Cannelloni filled with bolognese and cheese béchamel

Ingredients

Cannelloni and filling (~280 g / portion)

• Cannelloni pasta – 2.5 packs (~500 g)
• Ground beef (neck) – 830 g
• Beef tallow – 3 tbsp (~50 g)
• Carrots – 550 g
• Onions – 330 g
• Celery stalks – 330 g
• Tomato paste – 70 g
• Diced tomatoes (canned) – 1.4 l
• Stock (beef or vegetable) – as needed for thinning
• Salt and black pepper – to taste
• Bay leaves – 2
• Olive oil – to finish after cooking (optional)

Cheese béchamel (~120 g / portion)

• Butter – 70 g
• All-purpose flour – 70 g
• Milk – 1.7 l
• Cheddar – 220 g (grated)
• Salt, white pepper – to taste
• Nutmeg – a pinch

For baking

• Grana Padano – 130 g (grated, for the top)

Method

Bolognese sauce

1. Soffritto: cut the carrots, onions and celery into small dice.
2. Brown the ground beef in the hot tallow, then set it aside.
3. In the same pot, sauté the vegetables (the soffritto) over low heat for about 30 minutes, until soft and caramelized.
4. Add the tomato paste, stir and let it cook briefly.
5. Return the meat to the pot and add the diced tomatoes, seasonings and a little stock.
6. Simmer slowly over low heat for about 2 hours, stirring now and then and adding stock as needed.

Cheese béchamel

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and stir until you have a pale roux.
2. Gradually pour in the milk, whisking into a smooth sauce.
3. Add salt, white pepper, nutmeg and finally the cheddar, letting it melt into the sauce.

Filling and baking

1. Fill the cannelloni with the Bolognese sauce (with a teaspoon or a piping bag).
2. Pour a thin layer of béchamel into the bottom of a baking dish and arrange the first layer of filled cannelloni.
3. Alternate layers of sauce and béchamel until the dish is full.
4. Pour the remaining béchamel over the top and bake in an oven preheated to 180 °C for about 30 minutes.
5. Sprinkle with grated Grana Padano and bake another 15 minutes, until the top is golden.
6. Once out of the oven, let it rest for 10 minutes, then cut into portions.

Serving

Serve hot, about 400 g per portion. It tastes best the next day, after resting, once the flavors have melded.

Key ingredients

Beef

Quality protein, haem iron and B12; slow braising makes it easier to digest.

Carrot

Beta-carotene (vitamin A) for skin and eyesight, fibre, natural sweetness.

Onion

Prebiotic fibre for the gut flora, anti-inflammatory flavonoids.

Tomatoes (peeled / passata)

Lycopene (an antioxidant), the umami base of sauces.

Butter

Milk fat; carries flavour and rounds things off.

Grana Padano cheese

A hard aged cheese; concentrated umami and calcium.

Oats

Beta-glucans for satiety; creamy once cooked (pure oats are gluten-free).

Why it’s good for the body

• Beef is a source of quality protein, heme iron and vitamin B12.
• Slow braising makes the meat more digestible and brings the flavors together.
• Carrots, onions and celery add fiber and vitamins.
• Grana Padano provides calcium and concentrated umami.

Traditional and functional notes on the ingredients — not medical claims.

Notes

• For a bolder flavor, you can add a splash of red wine to the Bolognese while it simmers.
• Grana Padano can be swapped for Parmesan, and the cheddar can be combined with mozzarella.
• It tastes best the next day, after resting, once the flavors have melded.