but still moist and tender within. 🔥
Using a microplane or fine grater, zest the organic lemon directly over the dish — you want fine, fragrant ribbons of zest, not big chunks. Scatter a generous handful of fresh arugula over the top. The arugula will wilt slightly from the residual heat, adding a fresh, peppery counterpoint to the richness of the cream and cheese.
Serve immediately, 2–3 cannelloni per person depending on appetite. Use a wide spatula or fish slice to lift each roll cleanly — the sauce will have settled into a coating rather than a puddle.
The lemon zest and arugula are the finishing flourish that makes this dish sing. The zest cuts through the cream with bright citrus, and the arugula adds a peppery freshness that mirrors the wild garlic's gentle bite. Don't skip them — they're not just garnish, they're the final seasoning. 🍋
| Mistake | Why It Happens | How to Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Cannelloni unroll during baking | Rolls placed seam-side up or dish too wide to hold them snug | Place seam-side down; pack rolls tightly in a single layer with sides touching; use foil as a spacer if needed |
| Salmon dry and overcooked | Overbaking or pieces cut too small | Cut salmon into 12 uniform pieces (40 g each); bake only 20–22 min; check internal temp reaches 145°F (63°C) |
| Filling leaks out during baking | Ricotta filling too wet, or no border left at short end | Drain ricotta if watery; leave a 1 cm (½ in) clear border on the far short side before rolling |
| Sauce curdles or separates | Oven too hot, cream too low in fat, or sauce boiled | Use at least 15% fat cream; bake at 425°F (220°C) center rack; don't let the sauce boil aggressively |
| Pasta sheets crack during rolling | Dried out after boiling, or boiled too tender | Keep sheets on a damp towel until rolling; cook just shy of al dente; if brittle, dip in warm water for 10 seconds |
| Bland, flat flavor | Under-seasoned ricotta or pesto lacks punch | Season ricotta well with salt, pepper, and nutmeg; use pesto with enough garlic and cheese; finish with lemon zest |
| Watery pool in the dish after baking | Ricotta too watery, or pesto has too much oil separating | Drain ricotta well; choose a pesto with balanced oil-to-solids ratio; stir the topping well before pouring |
| Pine nuts burn | Scattered on top too early or oven too hot | Scatter at start but watch after 12 minutes; tent with foil if browning too fast; pine nuts toast quickly at 425°F |
| Pasta undercooked in center | Sheets too thick, or sauce not penetrating the rolls | Cook sheets fully to al dente before rolling; ensure sauce flows between and around all rolls, not just on top |
| Arugula wilts too much | Added too early or dish too hot | Add arugula after the 5-minute rest, just before serving; residual heat is enough to soften it gently |
Photo reference: `vol1_289.png` — A straight-on or slightly angled shot of a ceramic baking dish filled with a row of golden-edged cannelloni rolls, seam-side down and snugly packed, bathed in a pale green pesto cream sauce. The tops are bronzed in patches from the gratinated Sbrinz, with scattered toasted pine nuts catching the light. A fork or serving spatula has lifted one cannellone away from its neighbours, revealing the spiral cross-section: a thin sheet of green pasta wrapped around a creamy white ricotta filling and a coral salmon centre. Beside the dish: a small bowl of extra wild garlic pesto, a halved lemon on a board, a few arugula leaves scattered casually, and a Microplane zester. The lighting is bright and natural — afternoon daylight streaming from the left — casting soft shadows. A bottle of crisp white Vermentino stands in the background, condensation on its surface. The mood is elegant yet approachable — the kind of dish that says Sunday lunch with company, without saying you spent all morning in the kitchen.
Recipe from "The Italian Kitchen" by Vita Milanese — Volume 1: Pasta Perfetto 🍝
Recipe from The Italian Kitchen by Vita Milanese — Volume 1 · Pasta Perfetto. Discover all volumes on the ebook page.