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Vegetarian, South and mountains

Corsican brocciu and chard cannelloni with green salad

Corsican brocciu cannelloni are pasta tubes stuffed with fresh Corsican cheese and chard, baked under tomato sauce and parmesan, serving 4 in 70 minutes. The difficulty is medium, the cost is €3.10 per person, and success depends on pressing the filling well and covering the pasta fully with sauce so it steams rather than dries out. Served with a green salad, it makes a satisfying Sunday dinner for the whole family.

Tonight, Corsican style cannelloni, stuffed with brocciu and chard, baked under tomato sauce.

Corsican brocciu and chard cannelloni with green salad
Total time
1 h 10
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€3.10
Calories per person
440 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall, Spring
The kids
They generally like it

Brocciu brings a soft, slightly salty creaminess that pairs well with the mild bitterness of chard, all wrapped in a simple tomato sauce and a parmesan crust that browns in the oven. The inside stays tender while the top turns lightly golden, as long as the sauce fully covers the pasta during baking. It's a comforting dish with a distinct character, quite different from the usual ricotta and spinach cannelloni.

This is a weekend or slow Sunday recipe, since you need to stuff the cannelloni one by one before baking. Kids tend to like it thanks to the mild cheese and the parmesan topping, and it also works well for guests since it's a vegetarian dish that stands out from the usual meat mains. Mon Chou walks you through each step so the filling holds together and the pasta cooks evenly.

The ingredients

4 people

Pantry

  • Dry cannelloni tubesoften in the pantry 16
  • Crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 600 g
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • Fresh brocciu cheese 400 g
  • Egg 1
  • Grated parmesan 50 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Swiss chard 300 g
  • Onion 1
  • Green salad 1

Allergens Gluten, Lactose, Eggs

The step by step recipe

  1. Cook the chopped chard, press it well, then mix it with the brocciu and the egg. 12 min

    Press it firmly, that's the golden rule for a filling that holds together.

  2. Sauté the onion in the oil and add the tomatoes for the sauce. 15 min

    A pinch of sugar softens the tomato's acidity.

  3. Fill each cannelloni tube with the filling.

    Don't force it, fill gently with a spoon.

  4. Spread a little sauce in a baking dish, arrange the cannelloni, cover with the rest of the sauce, then sprinkle with parmesan.

    Cover the pasta well with sauce so it steams as it cooks.

  5. Bake at 190 degrees, then serve with the green salad. 35 min

    Cover with foil for the first 20 minutes.

Our tips to get it right

  • Drain the brocciu well before mixing it in, a filling that's too wet will make the cannelloni soggy.
  • Use dry cannelloni tubes that cook directly in the oven, they soak up the tomato sauce without needing to be pre-boiled.
  • Let the dish rest 5 minutes after baking, the filling firms up slightly and slices more cleanly.

The variations

  • If you can't find brocciu, well drained ricotta is a close substitute in both texture and taste.
  • For a faster version, use frozen chopped spinach, already squeezed dry, instead of fresh chard.
  • For picky kids, blend the filling finely so the chard pieces are less noticeable.

What to serve it with

  • Green salad with vinaigrette
  • Fresh bread for the sauce
  • Sparkling water with lemon

Storage

The cannelloni keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. They freeze well once baked, and reheat best in the oven covered with foil so they don't dry out.

Questions about this dish

Can brocciu be replaced with another cheese?

Yes, well drained ricotta is the closest substitute in texture and mild flavor. Avoid drier cheeses, which would make the filling crumbly.

Can this dish be made ahead?

You can stuff the cannelloni and make the sauce the day before, then assemble and bake on the day you serve it. This takes the last minute work out of a weeknight dinner.

How do you keep dry cannelloni from staying tough?

Make sure they're fully covered in tomato sauce on both sides before baking, so they steam in the sauce as they cook. Covering with foil for the first 20 minutes also helps soften them.

Do kids usually like this dish despite the chard?

Brocciu softens the chard's flavor a lot, and the parmesan topping makes the dish feel familiar to kids. If needed, blend the filling finely so the chard pieces are less visible.

How long does it take to make Corsican brocciu and chard cannelloni with a green salad?

Count 1 h 10 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in Corsican brocciu and chard cannelloni with a green salad?

About 440 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does Corsican brocciu and chard cannelloni with a green salad cost?

About €3.10 per serving, or €12.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose, eggs. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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