Crab, fennel and cottage cheese stuffed cannelloni baked in bechamel sauce is a delicious meal that is easier to make than you would think.
Whilst this dish takes around an hour and 20 minutes to cook, it is a series of simple techniques that can be taken one by one, making this special dish very simple.
Seafood and Cottage Cheese Cannelloni
I love cannelloni, but I avoided cooking it for years because of my belief that it was all sorts of "faffy"... but in reality, it is super simple.
The techniques themselves are very easy, and even the most uninitiated with a piping bag (me) can fill pasta tubes very easily.
I've got dishes that range from meaty feasts like my beef cannelloni or sausage and leek cannelloni, to vegetarian offerings like my cauliflower and ricotta cannelloni and a stunning goats cheese cannelloni.
This time around, we have a bit of seafood in the form of a lovely tinned crab, fennel, and cottage cheese cannelloni.
The fennel adds a subtle aniseed flavour which complements the sweet crab meat.
The shift to cottage cheese, away from the traditional ricotta cheese, adds a beautiful acidity to the dish. This helps make it all feel a little lighter and fresher on the palate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this in advance?
Like all of my cannelloni recipes, you can prepare this in discreet separate phases.
The filling will be fine sitting in the fridge for a day or two.
I prefer to make bechamel sauce as needed, but it can be made up to a day in advance. But be sure to cover it with cling film pressed against the surface of the sauce and keep it in the fridge.
You could even bring the whole dish together (without sprinkling the cheese) and keep it in the fridge for a day or two. It could even be frozen, however, I have never tried this, so I have no advice on cooking it from frozen.
Can I use store-bought bechamel or white sauce?
Yes, naturally, it will not have the subtle bay or onion flavour that mine does, but it will work just fine.
You should heat it through and season it with white pepper and salt to taste before using it, or it will be a bit bland.
Can I use ricotta instead of cottage cheese?
Yes, if you wish, if I were to do that I would add extra lemon juice to the filling.
Can I use a different herb than chives?
Yes, fill your boots and use whatever you fancy. I like the subtle onion flavour of chives in this recipe, but loads of parsley works well, as does basil.
A combination of thyme and rosemary also works well, but you need far less in terms of quantity.
Serving Suggestions
Cannelloni is a pretty hearty dish and one that I usually consider to be a one-bowl meal, even this lower-calorie crab and fennel number.
However, I do like to add a simply dressed side salad to freshen things up.
If you are looking for something to bulk it out, look no further than bread. It is great for mopping up that lovely sauce.
I would usually opt for some garlic baguette or cheesy garlic bread.
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/Stovetop.
- Oven.
- 25cm or 10" frying pan.
- 15cm or 6" saucepan.
- 17cm or 7" saucepan.
- 25cm by 15cm (10" x 6") baking dish.
- Whisk and stirring spoons.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Piping bag.
- Mixing bowls.
- Cheese grater.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
Crab and Fennel Cannelloni Recipe with Cottage Cheese and Chives
Ingredients
- 125 g Cannelloni Tubes 10
- 35 g ⅓ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
For the Cannelloni Filling:
- 1 Small Fennel Bulb 150g
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 2 Tins Shredded White Crab Meat 210g Net weight (This should be two 145g tins)
- 200 g Cottage Cheese ¾ Cup
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
- 20 g Chives ½ Cup
For the Bechamel Sauce:
- 30 g Butter 2 tablespoon
- 30 g Flour 4 tablespoon
- 400 ml Milk 1⅔ Cups
- 1 Small Onion 75g
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 Pinch Salt
- 1 Pinch White Pepper Be generous!
Instructions
- Remove any tough outer "leaves" from the fennel bulb and pull off any fronds. Chop the fronds and place them in a large mixing bowl, then cut the bulb into a 5mm (just under ¼") dice.
- Heat a 25cm or 10" frying pan over a medium-low heat, add the butter for the filling, and when it has melted, toss in the fennel, stir to coat and add a lid, then cook for 10-12 minutes to soften.
- Finely chop the chives and add most of them to the bowl with the fennel fronds; keep back a couple of tablespoons to garnish later.
- Drain the crab and add it to the bowl with the fennel fronds and chives.
- Add the cottage cheese to the crab meat, along with the salt and lemon juice. Have a taste at this point and add more salt or lemon juice to your taste.
- Add the milk to a 15cm or 6" saucepan, and heat it over a low heat.
- Cut the onion in half, peel it and trim the root. Add the onion to the milk along with the bay leaves and allow it to steep for 10-12 minutes. You do not want the milk to boil; you want to keep it hot but not boiling.
- By now, the fennel should have softened. Remove it from the pan, allow it to cool for 5 minutes and then stir it through the cannelloni filling.
- Transfer the filling to a piping bag, then fill the pasta tubes.
- Now, make the bechamel sauce. Begin by discarding the onion and bay leaf from the milk.
- Heat a 17cm or 7" saucepan over a low-medium heat, add the butter for the sauce, and when it has melted, add the flour and stir for a couple of minutes to cook out the flour.
- Stir in the milk little by little, making sure that all of the previous milk has been incorporated before you add any more. Keep going until you have a nice smooth white sauce, and then season with salt and white pepper, using your tastebuds to get this right. Then set it aside for a minute.
- Add a third of the bechamel sauce to the base of a 25cm by 15cm (10" x 6") baking dish, followed by the cannelloni tubes, then pour over the remaining bechamel sauce.
- Grate the parmesan cheese over the top of the bechamel sauce, then transfer the dish to the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes at 180°C or 350°F.