Cannelloni with Mince and Béchamel
Ingredients
| 1 package (250 g) | cannelloni | |
| 1 cup | 240 ml | yellow cheese Regato (can substitute parmesan or kashkaval of your choice) |
| 1 clove | garlic (for the tomato sauce) | |
| 500 g | fresh tomatoes, grated (or 1 can) | |
| 1 tsp | 5 ml | tomato puree |
| 1 tsp | 5 ml | sugar |
| 1 | large carrot | |
| to taste | salt, pepper | |
| 3 tbsp | 45 ml | olive oil (for the tomato sauce) |
| 850 g | mince | |
| 1 head | onion, finely chopped | |
| 70 ml | white wine (=1 wine glass) | |
| 1 piece | cinnamon stick | |
| 1 tsp | 5 ml | tomato puree (for the meat sauce) |
| 1 cup | 240 ml | tomato sauce (set aside from the sauce you will cook) |
| 3 tbsp | 45 ml | olive oil (for the meat sauce) |
| 600 ml | milk (for the béchamel) | |
| 4 tbsp | 60 ml | flour (level) |
| 5 tbsp | 75 ml | olive oil (for the béchamel) |
Instructions
1) Make the tomato sauce (Napolitana sauce): In a small pot heat the olive oil, add a clove of garlic sliced into slivers and fry briefly, until the garlic aromatizes the oil and takes on a pale golden color. Add the grated tomatoes, the carrot cut into pieces, the tomato puree, sugar, salt and pepper. Cook to a medium thickness. Remove the carrot pieces from the sauce (you will need it for the filling).
2) Prepare the filling for the cannelloni: Finely chop 1 onion, fry in 3 tbsp olive oil until softened. Add the mince and braise together until it turns white. Add the carrot pieces, mashing them with a fork. Deglaze with the wine, add the piece of cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste, wait for the wine's alcohol to evaporate and add 1 teacup (150 g) of the ready tomato sauce and 1 teacup water. Cover the pot and leave to cook over low heat for about 20 min, until it thickens. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
3) Prepare the béchamel. It should be thinner than usual. Fry 4 level tablespoons of flour in 5 tbsp olive oil until light golden. Add 600 ml milk, a pinch of sugar, salt to taste and whisk with a cooking whisk so it becomes smooth. Cook until it thickens. Remove from the heat and add 1/2 teacup yellow cheese Regato.
4) Assembling the dish: [Take] the yellow rectangular baking dish that holds the cannelloni tightly. Spread 5 tablespoons béchamel on the bottom of the dish and sprinkle 2-3 spoons of the tomato sauce. To the mince filling add 5 tbsp béchamel and stir. With this mixture fill the cannelloni (without boiling them beforehand) with the help of a small spoon (I keep the cannelloni upright on the tray, fill it and then carefully lay it down. If I fill it over my hand it burns a lot).
Cover the filled cannelloni on top with the remaining amount of béchamel (I also added a little extra water to the tray, so they bake and soften nicely). Finally sprinkle with tomato sauce on top.
Cover the dish with aluminum foil (so the dish steams and the cannelloni soften well) and bake at 200C in an oven without a fan (so the béchamel does not split) for 35-40 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and sprinkle the dish with 1/2 teacup Regato cheese, bake until golden.
If you have the patience you can see visually how the dish is assembled in these clips (I personally prefer the first one, with the older chef, I liked his way; from the second one I liked how quickly they are filled with a piping bag). (the author does not allow embedding, click the link) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqq6Me68k4g