Ingredients 18 small cannelloni noodles
5 cloves garlic, minced 5 shallots, chopped 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup orange juice 2 cups heavy whipping cream
salt and pepper to taste 1 onion, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped 2 Lebanese eggplants, diced 2 roasted red bell peppers, diced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 cup ricotta cheese 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Roast two red peppers under the grill until skins are slightly bubbling.
In a large pot of salted water, parboil cannelloni. (I put some oil in the water and as soon as they were partially done I laid them out so that they weren't touching each other. Otherwise, they stick together and it's a major pain - that happened on the first attempt).
Meanwhile, cook 2 cloves garlic and 2 shallots in 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat for 30 seconds. Pour in orange juice, raise heat to high, and reduce liquid by half. Stir in cream, and reduce until there is about 1 1/2 cups liquid. Remove from heat, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set cream sauce aside.
(Lebanese eggplant - the original recipe called for regular eggplant but I'm not a big fan. These are good because they don't have so much of that mushy texture inside which is what I don't like.)
In a large skillet, heat one tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Cook onion, 3 shallots, 3 cloves garlic, zucchini, and eggplant in olive oil until all vegetables are tender. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in red peppers, basil, oregano, ricotta, and Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set filling aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one 9x13 inch baking dish. Stuff vegetable/cheese filling into cannelloni. Place in prepared baking dish, and cover with cream sauce. (I hand stuff - it's just easier. The first time I tried using a zip lock bag but it would split the cannelloni noodles and eventually the bag burst and I used my hands. Second time around I started with my hands and it was much cleaner and faster.)
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
