This recipe could also be called “pure comfort”. What ever you fill the cannelloni tubes with it actually doesn’t matter that much the dish always works and leaves you with a smile… maybe that’s just me.

I usually make this dish with spinach, feta and sweet red peppers, but this time I decided to go with minced beef and mushroom. It has a lasagna feel to it but there is much less cream and cheese so it is a lot lighter in calories.  You can even make a double batch and freeze the second portion. Nothing better than a ready to go meal that you made yourself.

What you need:

• 500gr lean minced beef
• 500gr button mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed 
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 x 400gr canned chopped tomato
• 1 jar of passata
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp sweet chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes (1 tsp if you like it hot)
• Salt & pepper to season
• 1/2 cup of cream
• 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
• enough grated Emmental cheese to cover the top
• 1 cup of roquette
• 1 packet of cannelloni tubes (much as you need to fill your oven dish)

What you do:

1. For the filling, add 1/2 tbsp olive-oil and book the minced beef in a non-stick pan on a medium-high heat, until browned – about 10 mins
2. Add the chilli flakes, sweet chilli powder and the seasoning
3. Once browned remove and set aside.
4. In the same pan, add the rest of the olive oil and cook the onion for 5 mins, until soft
5. Add the garlic for 1 min, then add the mushroom for another 5 mins
6. Tip in the beef and add the 2 cans of tomato and 1/2 jar of passata sauce and the sugar.
7. Simmer for 25 mins while you make the cream sauce

The Cream Sauce:

1. Add the rest of the passata and the cream in a saucepan
2. Mix well and season
3. let it cook along side the filling for 20 mins or so always on low heat

Filling the Cannelloni Tubes:

1. The filling sauce will be a bit runny, so gather some of the “meat-less” parts of the sauce and pour it on the bottom of the oven dish, making a nice bed of tomato sauce for the cannelloni tubes
2. Spoon the filling into the cannelloni tubes using a teaspoon and lay on top of the sauce.
3. Pour on the cream sauce, then sprinkle with Parmesan and Emmental cheese
4. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan and cook for 40-45 mins until the pasta is tender and topping golden.
5. Once cooked sprinkle a bit of grated parmesan and roquette over it and serve!

If freezing, don’t cook it, just allow to cool (filling is hot remember), then freeze wrapped well in cling film. When you are ready to cook it,  first defrost frozen cannelloni thoroughly, then cook as mentioned above for 50 mins-55 mins.

Enjoy!

Calories: Total 2,359— Per Serving 393 (serves 6)

Cover Photo by LoveFoodArt, on Pexel