Easy Italian beef cannelloni recipe

Known as cannelloni alla Umbra, this easy beef cannelloni recipe from Umbria, Italy is a must try. The pasta tube filling is a simple tomato less ground beef ragu mixed with béchamel and Parmigiano. The filled cannelloni are covered in more béchamel and cheese and baked. Outstandingly delicious and perfect for family meals!

A little cannelloni history.

Did you know that cannelloni started life as rolled up fresh pasta sheets? Of course, as is the case with other types of pasta, there are different opinions among pasta makers and food historians about the origins of cannelloni. Some believe the first rolled, stuffed and baked pasta tubes date back to the 18th century.

Vincenzo Corrado an 18^th century Neapolitan chef and cookbook author made a ‘pacchero’ stuffed with ground meat and truffles, which he then cooked in tomato sauce. Many think this was the prototype of homemade cannelloni and later dried cannelloni or manicotti!

However, others believe that a chef in Campania called Salvatore Coletta invented cannelloni tubes in 1924.  You can read more about the history of this pasta in my cannelloni and manicotti post.

Other cannelloni recipes.

Many Italians still make homemade cannelloni. One of my favourites of these recipes is cannelloni all ‘Abruzzese which has a 3 meat mixture and Pecorino filling. It's baked in a tomato sauce or with butter and cinnamon! Another I really like is the more modern smoked salmon and ricotta cannelloni.

Of course, you can use dried cannelloni or manicotti tubes in place of homemade cannelloni or make your own fresh egg pasta tubes for recipes like this easy beef cannelloni recipe or a classic ricotta and spinach cannelloni recipe.

The difference between dried cannelloni and manicotti.

Dried cannelloni and manicotti are both large pasta tubes normally stuffed and baked. In Italy, we use the name cannelloni for both the fresh and dried versions. However, we can’t buy ready made fresh cannelloni. We have to either make the pasta ourselves or buy ready fresh lasagna sheets and use those. 

The name manicotti isn’t popular in Italy. Manicotti is an Italian-American version of cannelloni. Plus, manicotti tubes usually have ridges. However, you can use them for any Italian traditional cannelloni recipe like this beef cannelloni from Umbria.

Ingredients for this easy beef cannelloni recipe.

The beef cannelloni filling is a white ragu without tomatoes. To make it you will need..

The meat.

Ground beef: You can use lean beef for a healthier option, but I prefer a fatty meat for its flavor. If possible, use a grass fed or organic beef for nutritional value and also flavor.

The vegetables and herbs

The soffritto (mirepoix): Carrots, onion and celery are the traditional ingredients for the flavor base of many Italian recipes. Once again, I prefer organic vegetables if available. The onion can be red or yellow. I used red onions from Tropea, Calabria. These are red onions that are sweeter than most others. Read more about them in my Tropea onion pasta recipe.

Garlic: It’s unusual for Italian sauce recipes to have onions and garlic together. But this easy beef cannelloni recipe includes both. I used 2 chopped cloves. You can use less or omit the garlic if you prefer.

Herbs: The cannelloni filling is made even more flavorful by the inclusion of 3 fresh herbs; rosemary, thyme and marjoram. You can use dried herbs instead or some fresh parsley. I suggest about ½ teaspoon of each dried herb first and then test taste to see if more is needed.

Liquids for the ragu

Wine: Like most white ragu recipes, this one calls for dry white wine. Red wine isn’t common in these dishes as it colors the sauce. I went for a local Soave wine from the area I live in. However, Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc are excellent for cooking too.

Vegetable broth: The main liquid in this easy beef ragu is vegetable stock which replaces the use of passata in red ragu recipes. Although the ragu is simple, it needs to simmer or one to one and a half hours to really cook down the vegetables and meld the flavors. I used organic ready-made vegetable broth. You can also use meat broth or homemade broth.

Other ingredients

Olive oil: Except for deep frying, we use olive oil for most recipes that require cooking oil. It’s better to use a good quality extra-virgin olive oil. This not only has a better fruitier flavor than other olive oils, but it’s also healthier. However, extra virgin olive oil can be expensive. You can use a regular olive oil if you prefer.

Grated cheese: You can use either Parmigiano (parmesan cheese) or Grana for this recipe. The grated cheese is used in the filling and to top the dish before baking. 

Cannelloni: I used dried cannelloni tubes which don’t need precooking. It’s very hard to fill precooked cannelloni (or manicotti shells). So, the pasta needs to cook in the béchamel sauce.

The béchamel sauce.

As with most béchamel recipes this one calls for milk, butter, flour and a little nutmeg and a pinch of salt. However, this white sauce needs to be a little liquid because the pasta cooks in the oven dish.

For a faster meal prep, use a ready-made béchamel. Make sure the latter is a bit thinner, more like a heavy cream than a thick custard. If necessary, add milk to it.

Step by step instructions.

1) First prepare the vegetables. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Wash and cut the carrots and celery into tiny cubes. Wash and chop the fresh herbs, if using. You can also leave fresh herb sprigs as they are.

2) Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and then add the onion, carrot and celery. Cook over a medium heat until they start to soften (about 5-7 minutes). 

3) Add the ground beef. Brown it for 5 minutes then add the herbs and the garlic.

4) Pour in the wine and let the alcohol evaporate.

5) Then add the broth and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix everything together and simmer covered on a low heat for about 1 hour. Remove the lid and if the ragu seems too liquid, continue to simmer uncovered on a low heat for about 15 minutes or until the liquid is reduced.

Make the béchamel.

6) Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed pan. Slowly sift in the flour and stir together with a wooden spoon until you have a paste (roux). Next, gradually pour in the milk whilst stirring continuously.

7) Use a whisk to smooth out any flour lumps and add the grated nutmeg and salt to taste. Simmer on a very low heat for about 3-5 minutes until the béchamel is the right consistency.

Fill the meat cannelloni.

8) When the ragu is ready and slightly cooled, add a ladle of the béchamel and 100g of the grated cheese to it. Mix everything together. 

9) Spread some bechamel sauce over the bottom of a baking dish and then use a teaspoon or piping bag (sac à poche) to stuff the cannelloni with the meat filling. Place the filled cannelloni side by side in the ovenproof dish. I used a 23 x 33 cms (9 x 13”) dish.

Finish and bake.

10) Lastly cover the beef cannelloni with the rest of the béchamel and sprinkle the last of the grated cheese over the top.

11) Bake in a preheated over at 180°c (356°F) for about 30 minutes. If the top browns before the pasta is cooked, cover the beef cannelloni dish with aluminium foil and cook for another 10 minutes. The cannelloni is cooked when easily pierced with a fork.

Allow your beef cannelloni with béchamel sauce to sit for 3-5 minutes before serving.

What to do with leftovers.

You can keep leftover cooked beef cannelloni in the fridge in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap for up to 2 days. Freezing is not recommended.

To reheat the leftovers, heat in the microwave or covered with aluminium foil in the oven. Leftovers will be drier than the original dish as the pasta absorbs the sauce. However, the cannelloni will still taste really good!

Let me know what you think.

This easy beef cannelloni is the ultimate Italian comfort food. It makes a super cold weather Sunday meal. The cooking fills the house with wonderful warm smells that will have everyone impatient to eat! I’m sure if you give it a go, you’ll understand what I mean!

Here in Italy, this dish would most likely be served as a starter or primo for Sunday lunch or holiday meal. But, if you’re planning to enjoy this cannelloni alla Umbra as a one plate meal, it’s great with a side salad and garlic bread.

If you make this easy Itaian beef cannelloni with béchamel sauce, I’d love to hear how it turns out. Please write a comment here on the blog, email me or post a comment on the Pasta Project Facebook page.

Buon Appetito!

Pin for later.

Other recipes from Umbria to try.

• Potato gnocchi in saffron cream
• Pasta alla Norcina
• Umbrian lentil soup with pasta.
• Bread gnocchi with sausage
• Umbrian wild pea soup with pasta
• Chocolate and walnut sweet pasta cake.