Cannelloni ...

[sherrardk]

... Is the work of the devil! Why anyone would think it was a good idea to stuff tiny tubes of pasta is beyond me. Needless to say, I won't be using it again.

[vodkancoke]

Was it the dry tubes? Horrid stuff if it was. Buy the fresh lasagne sheets and use them in future. Much easier and nicer! :)

[sherrardk]

It was the dried stuff and they all wolfed it down. They just looked bigger in the box. Took bloody ages filling them with a tea spoon (and I had to do loads for my lot, two dishes full). You live and learn. This week's 'new' meal is going to be Stromboli, wish me luck.

[vodkancoke]

Good for you Sher, I love Stromboli! Save me a bit :) x

[quizzywig]

I usually treat Mr Q to tesco finest spinach cannelloni when it's on offer - delicious. I did actually try making it myself many years ago - needless to say I only tried once.

[Jeza]

I have never 'stuffed' them. Just serve them with whatever meat and sauce you have made (or bought)

[vodkancoke]

Jeza, the tubes Sher bought were dry, hollow, empty tubes which you need to stuff to make it cannelloni. The other way is to buy the fresh lasagne sheets, put some of the filling in the middle and roll them up.

[Psybbo]

I did it once for a party, it was lovely but never again, life's too short

[sherrardk]

I was stood there ages - so time consuming making the bolognese sauce, stuffing the tubes, making cheese sauce, etc. Anyway, himself has just got in and is too knackered to eat so there's plenty for tea for tomorrow for those who want it. I must think these things through in future, I obviously haven't learnt from the chocolate bowl disaster (exploding balloons covered in molten hot chocolate, took for ever to clean the kitchen).

[ethandron]

I watched Jamie Oliver make something called squash and spinach pasta rotolo earlier, made much as vodka says, with lasagne sheets. He roasted the whole butternut squash without chopping or peeling it and just scooped the middle out, all soft and mashed up, and spread it on the lasagne sheets along with spinache and some other things. The whole recipe looked really tasty and very easy, he used frozen spinache which would have amounted to four bags of fresh.

[vodkancoke]

I saw that too ethandron, it looked delish. Must give that one a go.

[sherrardk]

Was it on his 'budget' show? I haven't watched this week's yet. Bet it came in about £1.90 a portion so not at all 'budget'.

[LyndaB]

Making bolognese sauce and cheese sauce isn't too time consuming. I never make cannelloni because I make too much mess with it. My lasagne is fab though!

[ethandron]

Yes it was on his budget show, I can't remember how much a portion it was, but I reckon it could probably be made cheaper anyway by using cheaper pasta, squash from aldi, etc.
It really did look tasty, think I'm going to give it a go myself vodka.

[sherrardk]

I've done lasagne but there wasn't enough pasta somehow. Everything is time consuming on a wet Saturday with five kids in the house.

[DaisyNonna]

Use an icing bag to do the stuffing.

[sherrardk]

Good tip Daisy.

[anneasquith]

Stromboli ?

[sherrardk]

I'm pretty sure it's just rolled up pizza, just like the kids to haven't different stuff.

[Ratty2E]

I made the squash pasta thing last week and it was very nice. You smear the cooked squash then dollop the spinach all over a fresh lasagna sheet then roll it up like a Swiss roll, much easier than cannelloni. I have no idea how much it cost but it was made cheaper by the fact I had squash from the garden. I can't say I pay much heed to costings (or timings come to that) on these programmes, but I do like most of Jamie's ideas.

[coccinelle]

Any chance of the Jamie Oliver recipe anyone? I've got quite a lot of squash this year and need the recipes.