The Chew: “Lightened Up” Turkey Cannelloni With Vegetable Bolognese
Mario Batali was in the kitchen with actress Sutton Foster, and enlisted her help to make his Turkey Cannelloni that was lightend up with a Vegetable Bolognese. Bolognese is typically loaded with meat, which means more calories and more fat, but by making it with vegetables instead, Mario saved a ton of calories! This is a great way to enjoy comfort food without all the guilt, given that you’re certainly not lacking flavor in any way.
To get the recipe, click next page.
The Chew: Turkey Cannelloni With Vegetable Bolognese Recipe Ingredients

Mario Batali prepared a lighter version of Turkey Cannelloni, preparing a vegetarian Vegetable Bolognese. (clemsherpa / Flickr)
- 1 1/2 lbs lean ground turkey
- 2 carrots – peeled, grated
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 2 C plain Greek yogurt – divided
- 2 eggs – beaten, divided
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion – finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic – finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg – freshly grated + more
- 1/2 C Parmigiano-Reggiano – freshly grated, divided + more to garnish
- 1 lb fresh pasta sheets – cut into rectangles 4 x 6 inches or store-bought cannelloni shells
For the Vegetable Bolognese
- 3 medium carrots – peeled, roughly chopped
- 5 cloves garlic
- 4 oz tomato paste
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 lbs mushrooms
- 3 ribs celery – roughly chopped
- 1 C milk
- 1 C dry white wine
The Chew: Turkey Cannelloni With Vegetable Bolognese Recipe Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil
- In a large skillet or high-sided saute pan, add 2-3 tbsp of olive oil and put over medium-high heat
- Add turkey and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon until brown, about 8 minutes
- Add onion, garlic, carrot, thyme, and nutmeg, then season with salt and pepper and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes
- Remove from heat, then add 1 C yogurt, 1/4 C Parmigiano-Reggiano, and egg
- Stir to mix, then season with salt and pepper and set aside
- Drop the prepared pasta sheets individually into the boiling water and cook for 1-2 minutes
- Remove the pasta to an ice bath to cool completely
- Drain the blanced pasta sheets
- Put the blanched pasta sheets in an even layer on a grease baking sheet
- Work with one pasta rectangle at a time, and spread 1/4 C of filling down the middle
- Roll the pasta sheet tightly in the style of a jelly roll, leaving the ends open, and repeat until you have 12 cannelloni
- In a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish, spread half of the Vegetable Bolognese Sauce across the bottom in an even layer
- Carefully lay each cannelloni in the casserole in two rows of 6
- Top with the rest of the Vegetable Bolognese Sauce
- In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining C of Greek yogurt with the last egg and Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until bubbling and the edges of the pasta are crispy and browned
- Serve with more freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and nutmeg over the top
For the Vegetable Bolognese:
- In a food processor, add the mushrooms
- Pulse to finely chop then remove to a bowl and set aside
- In the same food processor, add onions and pulse to finely chop
- Remove to a separate bowl and set aside
- Repeat with the carrots, garlic, and celery, then add to the bowl with the onions and set aside
- In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, add olive oil and put over medium heat
- Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally until browned, about 5-8 minutes
- Add carrots, onions, garlic, and celery, then season with salt and cook until the vegetables are translucent, about another 5 minutes
- Add the tomato paste, stir to combine, and cook for 2 minutes
- Add the milk and wine and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 to 1 1/2 hours
- Season with salt and pepper then remove from the heat
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