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Easy Italian beef cannelloni.
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5 from 1 vote

Easy Italian beef cannelloni with béchamel recipe.

Known as cannelloni alla Umbra, this easy beef cannelloni recipe from Umbria 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!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time2 hours
Course: Dinner, Main Course, starter
Cuisine: Central Italy, Italian, Mediterranean, Umbria
Keyword: bechamel, beef ragu, cannelloni
Servings: 6
Calories: 830kcal
Author: Jacqui

Equipment

  • 1 large skillet to cook beef filling.
  • 1 heavy saucepan to make béchamel
  • 1 rectangular oven dish to bake cannelloni
  • 1 chopping board
  • 1 sharp knife to chop vegetables
  • 1 whisk for béchamel

Ingredients

  • 24 cannelloni tubes

For the beef ragu

  • 1.1 pounds ground beef
  • 1-2 carrots
  • 1-2 stalks celery
  • 1 onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2.5 floz white wine
  • 10 floz vegetable broth
  • salt to taste
  • ground black pepper to taste
  • 1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary or ½ teaspoon dried
  • 1-2 sprigs fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
  • 1-2 sprigs fresh marjoram or ½ teaspoon dried
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. or regular olive oil

For the béchamel

  • 2.2 ounces Italian '00' soft wheat flour or all purpose
  • 3 ounces butter
  • 2 pints fresh milk
  • 1 pinch nutmeg
  • salt to taste

Other ingredients

  • 5 ounces Parmigiano or Grana cheese freshly grated
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the beef filling.

  • 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.
  • 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). 
  • Add the ground beef. Brown it for 5 minutes then add the herbs and the garlic and mix together.
  • Pour in the wine and let the alcohol evaporate. Mix again.
  • Then add the broth and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix everything together once more 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 15minutes or until the liquid is reduced.

Make the béchamel sauce

  • 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. 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.

Filli the beef cannelloni

  • When the ragu is ready and slightly cooled, add a ladle of the béchamel and 100g (3.5oz) of the grated cheese to it. Mix everything together. 
  • 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 33cms (9 x 13”) dish.

Finish, bake and serve

  • Lastly cover the beef cannelloni with the rest of the béchamel and sprinkle the last of the grated cheese over the top.
  • 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 2-3 minutes before serving.

Notes

This recipe makes 6 starter portions and 4 main course portions. In Italy, cannelloni is usually served as a starter (primo) on Sundays and holidays.
You can use a ready-made béchamel but make sure it's quite runny. If necessary heat it and add some milk.
Instead of dried cannelloni or manicotti, you can make your own egg pasta sheets and then roll them around the filling like in this homemade cannelloni recipe

Nutrition

Calories: 830kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 798mg | Potassium: 646mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 2647IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 517mg | Iron: 4mg