Vitello Tonnato in Manicotti with Taleggio
Vitello Tonnato in Manicotti with Taleggio
This baked pasta dish puts a cool-weather touch on the classic Vitello Tonnato. While the normal Vitello Tonnato is served cool on hot summer days, this dish is best served hot on a cool night. It’s made for stronger tastes, with the addition of peppery arugula, pungent taleggio, and crisp pancetta. If you cannot find taleggio, you could substitute a stinky Fontina Val d’Aosta, or fruity Belgian Wynendale. I think it’s great with a chewy Valpolicella or a strong Chianti.
Ingredients:
1 Box Manicotti
1 Jar Garlic Pasta Sauce
¾ lb ground veal
7 ounce jar Italian tuna in olive oil (drained)
½ C chopped onion
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 Tbl fresh, chopped marjoram
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried pepperoncini
3 Tbl Pure Olive Oil
4 Tbl Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Preferred Olio Carli Deciso)
2 cups fresh ricotta
1 head washed arugula
Taleggio
¼ lb thin sliced pancetta
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1.) Bring one large pot of water to a boil. In a large sautee pan, add pure olive oil and turn to medium high heat. Salt veal and add to hot pan. Allow to sit and brown for one minute, then add onion. Stir and sautee until most of pink in veal disappears. Add garlic. Cook veal through. Take off heat and allow to cool slightly.
2.) Salt boiling water and drop in manicotti. Cook until slightly harder than al dente. Pasta will continue to absorb water while baking. Drain and remove.
3.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour in 2 Tbl Extra Virgin Olive Oil into 9×13 casserole dish. Lay down all of arugula in one layer on bottom of pan.
4.) In large mixing bowl, combine ricotta with herbs, 1 tsp salt, pepperoncini, and black pepper. Gently fold in cooked veal mixture and tuna to ricotta, being careful to fold gently and not break up tuna. Fill manicotti with this mixture and lay in pan on top of arugula. Once finished, pour remaining two olive oil Tbls over manicotti.
5.) Pour sauce over manicotti. Open taleggio. Remove paper label, if stuck on cheese. Slice taleggio thinly and layer over sauce. Top with a layer of pancetta in “shingle”-style layer.
6.) Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove cover and bake for another 30 minutes. Finish under broiler to crisp pancetta, if needed.
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