• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Inside The Rustic Kitchen
  • Recipe Index
  • FREE Italian Food Club
  • Tips & Tricks
  • About Us & Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • My Recipe Box
  • About us
  • Subscribe!
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Pasta

    Pesto Provolone Cannelloni Pasta

    Published: Jun 11, 2017, Last updated: Sep 26, 2020 by Emily This post may contain affiliate links.

    577 shares
    • Facebook2
    • Yummly
    • Reddit
    Recipe Print
    Homemade basil pesto is spread over fresh cannelloni pasta recipe and baked in a luscious cheesy provolone bechamel sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese, comfort food heaven! Insidetherustickitchen.com

    Homemade basil pesto is spread over fresh cannelloni pasta and baked in a luscious cheesy provolone bechamel sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese, comfort food heaven!

    This is proper cheesy comfort food heaven and is a fabulous vegetarian meal that will soon be a family favourite. This delicious pasta dish is fairly simple to make and to put together. It's a great weekend meal that can be eaten as a traditional Italian starter or main course.

    pesto-provolone-cannelloni-pasta-insidetherustickitchen

    This pesto provolone cannelloni pasta is something I've been making for quite some time now. I decided to combine my love for pesto, cheese, and pasta all in one cheesy baked comfort food dish and it's SO damn delicious!

    The cannelloni is fairly easy to make, it requires homemade pesto (this is a must) homemade cheese (bechamel) sauce and fresh lasagne sheets which you can either make yourself or use store bought fresh lasagne sheets which are what I used to make this recipe.
    pesto-provolone-cannelloni-pasta-insidetherustickitchen
    Ok so let's back up and talk about pesto for a second.

    I have to say pesto is one of the best sauces in the world (for me anyway). Every time I make it I can't help but lick the bowl clean afterward as if I was a child again baking something chocolatey and delicious (I still do this btw).

    I prefer to add a little more parmesan than you normally see in recipes and I do prefer parmesan to pecorino in my pesto because it adds more tang. Also in most pesto recipes, you will see they will tell you to toast the pine nuts. I prefer not to, I like the creaminess that the un-toasted pine nuts give the pesto.

    Homemade pesto is a must here, it's the most important part to this recipe and the jarred stuff you get in the supermarket really shouldn't be called pesto. It tastes nothing like the homemade stuff and will not taste anywhere near as gorgeous as this.
    pesto-provolone-cannelloni-pasta-insidetherustickitchen

    To make this cannelloni pasta, simply make a basic cheese sauce (see recipe below) with lots of provolone cheese then add a couple spoonfuls to the bottom of an oven proof dish.

    The luscious pesto is mixed with a little cheese sauce before being spread over the cannelloni pasta (lasagne sheets) with an extra sprinkling of cheese. Then it's rolled up and placed in the baking dish. The provolone cheese sauce is poured over the cannelloni and topped with mozzarella before being baked in the oven until it's bubbling, melted and delicious.

    Easy as that, I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do, It's truely a comfort food favourite of mine.

    Ciao until next time!

    If you've tried this or any other recipe on the blog please let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTERESTto see more delicious food and what I'm getting up to.

    For more pesto recipes try;

    • sour cream pesto dip with prosciutto dippers
    • chicken pesto ciabatta
    • gnocchi with walnut and chili pesto
    • pea pesto and goats cheese bruschetta

     

    Step By Step Photos AboveMost of our recipes come with step by step photos, helpful tips and tricks to make it perfectly first time and even video!
    Save RecipeSaved!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Homemade basil pesto is spread over fresh cannelloni pasta recipe and baked in a luscious cheesy provolone bechamel sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese, comfort food heaven! Insidetherustickitchen.com
    Print Pin
    5 from 1 vote

    Pesto Provolone Cannelloni Pasta

    Homemade basil pesto is spread over fresh cannelloni pasta and baked in a luscious cheesy provolone bechamel sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese, comfort food heaven!
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Italian
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 30 minutes
    Total Time 50 minutes
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 858kcal
    Author Emily Kemp

    Ingredients

    For the pesto:

    • 2 cups (50g) Basil
    • 1 garlic clove
    • 1 tablespoon pine nuts
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • ½ cup (60g) finely grated parmesan
    • 6 tablespoon olive oil
    • Salt and pepper , to taste

    For the white sauce:

    • 2 oz (50g) butter
    • 2 oz (50g) plain flour
    • 19 fluid oz (550ml) milk
    • 1 pinch of nutmeg
    • 7 oz (200g) provolone picante , grated
    • 1 tablespoon parmesan ,freshly grated
    • 3.5 oz (100g) ball of mozzarella
    • 9 lasagna sheets ,fresh
    • salt and pepper , to taste

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 180°C/350F/gas mark 4.
    • To make the pesto add the basil, garlic, lemon, parmesan, pine nuts, olive oil and a little salt and pepper in a bowl. Blitz until completely smooth with a hand blender. This will make an extra smooth pesto, set aside.
    • Bring a pot of water to the boil. Meanwhile, make the white sauce. In a pan on a medium heat add butter until melted. Then add the flour and stir until it has formed a thick paste. Cook the flour out for a minute then gradually add the milk, whisking constantly to avoid any lumps. stir slowly until it starts to thicken. Add the nutmeg, salt and pepper and ⅔ of the provolone cheese. Continue to stir until thick and set aside. 
    • Add 5 tablespoon of cheese sauce to the pesto, stir and set aside. Add two small spoonfuls of cheese sauce to the bottom of an oven proof baking dish and spread out evenly, set aside.
    • Add one lasagna sheet to the boiling water for a couple seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a clean work surface. Spread 1 tablespoon of pesto over the lasagna sheet then sprinkle with a little provolone cheese. Roll the lasagna sheet up and place in the baking dish. repeat with the rest of the lasagna sheets.
    • Pour the remaining white sauce over the top of the cannelloni and top with the mozzarella. Put the cannelloni into the oven and bake until bubbling and golden, around 20 minutes. Leave for 5/10 minutes to cool slightly and enjoy!

    Notes

    *please note this recipe was tested and developed using metric measurements all imperial measurements are approximate

    Nutrition

    Calories: 858kcal
    Helpful Info for All Recipes
    • I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
    • When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
    • All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
    • All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
    • Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
    • Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
    • You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
    Did you try this recipe?Mention @insidetherustickitchen or tag #insidetherustickitchen! We'd love you see what you're getting up to in the kitchen!

    More Italian Pasta Recipes

    • Creamy Tomato Pasta with Italian Sausage
    • Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage and Brown Butter Sauce
    • Shrimp Spaghetti with 'Nduja and Lemon
    • Orecchiette with 'Nduja Sugo

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Angela

      May 20, 2018 at 5:26 pm

      Oops! Too eager to comment on this delight! 5 stars of course!😁5 stars

      Reply
    2. Angela

      May 20, 2018 at 5:23 pm

      Oooh!! Pesto AND cheese!!My favourite things together in one dish! Cannot wait to try this!! Looks absolutely scrummy!!😋😋

      Reply
    3. James | Thyme to Mango

      June 23, 2017 at 8:37 am

      These photos are giving me all the comfort-food-vibes, and now I'm hungry beyond words. Agreed there is nothing better than homemade pesto, I always have a jar sitting in my fridge right next to my unbelievably large collection of cheese!

      Reply
      • Inside the rustic kitchen

        June 24, 2017 at 2:25 pm

        Haha it sounds like we have identical fridges. Thanks so much James 🙂

        Reply
    4. Christina | Christina\'s Cucina

      June 11, 2017 at 8:14 pm

      I love anything with besciamella, so bring it on!! Looks fabulous!

      Reply
      • Inside the rustic kitchen

        June 11, 2017 at 8:30 pm

        Me too it's so good, thanks so much Christina!

        Reply
    5. Nayna Kanabar

      June 11, 2017 at 7:32 pm

      I adore pasta in any form or shape , this recipe looks super delicious and tasty. Does it freeze well???

      Reply
      • Inside the rustic kitchen

        June 11, 2017 at 7:44 pm

        Thank you Nayna. I've never frozen this before but I don't see why it wouldn't freeze well, let me know if you try it.

        Reply
    6. Brandi

      June 11, 2017 at 5:27 pm

      Pesto and Provolone are a great combination! This looks like an amazing recipe I must try.5 stars

      Reply
      • Inside the rustic kitchen

        June 11, 2017 at 7:42 pm

        Thanks so much Brandi, hope you enjoy!

        Reply
    7. Cricket Plunkett

      June 11, 2017 at 4:48 pm

      This has my name all over it! Love the you use provolone instead of mozeralla!

      Reply
      • Inside the rustic kitchen

        June 11, 2017 at 7:41 pm

        Thanks Cricket the provolone is soo delicious!

        Reply
    8. Teri

      June 11, 2017 at 4:39 pm

      This looks divine. I've been looking for a pesto recipe to try, too and I am going to try yours. Amazing recipe.5 stars

      Reply
      • Inside the rustic kitchen

        June 11, 2017 at 4:48 pm

        Aw thanks so much Teri, I hope you enjoy!

        Reply
    9. alifemoment

      September 18, 2014 at 5:20 pm

      This recipe is delicious and very interesting, amazing photography!

      Reply
      • insidetherustickitchen

        September 18, 2014 at 7:29 pm

        Thank you. You can never go wrong with pesto 🙂

        Reply
        • alifemoment

          September 18, 2014 at 9:04 pm

          Totally agree, love it 🙂

    10. Julie

      September 18, 2014 at 12:22 pm

      Oh, wow, that looks amazing 🙂

      Reply
      • insidetherustickitchen

        September 18, 2014 at 2:11 pm

        Thank you Julie!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Ciao, we're Emily and Nathan. Our years living in Italy taught us how to cook authentic and delicious Italian food. We're here to help you put a beautiful meal on the table with tried and tested recipes you can trust. more about us!

    As seen in

    A collage of high profile online publication logos

    Popular Recipes

    • Tiramisu - Authentic Recipe!
    • Mushroom Ravioli With Parmesan Cream Sauce
    • Eggplant Parmigiana (Parmigiana di Melanzane)
    • Italian Beef Ragu - A Classic Recipe
    • Lobster Ravioli with Vodka Cream Sauce
    • Authentic Italian Tomato Sauce - Quick, Easy & Delicious

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Us & Contact
    • Privacy Policy & Disclosure
    • Accessibility Statement

    My Recipe Box

    • Sign up for email updates and save all your favourite recipes!

    Recipes

    • Pasta
    • Mains
    • Desserts

    We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

    Copyright © 2022 Inside the Rustic Kitchen

    • 2
    577 shares