Shock Assembly

A Cannelloni Recipe You Will Want to Try

 

I love Italian food! This style of food has some of my favorite flavors. It's fun to try traditional meals with a creative twist. I found a Crispy Volpi Pancetta Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni recipe and it has very quickly become a family favorite. This cannelloni recipe is unique and fun to prepare. I found this great recipe on Chef Michael's blog page at "volpifoods.com”. From the first taste, you will notice that the textures and flavors combine to create an Italian masterpiece!

 

Ingredients:

Cannelloni Pasta Dough Recipe

1 T - Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 each - Extra Large Eggs

1/8 t - Sea Salt (fine)

1 c – All Purpose Flour

½ c - Semolina Flour

 

In the bowl of your stand mixer place the eggs, olive oil and sea salt. Mix on low speed with paddle attachment until well blended. In a small bowl, combine the flour and semolina and blend well. Add flour to wet ingredents and mix on low.

 

Remove the dough from the mixer bowl and shape into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough until the texture is smooth. Flatten pasta dough to 2 inch thickness and wrap with plastic wrap – allow resting for minimum 30 minutes. Once pasta dough has rested, time to make sheets for cannelloni.

 

A rolling pin can be used; however one of the BEST kitchen tools to have is a traditional hand crank pasta machine. Cut the pasta dough into 4 equal pieces. Start at the widest setting and begin to roll out the dough until desired thickness is achieved. Use 3 1/2 x 22 inch pasta sheet. NOTE: Roll all pasta out before assembling with cannelloni filling. Keep covered with towel or plastic wrap to avoid pasta getting too dry.

 

Cannelloni Ingredients:

1 lb - Spinach, leaves only - fresh (blanched, finely chopped)

1 ½ lb - Ricotta cheese

Chef Note* - Visit Volpi web site ‘Recipes’ for “Home-made Ricotta”

1 ea - Egg, large and 1 additional egg for egg-wash

2 T - Heavy Cream

¼ t - Nutmeg, fresh ground

¼ t - Lemon zest, fresh zest

1/3 c - Parmesan cheese, fresh grated, additional for garnish

Sea Salt, Black Pepper (fresh ground)

1 bunch - Basil, fresh sliced in ribbons

12 oz - Volpi Pancetta, cut in ½ x ½ strips

1 T - Olive Oil

5 c - Marinara / Tomato Sauce

 

Method:

Bring large pot of water to boil. Season well with sea salt and blanch spinach leaves, 30 seconds. Remove spinach and place immediately in ice water. Drain well and squeeze to remove excess water. Make sure to chop the spinch very fine. (NOTE* Frozen spinach is quick, acceptable substitute)

 

In large mixing bowl place Ricotta cheese and add egg, heavy cream, nutmeg, and lemon zest. Be sure to mix well. Put in spinach and Parmesan cheese. Add sea salt and black pepper to preferred taste. Set this to the side until it is needed for cannelloni assembly.

 

Chef Tip: Fill a pastry bag with Spinach & Ricotta filling; this makes the cannelloni making process quick, easy and with little mess.

 

Volpi Pancetta ½ by ½ inch strips:

Place 1 T olive oil in sauté pan over medium low heat. Add Volpi Pancetta and render fat until Pancetta becomes crispy and golden brown on both sides. Remove from pan with slotted spoon to paper lined plate to drain and hold.

 

Assembly:

Place one of the rolled pasta sheets on flat surface on top of a piece of plastic wrap in front of you. Using the pastry bag method, squeeze a ¾ inch bead of filling at bottom edge of pasta sheet. To help with sealing cannelloni, place thin coating of egg wash at the top edge. Create a cylinder shape up grabbing the plastic wrap, lifting up and then rolling the pasta sheet over it. Once the cannelloni shape is formed, cut individual cannelloni approximately 5 ½ inches in length. Move cannelloni to parchment lined sheet pan and be sure to refrigerate until ready to cook.

 

Cooking:

Place a layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of a baking dish, approximately ¼ inch thick. Next, lay the cannelloni on top of the tomato sauce in an even row. Cover baking dish with both plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Set the temperature at 350 degrees F and put cannelloni in for 10-15 minutes.

 

Place remaining marinara sauce in pot and heat to simmer and hold until plating.

 

Remove from oven, place cannelloni on plate or serving platter. Ladle marinara sauce over the top, garnish with fresh basil, Parmesan cheese and Volpi Pancetta strips.

 

Serves 4-6 people.

Chef Michael’s spinach pasta recipe is truly a wonderful rendition of traditional cannelloni. The addition of Pancetta as a garnish was inventive and added a new flavor and texture to the meal. Don't take my word for it; try it and taste for yourself! I think a sangiovese or merlot would complement the meal nicely.

 

Rear shock absorber causing premature wear on bearings?

I have a 98 Jetta GL and my left rear shock absorber has begun leaking fluid in the past month or so. I have also had issues with the bearings wearing out, so I had them replaced less than 2000 miles ago. But now these newly installed ones are giving me the telltale signs of going-to-crush-soon. Could a failing shock absorber cause uneven wear/premature failure of my rear wheel bearings? I know that the bearings were installed & packed correctly.

Also, on the hub assembly the nut that goes on just before putting in the cotter pin tends to loosen after about 50 miles of driving. I continue to tighten it, then back it off slightly but the problem still occurs. This occurs on BOTH rear wheels. I am at a loss for what can cause this. Help!

Thanks!

If you disassemble the rear wheel bearings wash them out and wipe them clean I think you'll find your problem. Once wheel bearings are packed with disc brake grease, snugged not tightened, wheel spun by hand spun and castle nut backed off, there's no need to ever screw with them again.

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Tulsa Shock Assembly Program at Lewis and Clark Middle School