Leek cannelloni with spinach and ricotta

Instructions

1. Remove tough outer leaves from leeks, cut off top green parts and ½ inch from the bottom. Depending on the size of your leeks, you should end up with 4”-5” long white parts. Make an incision lengthwise on one side of each leek to “unwrap” 3 outer leaves from each (so, 9 total) and set them aside - those will be our “cannelloni” shells. Dice the remaining white parts.  

   *You can push out the shells with your finger for tubes to resemble cannelloni shells even more, however, we will be blanching them  further in the process and, once blanched, they will be almost impossible to fill unless the tubes are unrolled.

2. Heat 1 tbsp butter over medium heat. Add shallots and saute for 3-4 min, add diced leeks, salt them to taste and saute for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Make sure to sweat them, not fry  - they should get tender and soft, not crispy. Once done, transfer them to a large bowl.
3. Add second tbsp butter to the pan, wait until it melts and add spinach. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 min, until it shrinks and gets soft. Transfer to a sieve and squeeze out as much liquid as possible, then add to the bowl with cooked leeks.
4. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in that same skillet over medium high heat and add bell pepper, Saute 4-5 min, until soft and slightly caramelized and transfer to the rest of cooked veggies.
5. Preheat the oven to 400 F. In a small pot bring 1 qt of water to a hard boil. Place leek “cannelloni” shells in the water for 2-3 min to slightly soften, then transfer to a paper towel to dry.
6. Add ricotta,  1 oz of grated parmesan and thyme leaves to the bowl with cooked veggies. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and ground black pepper, if needed.
7. Divide the filling among 9 leek shells: place it closer to one side of the blanched shell and roll like you would roll a crepe, takito, or enchilada:) Place seam down in a baking pan lightly greased with butter, grate remaining 1 oz of parmesan on top and bake for 45 minutes, until leeks are slightly browned and cheese is melted. Serve immediately!