Prep Time30 minsCook Time20 minsTotal Time50 mins

AuthorPeterYields2 ServingsCategoryBeef, Meat, Pasta

Ingredients

Name: Cannelloni Di Carne
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 4 cannelloni shells; Sauté; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 onion; 2 garlic cloves; 2 sticks of celery; 200 g beef mince; ...deglaze; ¼ cup wine; ¼ cup milk; ½ can of tomatoes; ...spices; ¼ tsp nutmeg; ½ tsp salt; ¼ tsp pepper; 1 tsp parsley; 1 bay leaf; ...on top; ¼ cup parmesan

4 cannelloni shells

Sauté

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion(diced)

2 garlic cloves(diced)

2 sticks of celery(diced)

200 g beef mince

...deglaze

¼ cup wine(red or white)

¼ cup milk

½ can of tomatoes(diced)

...spices

¼ tsp nutmeg(grated)

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper(freshly ground)

1 tsp parsley (or any other herb, finely minced)

1 bay leaf

...on top

¼ cup parmesan (or any other cheese, grated)

The first written record about cannelloni is mentioned by Gio Batta Magi from Arezzo, who mentioned it among his Tuscan recipes. However, it is said that their birth occurred shortly afterwards in Campania, more or less in the first half of the nineteenth century. At the time the Neapolitan cook Vincenzo Corrado mentioned in his book "The Cook Galante" the recipe for a large pacchero , first boiled and then filled with a stuffing made with meat and truffles and then covered with a meat sauce and baked.

Although the invention of the cannelloni remains uncertain and although there are few writings and cookbooks of the time that referred to it, it is assumed that this was initially a poor dish and a collection of leftovers , consumed especially during the holidays.

There is many variations of this recipe, also vegetarian versions filled with spinach and ricotta cheese. Additionally some recipes are asking for béchamel sauce on top before the cheese layer, however I think it's not absolutely necessary as it adds a lot of additional work. In my opinion it's unnecessary as it will not change texture nor flavor profile that significantly.

Directions

Ragù

Having thinner sauce and lightly browned beef is very important in this recipe as we need liquid to cook the cannelloni. Try to find balance and make sure your sauce is not too thick but also not too thin, somewhere in middle.

Add olive oil to the pan and sauté the onion, celery and garlic for 2 minutes.
Incorporate the minced beef and sauté briefly until no longer raw and slightly golden.
Deglaze pan with the wine and simmer slightly reduced.
Then add milk and tomatoes, nutmeg, bay leaf, salt and pepper.
Simmer briefly for 5 to 10 minutes until slightly reduced.
After sauce is at desired consistency fresh herbs and mix well.

Baking

Best way to fill your cannelloni is directly in the baking dish. Place them vertically and simply fill them with spoon. Make sure to get baking dish with perfect fit for amount of cannelloni you make. It's better to have smaller baking dish than larger as you can always put cannelloni on top of each other. Cannelloni have to be completely covered in ragù otherwise it will not bake and pasta will dry out.

Preheat oven to the 180°C / 350°F on fan.
Directly in the baking dish fill your cannelloni with your finished ragù.
Position cannelloni and cover them completely with the remaining ragù.
Cover the top of the ragù with the grated cheese.
Place baking dish in to the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes.
Time depends on pasta and i recommend to prick the pasta once in a while to check doneness.
Make sure that you don’t overcook pasta, it’s absolutely possible to achieve al dentne.
Once pasta is cooked to your satisfaction, remove from oven an serve topped with ragù and cheese.