Baked Beef Cannelloni Dish (Printer-Friendly)
Lean ground beef and spinach enveloped in creamy tomato sauce, baked inside tender pasta tubes for a hearty meal.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 -
2 (7 oz) boxes oven-ready cannelloni pasta tubes
→ Filling
02 -
2 tablespoons olive oil
03 -
1 lb extra lean ground beef
04 -
4 whole carrots, grated (about 2 cups)
05 -
2 stalks celery, chopped
06 -
1 medium onion, chopped
07 -
3 cups fresh baby spinach, washed and chopped
08 -
½ cup dry white wine
09 -
¾ cup heavy whipping cream (33%-36% fat)
10 -
5 Roma tomatoes, chopped
11 -
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 -
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
13 -
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
14 -
2 cloves garlic
→ Creamy Tomato Sauce
15 -
2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes with juices
16 -
6 cloves garlic
17 -
1 medium onion, chopped
18 -
8 fresh basil leaves
19 -
½ cup heavy whipping cream
20 -
½ teaspoon salt
21 -
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
22 -
¼ cup dry white wine
23 -
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
# Steps to Follow:
01 -
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray two 9 x 13-inch baking dishes with non-stick cooking spray.
02 -
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Add chopped onion, celery, and grated carrots, cooking until softened. Stir in chopped spinach and cook an additional 3 minutes.
03 -
In a separate pan over medium heat, cook ground beef until browned. Drain excess liquid and fat, then combine with sautéed vegetable mixture.
04 -
Place combined beef and vegetable mixture in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped but still retaining some texture. Add heavy cream, white wine, garlic, Roma tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and basil. Pulse briefly to combine without pureeing fully.
05 -
Using a 12-inch pastry bag or a resealable plastic bag with the corner cut, fill the oven-ready cannelloni tubes with the prepared filling until full but not overflowing. Arrange filled tubes in a single layer in the prepared baking dishes.
06 -
In a food processor, combine diced tomatoes with juice, garlic cloves, chopped onion, basil leaves, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, white wine, heavy cream, and salt. Process until smooth in batches if necessary.
07 -
Pour the creamy tomato sauce evenly over the stuffed cannelloni in each baking dish. Cover dishes tightly with aluminum foil to create a steam chamber.
08 -
Bake covered dishes in preheated oven for 50 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
09 -
Optionally garnish with additional grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves. Serve warm.
# Extra Suggestions:
01 -
Do not stuff cannelloni more than 15-20 minutes before baking to prevent shells from softening prematurely. For convenience, prepare filling and sauce up to two days ahead and store separately refrigerated.
02 -
Ensure tight foil seal on baking dishes to create steam necessary for cooking oven-ready pasta tubes evenly.
03 -
Let baked tubes rest 5–10 minutes before serving to thicken sauce and allow easier handling.