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Meat Cannelloni

17/11/2023

Meat cannelloni are a classic and hearty dish of Italian cuisine, loved for their richness and flavor. Here is the traditional recipe to prepare them.

Ingredients

  • 12 cannelloni (ready-to-use pasta or fresh pasta)
  • 300 g of ground beef
  • 100 g of ground pork
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 1 small carrot finely chopped
  • 1 stalk of celery finely chopped
  • 500 ml of tomato puree
  • 70 g of grated Parmesan cheese
  • 500 ml of béchamel sauce
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Nutmeg to taste
  • Butter for the dish

Preparation

  1. Start by preparing the ragù for the filling. In a large pan, sauté the onion, carrot, and celery chopped in a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil until they become soft.
  2. Add the ground meat and let it brown until it loses its pink color. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Pour the tomato puree into the pan with the meat and cook over low heat for about 30-40 minutes until a thick ragù is obtained. Adjust the salt if necessary.
  4. In the meantime, prepare the béchamel by heating the milk in a saucepan. In another saucepan, melt a knob of butter, add the flour and stir over low heat for a few minutes. Then pour in the hot milk, a pinch of salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Continue stirring until it thickens.
  5. Take the cannelloni and fill them with the meat ragù, assisting yourself with a teaspoon or a piping bag.
  6. Butter a baking dish and spread a thin layer of béchamel on the bottom.
  7. Arrange the filled cannelloni on the dish, side by side.
  8. Cover the cannelloni with the rest of the béchamel and sprinkle with plenty of grated Parmesan cheese.
  9. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 25-30 minutes until the cannelloni are nicely golden on top.
  10. Let it sit for a few minutes before serving.

Curiosity

Cannelloni are a Sunday or holiday dish in many parts of Italy. Historically, their filling varied depending on the region and the availability of ingredients, thus allowing a vast number of variants: from meat to ricotta with spinach, to fish fillings in coastal regions. Over time they have become a symbol of Italian home cooking, often associated with the idea of conviviality and celebration.

Meat Cannelloni