The meat-stuffed cannelloni with ready-made pasta are very simple in ingredients and procedure, light yet full of flavor.
Perfect for family meals and ideal to serve on holidays and special occasions.
Without béchamel.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 2 People
- Cooking methods: Stove, Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
I used fresh lasagna pasta available in the fridge section:
– no pre-cooking required;
– ingredients: durum wheat semolina and water, egg-free.
For the filling, I used:
choice minced meat, a mix of beef and pork, lean first cut – if you want an even leaner filling, you can use minced 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 minced 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 (melted cheese [optional])
- as needed cheese (grated: caciocavallo or grana or parmesan)
- 1 pinch mixed peppercorns (with grinder)
With 9 oz of minced meat and 12 thin slices of melted cheese, I filled 6 cannelloni.
Suggested Tools
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- 1 Casserole with lid preferably glass
Preparation
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– the simple composition pasta + minced meat allows easy control of quantities and portions;
– lean meat and simple ingredients;
– light cooking without frying;
– diced vegetables add fiber.
– you can further reduce calories and fats by avoiding melted 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 procedure, you can read the full recipe by clicking on the following link: homemade tomato sauce without sugar or oil during cooking.Alternatively, use a tomato puree.
Preserved tomatoes, purees, and ready-made sauces often contain added sugars and other ingredients that may contribute to raising blood sugar levels, always read the label.
Clean and wash the vegetables well: carrot, onion, and celery then dice them.
Cooking modifies 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 than onion and celery or omit it altogether.
Often – for convenience or when I don’t have fresh vegetables – I use a frozen soffritto mix.Place the vegetables in a casserole and heat them.
Add the minced meat, stir and crumble it with a silicone spatula.
Pour in the 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 minced meat has changed color evenly.
Cover with a lid and wait for the minced meat to warm.
Remove the minced meat with a slotted spoon, leaving the cooking base in the pan.I obtained one cannelloni per lasagna sheet.
Prepare a baking dish.
Spread a generous layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of the dish.
Spread a generous layer of tomato sauce on each lasagna sheet.Meat Filling
Using a spoon, distribute the minced meat among all the sheets, placing it along the edge from which you will start rolling your cannelloni.
Roll gently as the ready-made pasta tends to crack.Meat and Cheese Filling
[optional and variable in quantity depending on whether the goal is light meat cannelloni or cheesy meat cannelloni]
Divide the melted cheese slices into strips.
Place two strips of cheese per sheet: one along each of the two short edges.
Using a spoon, distribute the minced meat among all the sheets, placing it along the edge [over the cheese strip] from which you will start rolling your cannelloni.
Roll gently as the ready-made pasta tends to crack.
As you roll them, place the cannelloni in the baking dish, close together.
Cover with plenty of tomato sauce.
Finish with a sprinkle of grated cheese and grind a little more pepper.Preheat the oven.
Bake in a fan oven at 356°F (180°C) for 10-15 minutes + 5 minutes grill function until a crunchy golden crust forms on top.
Let the cannelloni rest and cool for about ten minutes before serving.Serve.
Your meat-stuffed cannelloni with ready-made pasta are ready.
Enjoy your meal!
The meat-stuffed cannelloni contain carbohydrates, proteins, and fats; add your serving of vegetables to create a balanced meal or single dish that helps keep blood sugar stable.
You can prepare the stuffed cannelloni in advance: fill and bake.
Once cold, place 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 stay 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 the filling, I used:
choice minced meat, a mix of beef and pork, lean first cut – if you want an even leaner filling, you can use minced 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, lentil ragù, hulled and unhulled red lentil ragù.
You might be interested in the light cauliflower béchamel.
If they are left over, they are excellent the next day!
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 few fibers.
We consume it as part of a balanced meal after an abundant portion of vegetables.Which Meat for the Filling?
– beef;
– pork;
– mixed beef and pork;
– chicken;
– turkey.Meat Cuts for the Filling
For a light meat filling, ask for a choice minced meat cut, which is a lean first-cut meat.
Your trusted butcher will know how to serve you best.
For reference, the lean meat cuts are:
– topside or shank for beef;
– tenderloin or loin for pork;
* the loin or loin is a cut where the lean part is distinctly visible from the fat part, making it easily trimmable.Which Minced Meat for the Filling?
First-cut minced meat is leaner.
Second-cut minced meat is fatter.
For a light meat filling, choose a first-cut minced meat.
