• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

RecipeTin Eats

Fast Prep, Big Flavours

  • My RecipeTin
  • Recipes
  • Recipes By Category
    • Mains
      • Chicken
        • Chicken mince
      • Beef Recipes
        • Ground Beef (Mince)
      • Pork
      • Lamb
      • Turkey
      • Shrimp / Prawns
      • Salmon
      • Fish
      • Salad Meals
    • Quick and Easy
    • Soups
    • One Pot
    • Stews
    • Slow Cooker
    • Sides
      • All
      • Vegetables
      • Show Off Salads
      • Rice
      • Potato
    • Pasta
      • All
      • Pasta bakes
      • Pasta salads
    • Sweet
      • Cake recipes
      • Cupcakes & Muffins
      • Cookies
      • Puddings & Cosy Desserts
      • Bite Size
      • Pies
      • Slices & Bars
      • Frosting & Icing
    • Cuisine
      • Asian
        • All
        • Stir fries
        • Noodles
        • Soups
        • Chinese
        • Japanese
        • Korean
        • Thai
        • Vietnamese
      • French
      • Greek
      • Indian
      • Italian
      • Mediterranean
      • Mexican
      • Middle Eastern
      • South American
    • Dietary
      • Gluten Free
      • Low Calorie
      • Vegetarian
    • Other Categories
      • BBQ
      • Breakfast
      • Burgers
      • Cocktails
      • Party Foods
      • Rice Recipes
      • Roasts
      • Sandwiches & Sliders
  • ✨Special✨
  • Collections
  • About
    • Me
    • RecipeTin Meals
    • Free Recipe Books
    • Contact
    • eBooks
      • The Food Photography Book
      • Chicken Wings Cookbook
    • Food Bloggers Central
    • Nitty Gritty
      • Policy: Use of Recipes & Images
      • Privacy & Disclosure
Home Pasta Recipes

Spinach Beef Cannelloni (Manicotti)

By:Nagi
Published:6 Nov '19Updated:8 Nov '19
92 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

Beef Cannelloni stuffed with a juicy spinach and beef filling, topped with plenty of tomato cannelloni sauce and melty cheese. It’s cosy comfort food that’s mouthwateringly delicious and 100% freezer friendly. Make this recipe using cannelloni OR manicotti!

Close up of Spinach Beef Cannelloni on a plate, ready to be eaten

Beef Cannelloni

I think most people think of spinach & ricotta when they think of cannelloni. And while that’s still a firm favourite, this version with a juicy spinach and beef filling makes more of an appearance in my world nowadays.

I actually make it more for friends than myself – because it’s a sensational freezer friendly standby and a safe bet (ie one of those meals that both kids and grown ups will love!)

This beef cannelloni recipe can be used for either cannelloni or manicotti.

Overhead photo of Spinach Beef Cannelloni in a baking dish, fresh out of the oven

What’s cannelloni? And what’s the difference between cannelloni and manicotti??

Cannelloni is a tube shaped dry pasta that’s stuffed with filling, covered with sauce and cheese than baked. The cannelloni tubes are uncooked when they are stuffed – they cook (soften) while baking.

Manicotti is the Italian-American version of cannelloni. The same concept – pasta in tube form to be stuffed, but they’re usually a bit larger and typically has ridges on it rather than a smooth surface.

This Beef Cannelloni recipe can be used for either cannelloni OR manicotti. In Australia, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen manicotti in Italian grocery stores. But cannelloni is far more popular – sold at all the large grocery stores (Woolies, Coles, Harris).

Cannelloni tubes

What you need

The 3 parts to Beef Cannelloni are:

  1. The Cannelloni Sauce – key to any good cannelloni! Make loads and make it thinner than you think it should be – the uncooked cannelloni tube will suck up a lot of the liquid as it bakes (it needs to, in order to cook the cannelloni pasta);

  2. The spinach and beef filling – I like to make it extra tasty by using beef cube for seasoning (aka bouillon cube / stock cube – or use powder form) instead of plain old flavoured salt. And extra juicy by adding a bit of the Cannelloni Sauce!

  3. The cannelloni tubes (above) or manicotti tubes – these are sold uncooked in tube form, to be stuffed with filling then cooked.

What goes in Spinach Beef Cannelloni Sauce

What goes in Spinach Beef Cannelloni Filling

How to make Beef Cannelloni

There’s nothing tricky about the making part other than stuffing the cannelloni tubes which is inevitably a bit of a messy / fiddly affair.

But years of cannelloni stuffing have taught me one thing – the fastest and easiest way to stuff cannelloni tubes is using a piping bag. All those times I just couldn’t be bothered to use a piping bag, then I’d regret it 3 tubes in…..

Seriously. Use a piping bag. Or ziplock bag. Anything you can use for piping. You’ll thank me later!

How to make Beef Cannelloni

That moment when you pull this bubbling beauty out of the oven….. no telling what it actually is, but you know it’s something delicious!!!

Cheese pull shot serving Spinach Beef Cannelloni from baking dish, fresh out of the oven

Seriously, cannelloni is as impossible to photograph as lasagna. There’s just no way to make a plate of this saucy cheesy juiciness look elegant. And that’s ok – it’s a delicious mess, and I totally own that!!!

3 Spinach Beef Cannelloni on a plate, ready to be eaten

What to serve with Beef Cannelloni

Cannelloni is essentially just another type of pasta. I put it in the same bucket as lasagna. Which means – for a full blown Italian feast, I serve it with:

  • Garlic Bread – or even more indulgent, with Cheesy Garlic Bread (or go over-the-top with Crack Bread);

  • Garden Salad with Italian Dressing (hit of crisp fresh salad essential!)

  • Tiramisu to finish with an Espresso Martini on the side

For a quick midweek meal, I just make a quick salad on the side, like a Rocket Parmesan Salad with Balsamic Dressing. Probably my most made side salad because it’s literally a 2 minute effortless-no-chop salad! – Nagi x


Watch how to make it

Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.

Close up of Spinach Beef Cannelloni on a plate, ready to be eaten

Spinach Beef Cannelloni (Manicotti)

Author: Nagi
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Total: 1 hr 15 mins
Mains
American-Italian, Italian, Western
5 from 30 votes
Servings5
Tap or hover to scale
Print
Recipe video above. You will love how flavourful the juicy beef filling and sauce is! Too many recipes disappoint by using plain canned tomato - the sauce needs flavour! It will seem like there's a lot of sauce (and there is) and that it's too thin (and it is!) BUT you need it because the cannelloni sucks up a lot when it's cooking!!! Serves 4 very hungry people, 5 normal people.

Ingredients

Cannelloni Sauce:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves , minced
  • 1/2 onion , finely chopped
  • 1 carrot , small, finely chopped (optional)
  • 1 celery rib , finely chopped (optional)
  • 800g / 28oz crushed tomato , canned
  • 2 cups (500ml) chicken stock / broth , low sodium (or vegetable)
  • 1/2 tsp EACH thyme, oregano, salt, pepper
  • 1/4 tsp chilli flakes , optional

Spinach Beef Filling:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves , minced
  • 1/2 onion , finely chopped
  • 500g / 1lb beef mince , lean
  • 250g / 8oz frozen spinach, chopped , thawed, excess liquid squeezed out (Note 1)
  • 1 beef bouillon cube , crumbled (Note 2)
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

Cannelloni:

  • 21 - 24 cannelloni tubes (220g/7oz) OR 10 Manicotti tubes (Note 3)
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese , freshly grated (or other melting cheese)
  • Chopped parsley , garnish (optional)

Instructions

Cannelloni Sauce:

  • Heat oil in a large saucepan or pot over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook 2 minutes. Add carrot and celery, cook 5 minutes.
  • Add remaining Sauce ingredients then stir. Bring to simmer, lower heat to medium, cover with lid and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Use a stick blender to blitz until smooth (or cool slightly and use blender or food processor). Set aside.

Spinach Beef Filling:

  • Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add onion and garlic, cook 2 minutes.
  • Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until it all changes from red to brown.
  • Stir in spinach, then add crumbled beef cube, Worcestershire sauce, pepper and 1 cup of Cannelloni Sauce. Stir, cook 2 minutes.
  • Remove and cool slightly.

Assembly and Baking:

  • Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.
  • Transfer Beef Filling into a piping bag with a wide nozzle. Stand cannelloni tubes upright in a container, then pipe filling in. (Or do this step with teaspoon/finger/dinner knife!).
  • Spread about 1 1/4 cups Sauce in a 23x33cm / 9x13" dish. Lay the cannelloni on top, then pour over remaining Sauce.
  • Sprinkle with cheese, loosely cover with foil.
  • Bake 25 minutes, remove foil then bake a further 10 minutes until the cheese is bubbly with some golden spots.
  • Remove from oven, sprinkle with parsley if using then serve!

Recipe Notes:

1. Spinach - I use frozen for convenience. Feel free to use fresh - you'll need 200g/7oz fresh spinach (about 6 - 8 cups) roughly chopped. Then plunge briefly into pot of boiling water until it wilts (weight will increase due to water), then use per recipe.
2. Beef bouillon cube - also known as beef stock cube, can also use 1 tsp beef stock powder / granulated beef bouillon. It's used here to add extra flavour into filling - better than using plain salt!
3. Cannelloni
  • 1 standard packet is usually 250g and has 30 tubes, you will only use 21 - 24 tubes.
  • Cannelloni is a tube shaped dry pasta 7cm / 3″ long, 2cm / 2/3″ wide. Stuff uncooked, will cook & soften in oven.
  • Can also use manicotti - bigger version of cannelloni with ridges. Recipe will fill about 10 manicotti tubes.
  • Can also roll filling up in fresh lasagna sheets - whatever size you want them to be!
4. Storage - keep cooked leftovers in the fridge for 4 days and reheat in microwave. Can also freeze cooked leftovers - thaw then reheat.
Freezing uncooked (best freezing method) - add an extra 1/2 cup of water in the sauce, then assemble per recipe. Do not bake. Cover, cool, freeze. To bake, thaw then cook per recipe.
5. Nutrition per serving

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 609.06cal (30%)Carbohydrates: 50.15g (17%)Protein: 42.14g (84%)Fat: 27.64g (43%)Saturated Fat: 11.12g (70%)Cholesterol: 100.42mg (33%)Sodium: 1079.82mg (47%)Potassium: 1268.79mg (36%)Fiber: 6.67g (28%)Sugar: 10.93g (12%)Vitamin A: 8613.55IU (172%)Vitamin C: 20.44mg (25%)Calcium: 383.77mg (38%)Iron: 6.28mg (35%)
Keywords: Beef cannelloni, Cannelloni, cannelloni fillings, manicotti
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

Life of Dozer

Dozer in his Sunday Best at a Melbourne Cup lunch we attended yesterday, the race that stops a nation!!! The chokehold grip was necessary – it was the only way I was going to get a photo of him. Look how unhappy he is!!! 😂

PS Didn’t last for long, he shed the top hat 2 seconds after this photo was taken and his tux mysteriously went missing not long after so he was streaking around naked.

PPS His top hat cost even more than my $2 discount store fascinator! 😂

Dozer and Nagi Melbourne Cup 2019

Previous Post
Beef Stir Fry with Honey Pepper Sauce
Next Post
Margaritas!!!

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

Read More

Free Recipe eBooks

Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks!

Related Posts

Close up of Amazing Vegetarian Pasta Salad

MARINATED Vegetarian Pasta Salad!

Close up of freshly made Baked Mac and Cheese

Baked Mac and Cheese

Cheesy broccoli pasta in a rustic blue bowl, ready to be eaten

Really Quick Broccoli Pasta

More Pasta Recipes

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Cooked this? Rate this recipe!




92 Comments

  1. Rency says

    May 8, 2022 at 8:47 am

    5 stars
    You’re amazing. Thank you for this recipe. Another new family favourite.

    Reply
  2. Zahran says

    April 16, 2022 at 11:07 pm

    Good food

    Reply
  3. Rakel says

    April 11, 2022 at 10:49 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Nagi, hope you and Dozer are well. I have been looking for cannelloni pasta for ages and I finally found it by accident the other day in Morrisons (I´m in the UK) and I nearly wee´d my self on the pasta isle with excitement because I knew I could finally make this recepi, so we made it last night, was a bid fiddly getting the filling in and messy but it didn´t matter because it turned out gorgeous, didn´t change a thing, well apart from putting a little bit of red wine in with the meat. Happy Easter in advance x

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      April 12, 2022 at 2:39 pm

      The mental image of someone almost wee-ing in excitement over pasta shapes has made me laugh all day today!! (I would do the same thing!!) N x

      Reply
  4. Sarah Gibbons says

    March 29, 2022 at 8:37 pm

    Hi, I made this tonight but the cannelloni wasn’t cooked in the time allowed, I had to put it in the oven for a further 15 minutes. Any idea what I did wrong?? I also feel like I under spiced it. Will try again as the basic flavours are delicious. Thanks for the lovely recipes!!

    Reply
  5. Tricia Johnson says

    March 3, 2022 at 10:06 am

    My family and I Love this recipe!! For some odd reason I can’t find cannelloni or manicotti in my small town in canada, decided to buy lasagna sheets ( we were craving) and it worked out beautifully and easier for me to roll up too! I love all your recipes Nagi🙌

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 3, 2022 at 2:25 pm

      Great substitute Tricia!! N x

      Reply
  6. Glen s Anderson says

    December 31, 2021 at 1:30 pm

    5 stars
    Love your recipe’s Nagi, you hit 5/5 all the time!

    Reply
  7. Marta says

    December 19, 2021 at 10:06 am

    Yummy! I struggled filling the cannelloni with both methods suggested in the recipe; however, my husband figured out a fast technique. You dab the cannelloni into the filling; it fills very fast.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      December 19, 2021 at 5:05 pm

      Great tip Marta! N x

      Reply
  8. Kim L says

    December 13, 2021 at 9:44 pm

    5 stars
    Cooked this today for my mother-in-law’s birthday lunch. It was absolutely delicious. Everyone raved about it. This dish will definitely be on rotation. Thank you Nagi for another fabulous recipe. Oh yes, Dozer is adorable!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      December 14, 2021 at 8:50 am

      Happy birthday to her! I am so glad you enjoyed it! N x

      Reply
  9. Kirstie says

    December 6, 2021 at 6:01 pm

    One of my favs! Love making this dish

    Reply
  10. Carol Ryan says

    November 3, 2021 at 5:07 am

    Made this for tea tonight and it is devine. Loved it and so easy to make. Another winner in my house. Ty. Xx

    Reply
  11. Debbie F says

    September 28, 2021 at 6:52 am

    5 stars
    This recipe is amazing! I served it with a salad and garlic bread. I had 10 guest that raved over it! I will be making this again.

    Reply
  12. Debbie says

    September 28, 2021 at 6:51 am

    5 stars
    This recipe is amazing! I served it with a salad and garlic bread. I had 10 guest that raved over it! I will be making this again.

    Reply
  13. Kirsty Andrews says

    September 10, 2021 at 7:41 am

    Help!…video shows you adding salt and ladles of sauce to the beef filling but recipe doesn’t say to do this? I think I’ll follow the video

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      September 12, 2021 at 10:36 am

      Hi Kirsty, it’s noted in step 3 of the instructions when preparing the beef filling. N x

      Reply
  14. Simmi says

    August 11, 2021 at 4:33 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Nagi, I love your recipes and this is another winner! Thanks for sharing x

    Reply
  15. Lois McMillan says

    July 26, 2021 at 7:18 am

    Hello Nagi,
    Love your recipes, and tips loved the beef cannelloni recipe but instead of using tubes used fresh lasagne sheets cut into 3 rolled around filling. Much easier for unco like me! Best wishes

    Reply
  16. Kim in lockdown says

    July 23, 2021 at 7:29 am

    Hi Nagi,love all your recipes, tips and hints. How far in advance could I make the sauce and filling (keeping them in the fridge)before filling the cannelloni shells and cooking.?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      July 24, 2021 at 4:23 pm

      Hi Kim, a day or 2 should be completely fine! N x

      Reply
  17. Vanessa says

    July 16, 2021 at 3:32 pm

    5 stars
    You made it look so easy piping the filling into the cannelloni. Me…… I had filling from one end of the kitchen to another and it took me forever. It’s definitely a time to blame the cook not the recipe or recipe creator though. But despite my dodgy kitchen skills I will definitely make this again because it was soooo delicious. Everyone in the family loved it

    Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

Free Recipe eBooks

Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks!

Meet Dozer

Official taste tester of RecipeTin Eats! Meet Dozer
As Featured On

What's for Dinner?

Close up of beef enchiladas in a baking dish, fresh out of the oven

Beef Enchiladas

Butter Chicken served over basmati rice in a bowl, ready to be served

Butter Chicken

Overhead photo of 2 black bowls with Chinese Chicken Salad with Asian Dressing, ready to be eaten

Chinese Chicken Salad

Salisbury Steak recipe in skillet.

Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy

Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken - 7 ingredient magic. The coconut fragrance is heavenly! recipetineats.com

Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken

Fast prep. Big flavours!

Never miss a recipe

Back to Top
  • Related
  • RecipeTin Japan
  • Food Bloggers Center
  • Help
  • Contact Us
  • Image Use
  • Privacy Policy & Terms
Site Credits Maintained by Zao Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled © RecipeTin Eats 2022 · All Rights Reserved Back to Top