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First Courses

Schiaffettoni (Calabrian Stuffed Cannelloni)

Calabrian Stuffed Schiaffettoni are a rich, hearty first course, ideal for Sunday family lunches or for serving during the holidays.
Recipe Schiaffettoni (Calabrian Stuffed Cannelloni)
  • Difficulty Easy
  • Preparation 30 minutes
  • Cooking 25 minutes
  • Servings for 4 people

Traditional first courses have always been much loved throughout Italy, and each region has its own version of every recipe: today we head to Calabria to make stuffed schiaffettoni together, a take on the better-known Cannelloni recipe, with a few variations.

Typically served during the Christmas holidays or for big Sunday family lunches, this Calabrian schiaffettoni recipe stands out as a hearty first course, ideal for winter. The rich filling is made with sautéed onion, pork, sausage and Calabrian salami, cooked in tomato passata (which is then used to cover the stuffed cannelloni), with the stringy touch of diced provola cheese. The chili pepper is a must, giving this recipe too its typical spicy kick. Pecorino completes the dish, adding savoriness and a more intense flavor to these Calabrian-style stuffed cannelloni.

Since this is a rich, hearty traditional recipe, the preparation and cooking times are longer too, but the convenience lies in being able to prepare the stuffed schiaffettoni ahead of time, so you just bake them and bring them to the table.

If you’re looking for other typical Calabrian recipes, take a look at these: Calabrian Crushed Olives, Calabrian Salad, Calabrian Vrasciole, the original recipe for Pitta Calabrese and, to round out the menu with another classic holiday dish, try making Calabrian-Style Eel in Tomato Sauce.

So let’s put on our aprons and head into the kitchen: let’s make Calabrian Stuffed Schiaffettoni together.

Ingredients for 4 people

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Method

  1. To make the Calabrian Stuffed Schiaffettoni, start by blanching the cannelloni in salted water for 1 minute, then let them cool on a clean kitchen towel.
    Calabrian Stuffed Schiaffettoni, step 1: blanched cannelloni cooling on a kitchen towel
  2. In a skillet, sauté some chopped onion and, once softened, add the ground meat and the sausage. Let them brown, then add the Calabrian salami, cut into small pieces, as well.
    Calabrian Stuffed Schiaffettoni, step 2: ground pork, sausage and salami browning with onion
  3. Add the tomato passata and the chili pepper and season with salt. Cook for about 15 minutes, adding a little water if the sauce gets too dry.
    Calabrian Stuffed Schiaffettoni, step 3: meat cooking in tomato passata
  4. Once cooked, separate the meat from the sauce with a strainer and transfer it to a bowl to cool: this will be the filling for the schiaffettoni.
  5. Add the pecorino, the provola cut into small pieces and the egg to the meat. If the mixture is too soft, add 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs to bind the ingredients. Mix well and use the mixture to fill the cannelloni.
    Calabrian Stuffed Schiaffettoni, step 5: meat filling with pecorino, provola and egg
  6. Cover the bottom of a baking dish with a ladleful of sauce and arrange the stuffed cannelloni neatly. Cover with the remaining sauce and sprinkle the top with a generous amount of grated provola.
    Calabrian Stuffed Schiaffettoni, step 6: stuffed cannelloni in a baking dish with sauce and grated provola
  7. Bake in an oven preheated to 180 °C (350 °F) for about 20-25 minutes. Once ready, take your Calabrian Stuffed Schiaffettoni out of the oven and let them cool slightly before serving. Finally, remember to download our App with exclusive content and fewer ads!
    Calabrian schiaffettoni

Variations and Alternatives

To make the filling of Calabrian schiaffettoni even richer, add some mushrooms, browned in the skillet with the meat, before adding the tomato passata. This recipe does not use Béchamel Sauce, but if you like it you can add it, bearing in mind that the milk will partly tone down the heat of the chili pepper.

Tips

Dried cannelloni can also be used uncooked (without blanching them): in this case you will need to thin the sauce with an extra ladle of water and let them bake for another 10 minutes.

Storage

Calabrian Stuffed Schiaffettoni keep in the fridge uncooked for 1 day, and cooked for up to 2-3 days. If you like, you can make them and freeze them uncooked so you have them ready when needed. When it’s time to eat, put them straight from the freezer into a hot oven at 180 °C (350 °F) and bake for about 40 minutes.

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