As far as baked pasta dishes go, this Beef Cannelloni recipe is the King of them all! The Italians sure know how to come up with some meaty, saucy crowd-pleasers and this one of them. Cannelloni are basically pasta tubes, perfect for stuffing with delicious things. In this recipe, the filling is juicy beef flavored with wine and herbs, melting mozzarella cheese and creamy bechamel sauce, a winning combination!
The cannelloni and its amazing stuffing is then drenched in a yummy tomato sauce and baked until everything is hot and bubbling and gorgeous! For me, it’s always been a toss-up between lasagna and cannelloni but I think this recipe is just too delicious not to be a winner!
To make Beef Cannelloni, you will need the following ingredients:
Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the beef, onion and herbs and cook until the meat has browned, breaking it down with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
Drain any excess fat that has accumulated in the pan. Add half a cup of wine and salt to taste and continue cooking, stirring every now and again, until the wine has evaporated.
Add 4 tablespoons of butter to a pan and melt over a medium heat. Add the flour and stir into the butter until you have a paste.
Add the milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly so that it blends with the flour mixture (the roux).
Once you have incorporated all of the milk, bring the pan to a gentle boil. Keep stirring until the sauce thickens.
Remove the pan from the heat and, whisking constantly, pour it slowly but continuously over the beaten eggs.
Pour the sauce over the meat and stir to combine. Add the mozzarella cubes and stir again until evenly distributed.
Add 2 tablespoons of butter to a pan over a medium-low heat and melt. Add the onion and fry until softened.
Pour 1/2 cup of wine into the pan and cook gently until evaporated.
Tip the cans of tomato into the pan, add salt to taste and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 15 minutes.
In the meantime, add the pasta to a large pot of salted boiling water and cook for 8-10 minutes, until al dente. Place the cooked pasta shells into a bowl of cold water to stop them cooking any further, and then drain and lay on a flat surface.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a baking dish.
Using a spoon, fill each shell with some of the meat and bechamel mixture. Use your finger to ensure the filling goes all the way to the center of the shell.
Place the filled cannelloni in the baking dish and ladle the tomato sauce over the top.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove and leave for 5 minutes before serving.
I like my Beef Cannelloni with a large glass of chianti and some garlic ciabatta on the side. It’s the perfect dish for a Saturday night dinner at home. What do you think of this baked pasta dish? Let me know how you find it!
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