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:
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);
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!
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:
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
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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 / 9×13" 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! 😂
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
I feel the same- I needed to be an Octopus to manage the tubes, the hot meat, the piping bag. It was a massive mess and effort. Took a full hour to prep and make without any help. Luckily tasted great but don’t think I’ll ever make cannelloni again. 🙄
Great recipe , I used the Thermomix to cook the sauce and blitz.
Will mske again, 3 year old loved it
Hi Nagi, I have just finished preparing this cannelloni dish, thanks, it is really simple to do hey. Will fill the tubes up later, for dinner tonight. Can’t wait to taste it, you are amazing, love to you and Dozer.
I’ve been wondering why I’ve gained so much weight in my pregnancy this time and have just come to realise I’ve been cooking recipes from your site about 4-5 nights a week for the past 6 months!! No wonder 🤪 everything is so delicious I can’t help but overindulge!
I don’t see any salt for fill8ng?
She has used a beef stock cube instead of salt for the filling in this recipe
Cooked this last night and it was gorgeous, a hit with the family, will be making again. Some wonderful recipes on here, thank you
This dish was absolutely delicious, STUNNING!!!
Hi Nagi,
LOVE all your recipes, you’re my go-to whenever I want to cook something and will always cook your version first 🥰
Question: can I sub spinach for baby spinach in this recipe?
R x
I don’t see why not. I have done that in many recipes, including lasagna. Very tasty!!
Highest praise from my son – said it was ‘the best lasagne ever’! I didn’t want to break it to him it had spinach and other veg. This was great and went well with the roquette and balsamic salad.
Absolutely delicious. This is really classic mouth watering cannelloni. I actually added extra teaspoonful of instant stock to both filling and sauce, and doubled the Worcester sauce measure.
Made this last night ,it was Yummy but not a lover of frozen spinach.so used fresh.
Nagi and Dozer, your recipe is the best in the world! Perfect Canneloni!!!
I’ve decided that I would love to have drinks and dinner with you, someday! AND Dozer! This anecdote is superb, like the canneloni! Hugz to Dozer, he’s such a good sport !