Cannelloni Al Forno... Recipe

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

450 g (1 lb, 4 cups) skinned and boned chicken breast, cooked
225g (8 0z) mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, crushed
30 ml (2 tbsp) chopped fresh parsley
15 ml (1 tbsp) chopped fresh tarragon
1 egg, beaten fresh lemon juice
12- 18 cannelloni tubes
475 ml (16 fl oz, 2 cups) ready made tomato sauce
50 g (2 oz, 2/3 cup) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
1 sprig fresh parsley, to garnish

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 C (400 F, Gas 6). Place the (cooked) chicken in a blender or food processor and blend until finely minced. Transfer to a bowl.

2. Place the mushrooms, garlic and tarragon in the food processor and blend until finely minced.

3. Beat the mushroom mixture into the chicken mixture thoroughly, then add the egg, salt and pepper and lemon juice to taste and mix together well.

4. If necessary, cook the cannelloni in plenty of boiling water according to the instructions, then drain well on a clean dish towel.

5. Place the filling in a piping bag fitted wit a large plain nozzle. Use this to fill each tube of cannelloni once they are cool enough to handle.

6. Lay the filled cannelloni tightly together in a single layer in a buttered shallow ovenproof dish. Spoon over the tomato sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until brown and bubbling. Serve garnished with a sprig of parsley.

Friendly Tip: If cooking the cannelloni tubes prior to filling, be mindful of cooking them too soft as this can cause them to split when filling. Instead you may choose to cook them for half of the instructed time as they will be cooked for a further 30 minutes in the oven.