Artichoke Cannelloni with Lemon Bechemel Sauce

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

If you're using fresh artichokes, fill a large bowl with cold water and
squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon into it. Reserve both lemon halves. Peel
away any hard green leaves from each artichoke and slice off the top of
each stem. Cut away the yellow leaves as close to the base as possible,
then skin the base and the stem, removing the tough, green outside layer.
Remove the fuzzy "choke" (center part) with the tip of a knife and discard
it. Cut each artichoke in half and rub the squeezed lemon half over all
surfaces, then drop the artichokes into the bowl of water. When all the
artichokes are trimmed, drain and rinse them; then place them in a pan with
enough water to cover. Simmer, covered, over medium heat until tender,
about 12 minutes. Drain and set aside. If you're using canned artichoke
hearts, drain and set aside. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling
salted water until al dente. Meanwhile, dice the artichokes and combine
with the diced mozzarella. Add salt.
Peel the rind from the uncut lemon, being careful to keep it in one or two
large pieces; set aside. Juice this lemon and the remaining 1/2 lemon; set
aside the juice. When the artichoke mixture and pasta are ready, pour the
milk into a small pot and add the lemon rind. Heat until the milk begins to
bubble; then remove the lemon rind and remove the pot from the heat. In a
separate pan, melt the butter or margarine over low heat and whisk in the
flour, 1 teaspoon at a time, stirring constantly. When all the flour has
been added, continue to cook and stir constantly for 2 minutes. Remove from
the heat and slowly add hot milk, stirring constantly. Add the reserved
lemon juice. Over low heat, cook and stir until the sauce thickens
slightly, about 2 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400F. Spread a little sauce
on the bottom of a 9 x 13" baking pan. If you're using fresh pasta, roll
each rectangle around a portion of the artichoke mixture and place the
cannelloni in the baking pan; if you'r using uncooked cannelloni, prepare
the pasta according to the package directions; drain and let cool. Stuff
each piece with the artichoke mixture and place in the pan. Spread the
remaining sauce over the top. Cover the pan with foil and bake 15 minutes.
Recipe by: Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook
Posted to TNT Recipes Digest by BLAdams96 <BLAdams96@aol.com> on Mar 4,
1998

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