1.  In a sauté pan over medium high heat, add the olive oil and 1/4 cup water along with the shallot, carrots, peas and mushrooms. Sauté this mixture for 3 - 5 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften and cook down slightly.

2.  Add the zucchini to the pan along with a pinch of salt and pepper to your taste. Continue cooking the mixture for another 5 - 8 minutes or until the zucchini is slightly soft. Once the vegetables are cooked, remove the pan from the heat and set it aside to cool the vegetables.

3.  In a separate pan over medium high heat, add the chopped asparagus spears and 1/2 cup water. Cover the pan and cook the asparagus for 3 - 5 minutes or until bright green and only slightly softened. Once cooked, remove the pan from the heat and strain the asparagus from the cooking water. Set the strained asparagus aside to let them cool.

 

 

 

4.  When the mixed vegetables have cooled, add the diced mozzarella, 1/4 cup of the grated Parmigiano cheese and 1 cup of the besciamella sauce to the pan. Fold the ingredients together well so that the cheeses and the sauce are evenly distributed throughout the vegetables. Taste the mixture and add salt and pepper as needed.

5.  To assemble the cannelloni, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line an oven safe baking dish with parchment paper or grease it with butter or nonstick cooking spray.

6.  Ladle a generous spoonful of the besciamella sauce into the bottom of the baking dish and spread it around so that it coats the bottom of the pan.

7.  If you are using commercial pasta, prepare it according to the manufacturer's instructions.

8.  To stuff the cannelloni, if using fresh pasta, place one sheet of the pasta for the cannelloni onto a plate, and spoon 1 very generous spoonful of the mixed vegetable and cheese mixture on to the short end side of the pasta. Roll the pasta up into a tube and place the filled roll into the baking dish. If using premade cannelloni tubes, fill the tubes with the mixed vegetable and cheese mixture as much as possible and place the stuffed tubes into the baking dish.

9.  Continue this process until all of the pasta and the mixed vegetables are used. If you need to make 2 layers of cannelloni in your baking dish, ladle a generous spoonful of the besciamella sauce over the bottom layer of cannelloni, along with a sprinkle of the grated Parmigiano and 1/2 of the cooked asparagus spears. Then proceed with your second layer of cannelloni.

10.  Once the cannelloni are in the dish, sprinkle the asparagus spears over the top of and around the cannelloni rolls. Then ladle the rest of the besciamella sauce over and around the cannelloni. Sprinkle the remaining Parmigiano Reggiano cheese over the dish.

11.  Cover the baking dish with foil and place it on the center rack in the oven. Bake for 35 minutes.

12.  After 35 minutes, remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes or until the Parmigiano and besciamella sauce begin to brown slightly.

13.  Remove the dish from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 to 15 minutes prior to serving.