Chocolate and Mint Cannelloni, After Eight Style

When pasta becomes dessert

Cannelloni usually means a savoury dish filled with meat, vegetables or cheese. But pasta can also become an unexpected dessert.

For this version, tender lasagne sheets are rolled around a rich dark-chocolate ganache, then served with whipped cream. The combination is inspired by classic After Eight chocolates.

Our first attempt showed that the chocolate filling and pasta texture worked beautifully, while the mint flavour needed more time to develop. This adaptation extends the soaking time and makes the whipped cream a little sweeter and firmer.

Recipe information

• Serves: 2
• Makes: 4 cannelloni
• Active preparation: approximately 50–60 minutes
• Ganache chilling: overnight
• Difficulty: medium
• Serve chilled

Ingredients

For the cannelloni

• 4 flat, rectangular, unfilled dried lasagne sheets, preferably durum wheat
• 40 ml mint liqueur
• 100 ml water

For the chocolate ganache

• 100 g whipping cream
• 70 g dark chocolate, preferably 70% cocoa

For the whipped cream

• 200 g cold whipping cream, preferably 35% fat
• 18 g icing sugar
• Optional whipped-cream stabiliser, according to package directions

To decorate

• 10 g finely grated dark chocolate

Step-by-step method

1. Make the ganache the day before

With Thermomix®

1. Place the chocolate in a clean, dry mixing bowl and chop for 5 sec/speed 7.
2. Scrape down the sides and add 100 g cream.
3. Heat for 3 min/50°C/speed 2. If necessary, heat for another 1 min at the same settings.
4. Mix for 10 sec/speed 3 until smooth.
5. Transfer to a glass container, allow to cool slightly, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Without Thermomix®

1. Finely chop the chocolate into a heatproof bowl.
2. Heat the cream gently without allowing it to boil vigorously.
3. Pour it over the chocolate, wait 1 minute, then stir until smooth.
4. Cool and refrigerate covered overnight.

2. Cook the lasagne sheets

1. Bring approximately 1.5 litres of water to the boil in a wide pan.
2. Cook the sheets separately if possible to prevent sticking.
3. Cook until completely tender but still intact; our sheets took approximately 7 minutes, though timing varies by brand and thickness.
4. Briefly cool in cold water and lay out individually on a clean surface.

3. Infuse the pasta with mint

1. Mix 40 ml mint liqueur with 100 ml water in a wide shallow dish.
2. Submerge the cooked sheets and leave to soak for at least 10 minutes.
3. Gently separate or turn the sheets so both sides make contact with the liquid.
4. Remove carefully, drain and lightly blot excess moisture.

4. Fill and roll

1. Gently stir the chilled ganache with a spatula until spreadable.
2. Transfer to a piping bag with a wide plain opening.
3. Pipe a generous strip near one short edge of each sheet.
4. Roll carefully into a cylinder, trimming excess pasta if it creates too many layers.
5. Place seam-side down, cover and refrigerate until serving.

5. Whip the cream

With Thermomix®

1. Chill the cream, mixing bowl and butterfly whisk well.
2. Fit the butterfly whisk and add 200 g cream and 18 g icing sugar.
3. Whip without heating at speed 3; check after approximately 1 minute.
4. Continue in short bursts only until stiff peaks form. Add stabiliser according to its package directions if using.
5. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and keep refrigerated.

Without Thermomix®

1. In a chilled bowl, beat the cold cream with the icing sugar using an electric whisk until stiff peaks form.
2. Use stabiliser according to the packet directions if desired.
3. Transfer to a piping bag and refrigerate.

6. Plate and serve

1. Arrange two cannelloni per plate, slightly crossed, leaving some chocolate visible at the ends.
2. Pipe two or three small whipped-cream rosettes beside them.
3. Scatter finely grated dark chocolate over the dessert and serve chilled.

My tips

Choose flat rectangular lasagne sheets, not dry cannelloni tubes. Oven-ready lasagne is suitable only if fully cooked before rolling.

The mint liqueur is used cold and still contains alcohol. The mint intensity varies by product. The 10-minute soak is an intended improvement that has not yet been taste-tested.

Green food colouring is not essential; the natural colour of the pasta makes an elegant presentation.

The combination of 100 g cream and 70 g dark chocolate produced a delicious ganache and has been kept unchanged.

Well-chilled cream is key. Whip until it holds firm peaks rather than relying on a fixed time.

Prepare the ganache a day ahead and add the final decoration just before serving.

A personal note

This recipe reminded me that cooking often means observing, tasting and adjusting.

The lasagne sheets worked surprisingly well as a dessert wrapper, and the ganache was just the way we wanted it. Getting a noticeable mint flavour took more thought.

After all, who says pasta always has to be savoury?