Baked Cannelloni with Ground Meat
Original, appetizing, and suitable for both everyday meals and celebrations! Baked Cannelloni with Ground Meat is a well-known Italian dish. These are large pasta tubes stuffed with meat. In taste, baked cannelloni is very similar to lasagna, with the same béchamel and Bolognese-style sauces.
Updated : 27 July, 2026
Easy
About 45 min.
Ingredients
16
Cannelloni
600 grams
Ground meat
0.5
Onion
1
Garlic
300 grams
Tomato sauce
100 grams
Hard cheese
to taste
Dry spices
to taste
Salt
Sauce
800 milliliters
Milk
40 grams
Butter
50 grams
Wheat flour
0.5 teaspoon
Salt
1 grams
Nutmeg
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
How do you bake cannelloni with ground meat in the oven? Prepare the ingredients. Ground meat from any type of meat will work, but beef is preferable. You can use ready-made ground meat or grind it yourself. You can replace the tomato sauce with tomatoes in their own juice, as I used, ketchup, or a smaller amount of tomato paste. For spices, I use Italian herbs, but basil, oregano, and rosemary will also work well. Use any hard cheese; I use Parmesan.
Step 2
How do you fry the ground meat with onion and garlic? Peel the onion and garlic, rinse them, and chop finely. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan and fry the onion and garlic over low heat until translucent. Then add the ground meat to the pan and mash it well with a wooden spatula, breaking up any large lumps. Fry the meat for about 5–7 minutes, until it changes color.
Step 3
How do you stew the meat in tomato sauce? Add the tomato sauce or tomatoes in their own juice to the ground meat. Make sure there are no large tomato pieces, as they will get in the way when filling the pasta. Add salt to taste, ground black pepper, and dried herbs. Mix and simmer the meat sauce over medium heat until the liquid evaporates. This will take about 5–10 minutes, depending on how much liquid was in the tomato sauce. Leave the cooked meat filling to cool.
Step 4
How do you make béchamel sauce? In a thick-bottomed saucepan or pot, melt the butter over low heat. Add the flour and, stirring constantly, fry it for a couple of minutes. Separately warm the milk until lukewarm and pour it into the flour mixture in portions, stirring constantly; a whisk is convenient for this. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium heat, then season with salt and spices. Cook, stirring continuously, for about 3–5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Leave the sauce to cool.
Step 5
How do you fill cannelloni with the filling? Stuff the cannelloni with the cooled ground meat mixture. Add the filling so it completely fills the pasta, while trying not to break it. It is convenient to fill cannelloni with ground meat by standing them upright on a plate. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 356°F.
Step 6
How do you choose a baking dish and arrange the pasta? Choose the baking dish carefully. It should be the right size so the cannelloni lie in a single layer, preferably close to one another. Pour béchamel sauce into the chosen baking dish so it completely covers the bottom. Arrange the pasta in one layer. You can place it irregularly, but it must be in one layer so the pasta is fully covered with sauce during baking.
Step 7
How do you prepare the cannelloni for baking and bake them in the oven? Pour the remaining béchamel sauce over the cannelloni. If the pasta is not covered with sauce, it may dry out in the oven and will not taste good. Sprinkle grated cheese on top. Place the dish in the preheated oven for about 30–35 minutes, until a golden crust forms.
Step 8
How do you serve cannelloni with béchamel sauce? Remove the finished cannelloni with ground meat from the oven and let them cool slightly. Cut into portions and serve. If desired, add fresh herbs and vegetables. Enjoy!
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