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!
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.
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).
What you need
The 3 parts to Beef Cannelloni are:
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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);
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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!
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The cannelloni tubes (above) or manicotti tubes – these are sold uncooked in tube form, to be stuffed with filling then cooked.
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!
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!!!
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!!!
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:
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Garlic Bread – or even more indulgent, with Cheesy Garlic Bread (or go over-the-top with Crack Bread);
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Garden Salad with Italian Dressing (hit of crisp fresh salad essential!)
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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
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Spinach Beef Cannelloni (Manicotti)
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 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!
Nutrition Information:
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! 😂
Don’t I have to pre cook the tubes before filling? If I don’t you have changed my life! I have ALWAYS precooked the tubes before filling but if I don’t have to it will be a game changer!
No! You don’t have to pre-cook!!
I made this tonight and it was divine ! I used the San Remo brand of cannelloni which has 21 tubes in their box and it was a perfect fit with zero waste of the filling – only had one tablespoon of beef and two tablespoons of sauce leftover which I was able to use back into the tray. I didn’t have Worcestershire on me so subbed a table of soy sauce and I tell you – my dish had some perfect umami to it. This is a winner and something I will have on rotation. Looking forward to making it again. I’ve got an electric oven which didn’t brown my cheese within the 10 minutes uncovered so I just popped it under the grill to brown up. Looking forward to making again!
I gave up using dried cannelloni. I buy fresh lasagne sheets from coles and roll my own cannelloni. Just cut the sheet cross-wise to get approximately the same width of cannelloni. Place filling in a line across the sheet. Roll, and wet the edge with water, overlapping a 1/2 – 1 inch edge which will stick together. Place them in a dish with the joined side down.
But why?? They work perfectly – and are cheaper and faster than fresh! N xx
You’re amazing. Thank you for this recipe. Another new family favourite.
Good food
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
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
Thanks for the tip – bought some tubes from Morrisons this evening – cooking this at the weekend – can’t wait👍
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!!
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🙌
Great substitute Tricia!! N x
Love your recipe’s Nagi, you hit 5/5 all the time!
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.
Great tip Marta! N x
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!
Happy birthday to her! I am so glad you enjoyed it! N x
One of my favs! Love making this dish
Made this for tea tonight and it is devine. Loved it and so easy to make. Another winner in my house. Ty. Xx
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.
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.
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
Hi Kirsty, it’s noted in step 3 of the instructions when preparing the beef filling. N x
Hi Nagi, I love your recipes and this is another winner! Thanks for sharing x
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
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.?
Hi Kim, a day or 2 should be completely fine! N x
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