Name: Pépé Vizzini's Cannelloni
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 45 min
Yield: 6 people
Cuisine: Italy
Ingredients: 750 oz ofground beef; 750 oz ofspinach (by branch); 100 oz ofunsmoked bacon bits; 1 slice ofham (I use cooked , but you can also use raw instead); 5 pod ofgarlic; 1 boot ofparsley; 1 egg (just the yolk); 75 oz ofGruyère (grated); 75 oz ofParmesan (grated); 150 oz ofbutton mushrooms (sliced (drained weight if canned)); vegetable oil; 1,2 lb oftomatoes (You can use whole peeled tomatoes in their own juice); 2 onions; 4 pods ofgarlic; 10 sheet offresh basil; olive oil; 2 boxes ofcannelloni (Allow about 6 cannelloni per person)

main courses gratins pasta and rice traditional cuisine

Updated on 23 November 2025 by

toquetoque

1 review 5 : Delicious

Cuisine

Italy

Level

Easy

Preparation

45 minutes

Cooking

45 minutes

Here is the recipe for beef and spinach cannelloni that my Italian grandfather used to make for family dinners.

Our mouths would water and our eyes would light up when we saw the dish arrive, and today I’m happy to be able to carry on this delicious recipe so the next generation can enjoy it too!

These cannelloni are a true culinary journey, both in taste and texture, from the crispiness of their golden-brown crust to their tender meat and spinach filling.

Everything in this recipe is homemade, from the filling to the tomato sauce… with the exception of the pasta itself, which I buy from the store. But if you make it yourself, I invite you to share your recipe, and I’ll gladly include a link to it in mine!

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Stuffing
26.5 oz of ground beef
26.5 oz of spinach by branch
3.5 oz of unsmoked bacon bits
1 slice of ham I use cooked [ingredient], but you can also use raw [ingredient] instead
5 pod of garlic
1 boot of parsley
1 egg just the yolk
2.6 oz of Gruyère grated
2.6 oz of Parmesan grated
5.3 oz of button mushrooms sliced (drained weight if canned)
vegetable oil

Sauce
2.6 lb of tomatoes You can use whole peeled tomatoes in their own juice
2 onions
4 pods of garlic
10 sheet of fresh basil
olive oil

Pasta
2 boxes of cannelloni Allow about 6 cannelloni per person

Stuffing
- 1
  Blanch the spinach for 10 minutes in a pot of boiling water. Once removed from the water, squeeze it in a colander to drain it thoroughly.
- 2
  Sauté the bacon bits in a little oil. Drain off the excess fat, then add the mushrooms, chopped garlic, and parsley, along with the ham and ground meat. Cook for a few minutes over medium heat until the meat is browned.
- 3
  Next, add the coarsely chopped spinach and stir well over the heat so that the spinach breaks down and blends with the rest of the filling. Turn off the heat and let it cool.
- 4
  Once the filling has cooled, stir in the egg yolk and sprinkle half of the Gruyère and half of the Parmesan on top.
Sauce
- 5
  Sauté the sliced onion, then add the crushed tomatoes, garlic, salt, and basil. Cook uncovered over low heat in a skillet. Remove from heat before all the liquid has evaporated. To ensure the cannelloni are tender, the sauce should not be too thick.
Cannelloni
- 6
  While the filling is cooling, cook the cannelloni according to the package directions in a large pot of boiling salted water with a little cooking oil.
  Some brands of cannelloni do not require pre-cooking, so you can skip directly to the next step.
- 7
  Preheat your oven to 190°C.
  Drain the cannelloni on a paper towel, and spread half of the tomato sauce over a baking sheet or a large baking dish.
- 8
  Stuff the cannelloni (it’s easier to do by hand), then place them in the baking dish. Once all the cannelloni are stuffed, cover them with the remaining tomato sauce. Grate the remaining Gruyère and Parmesan cheese over the dish.
- 9
  Bake the cannelloni in the oven for about 30 minutes at 190°C, following the instructions on the pasta package.
- 10
  Serve it piping hot and enjoy!