Description
If you’re a fan of Italian cuisine, then you’re in for a treat with this recipe for Easy & Delicious Baked Beef Cannelloni with Spinach! The combination of ground beef, onions, peppers, and mushrooms creates a savory filling that’s stuffed into cannelloni shells, then smothered with marinara sauce and gooey mozzarella cheese. It’s the ultimate Italian comfort food!
Ingredients
20 to 24 cannelloni shells
1 and 1/2 pounds ground beef (lean)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
250g (8 ounces) fresh Spinach, cooked and chopped
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 jars (650 mL each/approx 40 0ounces) marinara sauce
2 and 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt & black pepper to taste.
Fresh parsley
Instructions
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You will need a 9×13-inch casserole dish for this recipe. Preheat oven to 350°F.
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In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil, garlic, onions, green pepper and mushrooms. Cook until soft, about five minutes.
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To the vegetable mixture, add the ground beef, Italian seasoning and Worcestershire sauce.
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Cook until beef is completely cooked and no longer pink and the vegetables are soft. Drain any excess fat from the meat.
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Stir in cooked, chopped spinach.
- Stir in 1 cup of the marinara sauce and stir until combined. Taste the spinach beef mixture and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Place meat in a food processor and pulse for a few seconds. Processing the meat mixture for a few seconds will break up any large pieces and create a smooth texture. Simply pulse for a few seconds. This will make it easier to pipe into the cannelloni tubes. Do not over-process!
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Lightly coat the bottom of 9×13-inch baking dish with marinara sauce.
Use a large bowl or measuring cup to stand the canneloni tubes upright. Fill a decorator bag (piping bag) with the beef mixture and fill each cannelloni tube by stuffing the pasta.
- Place the filled cannelloni tubes in the bottom of casserole dish. Pour the remaining marinara sauce over the filled cannelloni in the baking dish.
- Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake in 350°F for 35 minutes, until cheese is melted and marinara sauce is bubbling at the edges. Remove foil and bake another 5 to 10 minutes until cheese starts to brown a little on top.
- Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve immediately with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and enjoy!
Notes
How to cook spinach: cook the spinach first. Place about 2 inches of water in a pot on the stove and bring to a boil. Add the spinach leaves. Pack them in, they do not have to be touching the water. Cover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Strain and chop. Set aside.
Storage: Store cooked leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in microwave in 30 second intervals until heated throughout.
Reheating: Reheat in microwave in 30 second intervals until heated throughout.
Freezing leftovers: Leftover cannelloni can be frozen in an airtight container for up to two months. To serve, thaw, then reheat.
Freeze uncooked cannelloni: Freeze uncooked and thaw before baking as per recipe instructions.
What to serve with beef cannelloni: A side salad, garlic bread a side of vegetables.
Recipe inspired by recipetineats.com
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Pasta
- Method: Oven Baked
- Cuisine: Italian, American-Italian