Kale & Ricotta Cannelloni

Remove the honey from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel the carrots; quarter lengthwise, then halve crosswise. Place on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Arrange in an even layer. Roast 17 to 19 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. While the carrots roast, in a bowl, combine the honey (kneading the packet before opening) and half the vinegar. Remove the roasted carrots from the oven and top with the honey-vinegar mixture. Carefully toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside in a warm place.

While the carrots continue to roast, remove and discard the stems of the kale; roughly chop the leaves. Peel the garlic; roughly chop 1 clove. Finely chop the remaining clove; using the side of your knife, smash until it resembles a paste (or use a zester). Halve the mozzarella cheese; small dice 1 half, keeping the other half whole. Place the tomatoes in a bowl; gently break apart with your hands. Roughly chop the almonds.

While the carrots continue to roast, add the chopped kale to the pot of boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes, or until tender. Leaving the pot of water boiling, using a slotted spoon or strainer, remove the cooked kale. Carefully pat dry with paper towels. Transfer to a large bowl; stir in the ricotta cheese, garlic paste, remaining vinegar, diced mozzarella cheese, and a drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the kale cooks, in a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the chopped garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and as much of the red pepper flakes as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 10 to 11 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Turn off the heat; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Separate the pasta sheets. Add to the same pot of boiling water; cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until al dente (still slightly firm to the bite). Drain thoroughly; rinse under cold water for 30 seconds to 1 minute to stop the cooking process. Transfer to a work surface. Spread about half the sauce into the bottom of a baking dish. Divide the filling among the cooked pasta sheets. Roll the pasta sheets around the filling. Carefully transfer to the baking dish, seam side down. Top with the remaining sauce and remaining mozzarella cheese (tearing into small pieces before adding). Drizzle with olive oil; season with salt and pepper.

Bake the cannelloni 14 to 16 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Remove from the oven; let stand for 2 minutes. Garnish with the parmesan cheese. Top the roasted carrots with the chopped almonds. Enjoy!