Beef & Spinach Stuffed Cannelloni

Cheesy, rich and filling comfort food, perfect for Sunday dinner. A typical stuffed cannelloni recipe would call for ricotta and spinach with garlic and egg yolk but my family wasn't a big fan of that so I opted for ground beef. This recipe also works well with manicotti and with ground pork or Italian sausage meat instead of or combined with ground beef. Cooks faster if you can find "Oven-Ready" cannelloni. You can use canned or jarred pre-made marinara sauce or try my recipe https://whi.sk/GWcBg. I find any simple marinara with just basil works very well with this dish.

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

In a large saucepan, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and bring up to medium heat. Finely dice the onions and garlic. Chop the spinach and parsley.

Step 2

Sauté the onions until translucent, about 5 minutes. Clear a spot in the pan for the garlic and add a dollop of olive oil, add the garlic and fry until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Step 3

Add the meat and fry until the moisture has evaporated and the mixture is sizzling. Season with salt and pepper. Add chili flakes, if desired.

Step 4

Turn down to medium-low and add the spinach and half the parsley and stir in until wilted. Take off heat and let cool, covered.

Step 5

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grate the mozzarella and the parmesan cheese.

Step 6

Spread about 1/4-1/3 of the marinara into the bottom of a large baking dish. Using a pastry bag or your fingers, stuff the cannelloni. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to tamp down the filling.

Step 7

Lay the cannelloni in a single layer and rows in the dish until full. Cover with marinara until just the top of cannelloni is covered. Then cover with grated mozzarella and then parmesan.

Step 8

Cover the baking dish with its lid or foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 30 minutes. If you are using "Oven-Ready" cannelloni, reduce baking times to 20 minutes covered and 20 minutes uncovered.

Step 9

When cheese is starting to brown, remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining parsley. Let sit for 10-15 minutes so that it sets. Serve.