Beef Cannelloni
The beef ragu is full of flavour and is complemented with the creamy white sauce...it's delicious!
Ingredients
- 10 to 12 cannelloni tubes (see Notes)
- 25g parmesan finely grated
For the ragu:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 carrot peeled and finely chopped
- 1 celery stick finely chopped
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 500g beef mince (see Notes)
- 175ml red wine
- 1 bay leaf
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 200ml beef stock
- 100ml milk (I use semi-skimmed)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the white sauce:
- 25g unsalted butter
- 25g plain flour
- 400ml milk (I use semi-skimmed)
- grating of nutmeg
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve (optional):
- green salad
- garlic bread
- homemade bread
Instructions
Make the ragu:
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan or casserole over a medium heat and fry the carrot, onion and celery for 15 minutes until very tender. Stir in the garlic and tomato purée, and fry for another minute. Add the beef mince and fry for 6 to 8 minutes, until browned.
- Pour in the wine and let it bubble for 3 to 4 minutes, then add the bay leaf, chopped tomatoes, stock and milk. Bring this to the boil, then cover and gently simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the mixture has lightly thickened (remove the lid for the last 15 minutes to reduce the sauce if needed). Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Leave to cool slightly, or cool completely and freeze for up to 3 months. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
Make the white sauce:
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Sprinkle over the flour and whisk vigorously to make a thick paste. Add the milk, a splash at a time, continuously stirring until all of the milk has been added and the mixture has thickened and is velvety. Season with a grating of nutmeg and a little salt and pepper.
Assemble and cook:
- Arrange the cannelloni tubes in a baking dish so they fit snugly inside (I use a 20cm x 27cm dish with 12 cannelloni tubes). Working with one tube at a time, hold the cannelloni up in the dish and fill to the top with the ragu using a teaspoon. Put the tube back down and repeat with the remaining cannelloni. Don’t worry if some spills out into the dish – any leftover ragu can be spooned around the pasta to fill in any gaps in the dish.
- Pour the white sauce over the cannelloni and smooth the surface. Top with the parmesan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the top is golden and a fork goes into the pasta easily with no resistance. Serve with a green salad and/or garlic bread…or how about making your own homemade bread!?!
Notes
- Cannelloni – the original recipe states to use 8 to 10 cannelloni tubes, but I found there to be more than enough ragu to fill 12 cannelloni tubes that fit snugly in my 20cm x 27cm dish.
- Make it vegetarian - swap beef mince for veggie, or add red or green lentils to the ragu to bulk out the sauce.
- Make ahead - make the ragu a day ahead and chill overnight – this will improve the flavour of the filling, as everything infuses better once chilled – simply reheat the ragu on the hob when you’re making the white sauce, before filling the cannelloni tubes.
- This beef cannelloni recipe is easily doubled, and freezes well if you have any leftovers.