Cannelloni means “large tubes” in Italian and is actually the familiar pasta made to look like tubes, which is more or less similar to lasagna in the preparation process. Yet, the appearance of this dish and the digging into the juicy meaty filling which is oozing out of the tubes is a memorable delight.

You can fill these tubes in with any of your favourite vegetarian or non-veg stuffing and bake with lots of cheese tossed on the top. In this recipe, I stuffed the tubes with a mixture of lean ground beef and a large assortment of vegetables to make it more healthier.

Make this absolutely mouthwatering dish to make your gloomy winter months much cosier and a bit warmer.

What you need:

Ground lean beef	500g
Napolina Cannelloni tubes	1 & 1/2 pkt
Dolmino lasagna white sauce or 3 tbsp of mayo and 1/4 of milk in place of this	1/2 bottle
Ketchup	4 tbsp or more
Soy sauce (dark)	1 tbsp
Carrots	4 large sliced thinly
Spinach	4 handfuls
Bell peppers (large) – yellow, red, green	1 each or more
Salt and pepper to taste
Garlic (chopped)	2 cloves
Onion	2 large chopped
Cheddar cheese and Mozzarella cheese ( grated)	1/2 cup full

Let’s make it:

Boill it

Boil the cannelloni tubes according to the instructions of the pack. Drain the water and separate the tubes carefully and set aside.

Cut it

Cut the veggies and place around a plate.

Saute it

In a large wok heat up 2 tbsp of olive oil and sweat the chopped onions. Add chopped garlic
Add the carrots circles, stir fry. Close the lid for a while so the carrots will be sofften fast
Add the bell peppers
Saute the all veggies
Sprinkle salt and pepper

Beef it

Push the veggies to a side and add the ground beef

Fry it

Dry fry the beef, breaking up the lumps with a wooden spoon until browned. This process will take about 10 mins. Sprinkle some olive oil if the beef is too dry

Mix it

Bring beef and veggies together .
Fry for 2 mins

Sauce it

Add Loyd Grossman tomato and chili sauce and give a thorough stir
Add Dolmio white sauce, soy sauce and ketchup
Fry for 5 mins

Toss spinach on top and let them wilt. Do not cover the pot after adding spinach
Assemble all together and adjust the taste

Cheese it

Toss a hand full of grated Cheddar cheese
Let the pot bubble for a few mins and turn off the flame.

Fill it

Pre-heat the oven to 180 C.
Opt for a wide Pyrex dish or a baking dish and pour a little milk onto the bottom.
Hold the cannelloni tubes gently in one hand and fill the beef mixture and arrange on the baking dish side by side.
Once the dish is full, top it with lots of grated Cheddar and Mozzarella cheese.

Bake it

Cover the dish with a foil and leave one edge slightly open for steam to escape.
Bake for 30 – 40 mins in the middle of the oven (lift the foil and check after 30 mins)
Take out from the oven and let the dish rest for 5 mins.
Bon appetit !!

Tips :

You can add any lasagna white sauce brand or replace it with milk and mayo mixed together
Always use a wide Pyrex or a ceramic baking dish, not a baking tray used for cakes as the bottom of the tubes can burn
Be liberal on spinach and vegetables to make it more healthier
A few drops of oil and salt while boiling the cannelloni tubes can prevent them from sticking. And do not crowd the pan too much with tubes as they could stick to each other and tear off easily.
If the the mixture is too runny, add more spinach and carrots
Do not cover the pan after adding spinach