The meat stuffed cannelloni with ready-made pasta sheets are very simple in ingredients and procedure, light but full of flavor.
To be enjoyed with family and perfect to bring to the table on holidays and special occasions.
Without béchamel.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 2 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
I used fresh lasagna pasta available in the refrigerated section:
– no pre-cooking needed;
– ingredients: durum wheat semolina and water, egg-free.
For preparing the filling, I used:
chosen ground meat, a mix of beef and pork, lean first cut – if you want an even leaner filling you can use ground white meat like chicken or turkey, preferably breast.
- lasagna sheets (quantity according to dietary plan)
- as needed soffritto mix (carrot onion celery)
- 9 oz mixed ground meat (beef and pork, lean, first cut)
- 1 small glass white wine
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch mixed peppercorns (with grinder)
- as needed chopped parsley
- tomato sauce (homemade)
- slices cheese (melting cheese [optional])
- as needed grated cheese (caciocavallo or grana or parmesan)
- 1 pinch mixed peppercorns (with grinder)
With 9 oz of ground meat and 12 thin strips of melting cheese, I stuffed 6 cannelloni.
Suggested Tools
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- 1 Casserole with lid preferably glass
Preparation
Tips for Hyperglycemia | Prediabetes and Diabetes
– the simple pasta + ground meat composition allows you to easily control weights and portions;
– lean meat and simple ingredients;
– light cooking without sautéing;
– diced vegetables provide fiber;
– you can further reduce calories and fat by avoiding melting cheese and limiting the amount of grated cheese on top or omitting it altogether.
Prepare plenty of tomato sauce.
For the detailed step-by-step process, you can read the full recipe by clicking on the following link: homemade tomato sauce without sugar or oil in cooking.Alternatively, use a tomato passata.
Canned tomatoes, passatas, and ready-made sauces often contain added sugars and other ingredients that can contribute to raising blood sugar levels, always read the label.
Clean and wash the vegetables well: carrot, onion, and celery, then cut them into chunks.
Cooking changes the glycemic index of carrot: raw food GI 30, cooked food GI 85, but the amount used in the preparation is small and distributed among portions, so generally, the impact on blood sugar is negligible.
If you prefer, you can use a smaller amount compared to onion and celery or omit it entirely.
Often – for convenience or when fresh vegetables are not available – I use a frozen soffritto mix.Put the vegetables in a casserole and heat them.
Add the ground meat, mix and crumble it with the help of a silicone spatula.
Deglaze with white wine and continue stirring until the alcohol has completely evaporated.
Add a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper and the chopped parsley.
Continue stirring until the ground meat has changed color uniformly.
Cover with a lid and wait until the ground meat is lukewarm.
Remove the ground meat with a slotted spoon, leaving the cooking juices in the pan.I made one cannelloni per sheet.
Prepare an oven dish.
Spread a generous layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of the dish.
Spread a generous layer of tomato sauce on each sheet.Meat Filling
Using a spoon, distribute the ground meat among all sheets, placing it along the edge from which you will start rolling your cannelloni.
Roll gently because the ready-made sheet tends to crack.Meat and Cheese Filling
[optional and variable in quantity depending on whether the goal is light meat cannelloni or melting meat cannelloni]
Divide the slices of melting cheese into strips.
Place two strips of cheese per sheet: one along each of the two short edges.
Using a spoon, distribute the ground meat among all sheets, placing it along the edge [on top of the cheese strip] from which you will start rolling your cannelloni.
Roll gently because the ready-made sheet tends to crack.
As you roll them up, place the cannelloni in the dish next to each other.
Cover with plenty of tomato sauce.
Finish with a sprinkling of grated cheese and grind some more pepper.Preheat the oven.
Bake in a fan oven at 356°F (180°C) for 10-15 minutes + 5 minutes on grill function until a crispy and golden crust forms on the surface.
Let the cannelloni rest and cool for about ten minutes before serving.Plate up.
Your meat stuffed cannelloni with ready-made pasta sheets are ready.
Enjoy your meal!
Meat stuffed cannelloni contain carbohydrates, proteins, and fats; add your portion of vegetables to compose a balanced meal or one-dish meal to help maintain stable blood sugar levels.
You can prepare the stuffed cannelloni in advance: stuff and bake.
As soon as they cool, store them in the fridge covered with aluminum foil.
Before reheating them in the oven, spread a new layer of sauce on top and as needed grated cheese, so they remain soft.
Storage, Tips and Variations
As an alternative to egg-free lasagna sheets you can use fresh egg lasagna.
If you have leftover sheets, wrap them in plastic wrap and store them in the freezer.
To use them just move them to the fridge, wait for them to soften and proceed with the preparation.
For preparing the filling, I used:
chosen ground meat, a mix of beef and pork, lean first cut – if you want an even leaner filling you can use ground white meat like chicken or turkey, preferably breast.
If you want a more succulent filling use the light and quick meat ragù.
Vegetarian/vegan alternative: legume ragù, light and quick lentil ragù, hulled and unhulled red lentil ragù.
You might be interested in light cauliflower béchamel.
If there are leftovers, they are great the next day too!
They keep in the fridge for 1-2 days, well covered with aluminum foil.
Just reheat them in the oven.
Lactose-free alternative
Use lactose-free cheeses or eliminate them altogether.
Vegan alternative
Use plant-based cheeses.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
About fresh pasta
Fresh pasta has a higher glycemic index than dry pasta and contains few fibers.
We consume it within a balanced meal after a generous portion of vegetables.Which meat for the filling?
– beef;
– pork;
– a mix of beef and pork;
– chicken;
– turkey.Meat cuts for the filling
For a light meat filling, ask for a chosen ground meat cut or a first cut lean meat.
Your trusted butcher will serve you best.
For knowledge, the lean meat cuts are:
– top round or round for beef;
– tenderloin or loin for pork;
* the loin is a cut in which the lean part is visually distinguishable from the fat part, so it is easily trimmed.Which ground meat for the filling?
First cut ground meat is leaner.
Second cut ground meat is fattier.
For a light meat filling, choose a first cut ground meat.
