According to Wikipedia, cannelloni is an Italian word that means large reeds. These pasta rolls often contain meat, spinach and ricotta cheese and topped with tomato or béchamel sauce. It is traditionally prepared in Catalonia during St. Stephen’s day, the day after Christmas. The feast boasts of cannelloni stuffed with leftovers from the Christmas celebrations.
I love any type of food that has cheese. The more cheese the better. I think this is why I cannot be a vegan, because I cannot live without it. For this recipe, feel free to use any type of cheese. Experiment by using different ones or you can get a grated cheese mix from the supermarket. You can also replace the ricotta with sour cream or cream cheese and it is a good twist too.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium brown onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
600g ground beef
700g jar tomato sauce
1/4 cup shredded fresh basil leaves
6 fresh lasagna pasta sheets, cut in half
250g smooth ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups grated cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Sauté the garlic and onions for 3 minutes until fragrant and the onions are translucent. Add the ground beef and cook it for 8-10 minutes until brown. Stir in 1 cup of tomato sauce. Bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for another 8-10 minutes. Season it with salt and pepper. Stir occasionally. Turn of the heat and add the basil. Let it cool.
Preheat the oven at 180C and then grease a rectangle ovenproof dish.
Place a sheet of lasagna on a flat surface and then put a 1/4 cup of the beef mince mixture. Roll it up to wrap the beef. Transfer the roll to the baking dish. Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients. Top the rolls with ricotta cheese and then spread it evenly using a spatula or the back of a spoon. Next, pour the remaining sauce over the cheese layer and then sprinkle it with grated cheese and some basil.
Loosely cover the baking dish with foil and then bake the cannelloni for 30 minutes until the cheese bubbles and is brown.
Photo Courtesy Of: Â fifikins