It was the second day of spring; the wind was brisk and the air had a chill to it, but the sun was shining brightly as we walked through Parsons Marsh Trail in Lenox, Massachusetts. The site, just down the road from the main entrance to Tanglewood, was designed and built by the Berkshire Natural Resources Council in 2018. The short trail winds through an open meadow, forested upland and ends at a large marsh. It is home to over 75 nesting bird species, white tailed deer, black bear, bobcat, red and grey fox, and the marsh also houses beaver, mink and otter!
In a few weeks the landscape will change dramatically; the trees and vegetation will be green and lush. Every year I am newly amazed at the rapid transition. Near the edge of the water at Parson’s Marsh, I saw the last small ice formations of the year.
Directly across from the trail is an old Berkshire “Cottage”that is now The Stonover Farm B&B. Built in 1890 by John Parsons, the existing cottage served as a farm house for the estate. The idyllic grounds stand on a spring fed duck pond and 10 acres.
Next to the main cottage is an old barn that houses a contemporary art gallery. This looks like it might also be a beautiful space for chamber music concerts!
A few weeks before Passover, I always make a large pot of chicken stock as a base for Matzoh Ball Soup; I cook a whole chicken along with onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns and dill. After simmering for a few hours, the resulting broth is rich with full depth of flavor, but the remaining chicken is very soft and tastes like cotton! Trying to avoid food waste, I tried to think of a use for the leftover chicken. I was in the mood for Italian cannelloni and came up with an idea for a filling. I removed the chicken from the bones and added this along with sauteed onion and garlic, lightly steamed broccoli rabe and a handful of toasted walnuts to the bowl of my food processor. I pulsed the mixture just a few times so the chicken would not get too pasty and then seasoned it with dried thyme, a pinch of both nutmeg and red pepper flakes and salt & pepper. Tasting the crumbly mixture, the texture of the chicken reminded me of dry ricotta cheese. So far so good!
I had purchased a few fresh lasagna sheets from Guido’s Fresh Marketplace in Great Barrington, MA. I cut the pasta into long strips, spread some filling in the center of each and rolled them up. Along with fresh tomato sauce, I have to say the result was delicious. I used no cheese, but feel free to top the dish with fresh grated mozzarella! There were 12 rolls and I thought this might be too much for two people, but they disappeared quickly! Hence the name of the dish-“Can’t Leave Them Aloni Cannelloni”!
Ingredients:
1 large sheet fresh lasagna pasta
For Filling:
leftover chicken from stock
1 small onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 cup steamed broccoli rabe (the taste was slightly bitter, you can also substitute kale or baby spinach- if you use spinach, make sure to wring it out in a paper towel to remove extra moisture.)
handful of toasted walnuts- more or less will work just fine!
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon dried thyme
pinch of red pepper flakes to taste
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
For Tomato Sauce:
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 small onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried sweet basil
1 bay leaf
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
splash of red wine (if you have an open bottle hanging around!)
To Make Cannelloni:
Make Sauce:
In a large pot, heat olive oil.
Saute chopped onion until it softens slightly.
Add chopped garlic and cook briefly.
Add crushed tomatoes and remaining ingredients.
Add about 1 cup water- you can always add more later if the sauce seems too thick.
Bring sauce to a boil and then cover and simmer for about 45 minutes. The sauce can be made the day before.
Make Filling:
Heat olive oil in a medium sized saute pan.
Add onion and cook until softened.
Add garlic and cook briefly.
In bowl of food processor, place chicken, steamed broccoli rabe, onion and garlic, walnuts, nutmeg, thyme and red pepper flakes.
Pulse a few times until mixture is crumbly. Do not over process as the texture will get pasty.
Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Assemble Cannollini:
Pre-heat oven to 365 Degrees.
Put 1/2 of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a large casserole dish.
Place a pasta sheet on the counter. Cut lengthwise into 6 even strips. Cut each strip in half. You should have 12 pieces of pasta.
Place a dollop of the filling in the center of each pasta piece and roll up.
Place the filled cannelloni seam side down over the sauce.
Put the remaining sauce over the top of the rolls.
Cover tightly with foil and bake about 35 minutes. When you insert a small paring knife in the center of a roll, it should feel soft and the sauce will be bubbly and fragrant! Uncover and cook about 5-10 minutes more and the rolls will brown up a bit. Remove from oven and let sit about 5 minutes before serving.
See how long it takes to finish these! Enjoy!
AND: Here is The Tree of the Week:
STAY SAFE!!
A Musician's Travels 