For many years I wanted to prepare cannelloni but I wasn’t quite sure how to fill them without the ragù spilling out during the filling process. Then one day I was inspired by a piping bag which, on reflection, would be the ideal tool for the operation.

Indeed my idea was successful, provided that I used a thick ragù, prepared many hours earlier and completely cold. The preparation was very fun and the final result was top-notch! I ate the best cannelloni I could imagine and I will definitely make them again in the future.

I used the essential ingredients for the ragù, made by my wife Sara, so a mirepoix consisting of onions, celery, and carrots, ground beef, and tomato sauce seasoned with salt and sugar. Finally, I prepared homemade béchamel sauce and assembled everything in the baking dish before finishing it in the oven!

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Difficulty: Medium
Cost: Economical
Rest time: 30 Minutes
Preparation time: 4 Hours
Portions: 2/3
Cooking methods: Oven
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: All seasons

Ingredients

For the Stuffed Cannelloni

14 oz ground beef
2 white onions
3 carrots
1.8 oz celery
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
21 oz tomato puree
17.5 oz béchamel sauce
1.8 oz all-purpose flour
1.4 oz butter
1 pinch salt
to taste nutmeg

Tools

Pots
Food Processor
Piping Bag

Steps

To make the Stuffed Cannelloni with Ragù

Start at least 4 and a half hours before baking as it’s essential to have a completely cold ragù. Begin by chopping the mix of onions, carrots, and celery with the help of a food processor. Then pour some olive oil into a pot and sauté everything for a few minutes.
Continue by adding the ground meat and use a spoon or spatula to break it up completely, then give it a good stir. Wait for the meat to brown well until it turns gray.
At this point, add the tomato puree and reduce the heat to half its power. Stir everything and add a teaspoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of sugar if you prefer a sweeter ragù.
To complete the ragù, let it cook covered, on medium-low heat, for at least 30 minutes or longer. The result should be a very thick sauce. Once cooked, transfer the ragù to a bowl and let it cool completely for at least 3 hours.
When the ragù is completely cold, start by preparing the béchamel. If you’re using a Thermomix, put the milk, flour, butter, salt, and nutmeg in the bowl and cook at 194°F for 7 minutes at speed 3. Once ready, keep it warm in the bowl.
At this point, take a piping bag and place it inside a bowl. Proceed to fill it with the cold ragù and get ready for the next step. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 356°F.
To continue, take a baking dish and spread a bit of ragù and béchamel on the bottom to prevent the cannelloni from sticking to the base and ensuring they cook well.
Now we are finally ready to fill our cannelloni, so take the piping bag, insert it into the cannelloni, and squeeze so that the ragù comes out. Fill from both sides to ensure the sauce is present throughout the length of the tube.
Continue and gradually arrange all the cannelloni in the baking dish, trying to cover the entire surface. For this reason, choose an appropriate baking dish by testing it with empty cannelloni.
To finish the dish, spread more ragù and plenty of béchamel over the entire surface, making sure to cover everything evenly. Add a sprinkle of grated Parmesan or Grana cheese and bake at 356°F for 30 minutes.
Finally, once the cooking time is up, remove the dish from the oven and let it rest for about 30 minutes before serving. The ragù cannelloni are now ready to enjoy!