The MEAT CANNELLONI are a traditional first course, originally from Bologna and Emilia but then spread throughout Italy. A grand and sumptuous dish that, if prepared properly, can make any lunch special and become the highlight thanks to the richness of its ingredients.
Making cannelloni, despite requiring some time for the various steps, is actually very simple—especially if you follow the step-by-step recipe with images provided below. The effort will be well rewarded by a dish that combines fresh pasta, which should remain al dente, with Bolognese-style meat ragù, while the béchamel crowns everything with a creamy, slightly sweet note. In short, a traditional dish that never disappoints.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 8 lasagna sheets (fresh)
- 18 oz ground beef
- 2 sausages
- Half onion
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 carrot
- Half glass white wine
- 2 1/2 cups tomato passata
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 oz Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup milk
- 1 3/4 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp flour
- to taste salt
- to taste ground nutmeg
YOU’LL NEED FOR THE MEAT CANNELLONI
- 2 Pots
- 1 Baking dish
- 2 Saucepans
- 1 Hand whisk
PROCEDURE FOR MEAT CANNELLONI
RAGÙ
Chop the celery, carrot and onion finely. In a pan add a drizzle of oil and gently sauté the chopped vegetables over low heat for 5 minutes. Add the crumbled sausages and the ground meat.
Using a fork, break up the meat and let it brown over medium heat for 10 minutes.
Deglaze with the white wine and once it has evaporated, season the meat with salt and add the tomato passata. Add a little more salt and the sugar, cover with a lid and let simmer for at least 30 minutes. You should obtain a fairly dry ragù.
Once ready, let it cool. Place most of it in a bowl and mix it with the Parmesan.
COOKING THE SHEETS
Meanwhile, bring a pot of plenty of lightly salted water to a boil. As soon as it boils, dip the lasagna sheets (use sheets that are not too thin), one at a time, and blanch them for 20 seconds.
Drain them with a slotted spoon and place them on a clean cloth to dry, then cut them in half.
MAKING THE BÉCHAMEL
In a small saucepan melt the butter, add the flour and, stirring constantly with a whisk, cook over low heat for a few minutes. Pour in the hot milk and continue to stir until the béchamel begins to boil.
Season with salt, reduce the heat and cook until the béchamel is smooth and creamy. If it becomes too thick, add more milk. Season with nutmeg.
ASSEMBLY AND BAKING
Fill the sheets with the ragù and roll them up, trimming any excess pasta. Butter the bottom of a baking dish, spread a thin layer of béchamel and arrange the cannelloni in it. Then cover them with the reserved ragù, the béchamel and finish with a sprinkling of Parmesan.
Bake the meat cannelloni in a preheated conventional oven at 356°F for about 20 minutes. Let them cool slightly, plate and enjoy them in all their goodness.
