Cannelloni are one of my favorite dishes, those that remind me of home and family. In recent years, I’ve been experimenting with different versions, and today I’m offering you one that’s truly delicious and has won over everyone’s palate at home, even the most skeptical. These are: eggplant cannelloni, a main dish rich in flavor.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer
Ingredients
- 9 oz egg pasta cannelloni (dry)
- 2 eggplants
- 1/2 onion
- 24 oz tomato sauce
- 3 hard-boiled eggs
- 3.5 oz cooked ham
- 1 slice provolone cheese
- 10.5 oz béchamel sauce
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- 1 pat butter
Tools
- Baking Tray
Steps
To prepare the eggplant cannelloni, start by cleaning the eggplants, dice them, and put them under salt for about ten minutes. After the time has passed, take a pan and place it on medium-high heat. Pour a couple of tablespoons of oil into it, then let it heat for a few seconds, squeeze the eggplants and add them to the pan. Fry, stirring occasionally, until they are slightly golden.
Collect them with a slotted spoon and set them aside in a bowl.
In the same pan, sauté half a chopped onion and then pour in the tomato sauce. Adjust the salt and let it cook for about ten minutes over low heat with the lid on.
Meanwhile, peel the eggs and cut them into small pieces, like dice. Cut the ham and provolone cheese to the same size.
Take a baking dish, and grease it with a pat of butter.
Remove the sauce from the heat, then pour it into a bowl. Add the béchamel sauce and mix well. (If you want to make béchamel sauce at home, here is the recipe.) Set aside one-third, which will be used to cover the cannelloni, while the remaining two-thirds of the sauce should be combined with the eggplants. Also, add the eggs, ham, and provolone cheese previously chopped. Mix everything and transfer the mixture to a piping bag, then fill the cannelloni and arrange them in the dish.
Alternatively, you can fill them with a teaspoon.Once finished, cover the cannelloni with the béchamel sauce mixed with tomato sauce that you set aside earlier.
Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F for 25/30 minutes.
Tips and Storage
If you want a vegetarian version, you can omit the ham.
You can prepare them a day in advance, store them in the fridge, and bake them following the cooking instructions in the recipe.
Eggplant cannelloni can be stored after cooking for 2 days in the refrigerator. They can be frozen after being cooked and allowed to cool completely.

