Cannelloni

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Stuffed beef cannelloni with bold tomato sauce, creamy béchamel, and cheese—rich, flavorful, and perfect for cozy dinners or feeding a crowd.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Cooling Time10

Total Time1 20

Course: Main Course, Pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: beef

Servings:

Author: Bella Bucchiotti

Equipment

Ingredients

Beef Filling:

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 onion small, finely diced
1 carrot small, peeled and finely diced
1 celery stalk finely diced
3 Cloves garlic finely minced
1 ½ Pounds ground beef lean
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
½ Cup white wine
8 Ounces tomato puree
1 Cup chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste

Tomato Sauce:

2 Cloves garlic finely minced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
28 Ounces tomato puree
1 Cup chicken broth
4 basil leaves whole or torn
Salt to taste

Bechamel Sauce:

½ Stick butter 4 Tablespoons
4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 Cups whole milk
½ Teaspoon salt
¼ Teaspoon black pepper
¼ Teaspoon ground nutmeg optional

Pasta and Garnish:

2 Sheets fresh pasta at room temperature
½ cup mozzarella cheese freshly grated
½ cup parmesan cheese finely grated
fresh basil finely chopped

Instructions

Make the Beef Filling:

Heat your olive oil in a heavy pan or pot over medium-high heat and sauté the onions, carrots and celery until soft, but not browned, 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.
Add the ground beef with salt and pepper to taste, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or spatula making sure there are no large chunks, cooking it until the beef has browned slightly, around 10 minutes.
Add the tomato paste, coating the beef and vegetables and cook for 3 minutes, until the tomato paste darkens slightly.
Turn the heat up to high and add the wine, deglazing the pan, incorporating the liquid into the beef. Make sure to cook off all the alcohol, 3 to 4 minutes.
Reduce the heat, pour in the tomato puree and water, and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes while you prepare the sauces. The beef filling should be thick once finished.
Once finished, remove and let cool completely in the pan or transfer to a tray and refrigerate.

Make the Tomato Sauce:

In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium and sauté the garlic until fragrant, 1 minute.
Pour in your tomato puree, chicken stock and a pinch of salt.
Add the basil leaves, whole or torn, into the sauce. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly.

Make the Bechamel Sauce:

Either transfer the tomato sauce into a bowl and use the same pot or in a separate small saucepan, heat your butter on medium heat until melted.
Whisk in your flour to make a roux, stirring constantly to break up clumps and cook until it turns blonde or golden, but not brown.
Add the milk, whisking constantly to thicken the sauce.
Add salt, pepper and nutmeg if using. Adjust to taste and take the pan off the heat.

Assemble and Bake:

With a rack in the middle of the oven, preheat it to 350°F.
Ladle half the bechamel sauce onto the bottom of a 9 ½ x 13-inch baking pan followed by half the tomato sauce. It doesn’t have to look uniform.
Lay the pasta sheets out flat on a cutting board or the counter.
Cut the sheet every 3 inches along the length of the pasta, using a ruler if you like. Each “tube” you create should be approximately 4 x 3 inches when laid flat.
Using a spoon, scoop about 2 tablespoons of the beef along the length of each cut piece of pasta. Roll the pasta to make a tube (like a cigar shape), then place seam-side down into the baking pan. You should be able to make at least 2 rows side by side, with 8 or 9 tubes per side.
Ladle the other half of the bechamel and the other half of the tomato sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
It’s not necessary, but you can continue to cook until the mozzarella has turned gold brown if you like.
Remove from the oven and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
Sprinkle the parmesan cheese and chopped basil on top before serving.

Notes

Break up the beef: Use a wooden spoon or spatula to break up the meat while you brown it.
Seam side down: Lay the cannelloni seam side down in the baking dish, otherwise it will unravel.
Grate your own cheese: I recommend grating a block of parmesan for the grated cheese. The pre-grated kind just doesn't have much flavor.
Golden brown topping: Although it's optional, I like to keep baking the cannelloni until the cheese topping is golden brown and a little crispy.

Nutrition

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