In their essence, cannelloni are a simple thing – stuffed pasta baked with sauce and cheese – but how good and decadent can they be? In their most classic format, a fresh egg-pasta sheet is rolled around a filling, but many home cooks and restaurants also use dried tubes that are filled and baked.

The structure barely changes: pasta, a filling that is either di carne (meat) or di magro (ricotta and greens), a tomato or meat sauce often used along with a light besciamella, and a grating cheese such as Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano.