Cannelloni — The New Baby Dish, Made With the Name on My Lips

Sixth grandchild: Rosa Elena Reyes — Rosie — born to Sofia and Tomás, March 2035. Named for Rosa. When I held the baby and said "Rosa," my voice broke on the single syllable and I didn't speak again for ten minutes. Sofia chose the name without being asked. She just knew. The naming is the honoring, and the honoring is the name, and the name is Rosa, and Rosa is the baby, and the baby is the future, and the future is named for the past, and the naming is the chain, and the chain holds.

I made caldo de res — the celebration soup, the new-baby soup, the soup that says: welcome to the family, your name is the most important name in this bakery, and the bakery is your home, and the home is the soup, and the soup is Rosa, and Rosa is you.

Caldo de res is the soup I reach for when the occasion is too large for words — and that night, holding Rosa, I had no words left. But I also had a kitchen full of people who needed feeding, and so I moved to what my hands knew: a dish built in layers, filled carefully, covered over, and sent into warmth until it held together. Cannelloni is not caldo de res, but it is the same prayer — it says, I made this for you, your name matters here, sit down and let me feed you.

Cannelloni

Prep Time: 30 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr 15 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 12 cannelloni tubes (dried)
• 1 lb ground beef or a mix of beef and pork
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 medium onion, finely diced
• 2 cups marinara sauce (jarred or homemade)
• 1 cup béchamel sauce (or 1/2 cup heavy cream mixed with 1/2 cup milk)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil or cooking spray and set aside.
2. Cook the filling. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook 3–4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add ground meat, breaking it apart, and cook until browned through. Drain excess fat. Stir in oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
3. Mix the filling. In a large bowl, combine the cooked meat mixture, ricotta, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, and the beaten egg. Stir until thoroughly combined. Taste and adjust seasoning.
4. Fill the tubes. Using a small spoon or piping bag, carefully fill each cannelloni tube with the meat and ricotta mixture, pressing gently to fill without splitting the pasta. Arrange filled tubes in a single layer in the prepared baking dish.
5. Add the sauces. Spoon the marinara sauce evenly over the cannelloni, covering all the tubes. Drizzle the béchamel (or cream mixture) over the top. Scatter the mozzarella and remaining Parmesan evenly over everything.
6. Bake covered. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes, until the pasta is tender and the filling is cooked through.
7. Bake uncovered. Remove the foil and bake an additional 12–15 minutes until the cheese on top is golden and bubbling. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
8. Garnish and serve. Scatter fresh parsley over the top and serve directly from the baking dish, making sure everyone at the table gets at least two tubes.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 480 | Protein: 28g | Fat: 22g | Carbs: 38g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 620mg