Beef Cannelloni

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS:

olive oil

22 cannelloni tubes

Parmesan cheese

For the ragu

1 onion, finely diced

2 carrots, finely diced

2 celery stick, finely diced

5 garlic cloves, crushed

800g minced beef (ground beef)

500ml red wine

200ml hot beef stock

2 tins of cherry tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato purée

2 teaspoons dried oregano

For the parmesan sauce

50g butter

50g flour

700ml milk

1 bay leaf

100g parmesan cheese, grated

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD:

Start by making the ragu. Place a casserole dish over a medium heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the minced beef and brown, stirring every minute. Once the beef has browned, remove to a plate. Add another drop of olive oil if needed and stir in the chopped onion, celery, carrot and crushed garlic. Cover, reduce the heat to low and sweat for 10 minutes.

Pour in the red wine and leave to simmer for about 5 minutes. Next stir in the hot beef stock, tomatoes, tomato purée, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Reduce the heat and leave to simmer for at least one hour. The longer you allow it to simmer the more tender and flavorsome the ragu becomes. Add a little water if it becomes too thick.

While the ragu is cooking make the parmesan sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low to medium heat, once the butter has melted tip in the flour and stir together until a roux forms. Then slowly pour in the milk, whisking all the time. Add a torn bay leaf, leave to cook for 5 minutes until the sauce becomes thicky and silky smooth. Next stir in the grated parmesan cheese, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook for a further 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and also remove the bay leaf.

Pre-heat the oven to 180oC (fan). Arrange the cannelloni tubes in a baking dish, and take one tube at a time and fill it with the ragu, using a teaspoon. Repeat until all the tubes are filled with ragu. If you have any ragu leftover you can freeze it to serve with linguini for another supper.

Once all the tubes are filled with ragu, pour the parmesan sauce over the top, so that there is a blanket of sauce on top. Grate lots of parmesan cheese on top. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes until golden on top. Serve with green salad.