Cannelloni al Ragu e Besciamella
Pasta tubes stuffed with rich beef ragu, buried in bechamel and baked until golden.
Made with Slow cooked ragu and White bechamel sauce. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time1 hr 15
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £1.57 a head
- Oven190°C (170°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Make the ragu and bechamel first (see the base recipes). Heat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan) and butter a 30 x 20 cm dish.
- 2
Reheat the ragu until it is thick enough to hold on a spoon. If it is thin, simmer for a few more minutes. Cool for 10 minutes.
- 3
Boil the cannelloni tubes in salted water for 4 minutes, drain and lay on a tray.
4 min - 4
Pipe or spoon your ready made ragu into each tube and lay them in the dish side by side.
- 5
Stir the nutmeg into the bechamel, warm it and pour over the tubes, completely covering. Sprinkle with parmesan.
- 6
Bake for 30 minutes until golden and bubbling. Rest for 5 minutes.
30 min
Tips
- A thick ragu is important: loose sauce soaks into the tubes and makes the filling watery.
- Fill the tubes with a piping bag, or a teaspoon and your finger.
- Make sure every tube is covered by bechamel, or exposed pasta ends will dry out.
Storing and freezing
Keeps 3 days in the fridge once cooled within 2 hours, or 3 months frozen. Reheat until steaming hot throughout.
Questions
Do I need to pre-cook the tubes?
A short boil makes filling easier and guarantees tender pasta. Dried tubes can also be filled raw if the sauces are loose, but need longer baking.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. Assemble, cover and chill up to 24 hours, then bake for an extra 10 minutes.
Can I use spinach and ricotta instead?
Yes. A filling of 250 g ricotta, 200 g wilted spinach and nutmeg is the classic meatless version.
More made with slow cooked ragu
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.