Cannelloni with Mozzarella and Chicken

Pasta and Pizza | Italian cuisine

⏳ Time

1 hour 20 minutes

🥕 Ingredients

🍽️ Servings

Description

Cannelloni with Mozzarella and Chicken

Ingredients

Skin-On Chicken Breasts - 1 piece
Conchiglie Pasta - 16 pieces
Pesto - 1½ tablespoons
Bacon - 1.8 oz
Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons
Melted Cheese - 12.3 oz
Salt - to taste
Baking Tomatoes - 10.6 oz
Ground Black Pepper - to taste
Garlic - 2 cloves

Step by Step guide

Step 1

Cut the chicken breast into small cubes, about 0.5 cm on each side, and sauté in a small amount of olive oil over medium heat. Wait until the meat starts to release juices and slightly browns, then season with salt and pepper and set aside. You can also use ground chicken instead of diced chicken.

Step 2

Cut the bacon into very small pieces and dice the mozzarella. I had three large balls of mozzarella, two of which went directly into the filling, and I sliced one to place on top. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients, including the chicken and pesto sauce. Stuff the cannelloni; you will need about 15–17 pieces, depending on their size and how tightly you fill them. If you happen to have leftover filling but run out of cannelloni, you can simply spread it on top—it won't be a problem.

Step 3

Now let's prepare the sauce to pour over our pasta, namely a marinara-style sauce. It's simple: mix the canned tomatoes, cut into pieces, with crushed garlic, salt, and pepper. Don't forget to add a bit of the liquid from the tomatoes. You can blend this in a blender to make a smooth sauce, but I much prefer it with chunks. You can also do the same with fresh tomatoes.

Step 4

Now grease a baking dish with olive oil, tightly arrange the cannelloni in it, pour the sauce over, place the sliced mozzarella on top, and bake in a preheated oven at 356°F for 20–25 minutes. It's best to cover the dish with foil beforehand and remove it 5 minutes before it's done.