Make-ahead beef and ricotta cannelloni

This super-simple meal is fantastic for those lazy weeknights when you don’t feel like hanging around the kitchen for too long. With just 10 minutes of preparation time and barely any complex ingredients involved, you can have this delicious meal in the oven before you know it without worrying about a big clean up afterwards!

Not only is this recipe incredibly tasty, but it’s also super versatile, so if you’re looking to add in some extra ingredients – go right ahead. If you want to pop some extra veggies in the mix, shredded carrot or zucchini would work perfectly. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium brown onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 600g beef mince
• 700g jar tomato pasta sauce
• 1/4 cup shredded fresh basil leaves
• 6 fresh lasagne pasta sheets, halved
• 250g smooth ricotta cheese
• 1 1/2 cups grated pizza cheese

Method

1. Heat oil in large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook onion and garlic, stirring, for 3 minutes or until onion has softened. Add mince. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up mince, for 8 to 10 minutes or until browned and cooked through.
2. Pour in 1 cup pasta sauce. Season with pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in basil. Cool for 15 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease deep 20cm x 48cm rectangular ovenproof dish.
4. Place 1 sheet lasagne on flat surface. Spoon 1/4 cup mixture along 1 long edge. Carefully roll up to enclose. Place in base of prepared dish. Repeat with remaining lasagne sheets and mince mixture. Spoon ricotta on top of pasta tubes. Spread around with back of spoon. Pour remaining pasta sauce over ricotta layer. Sprinkle with pizza cheese.
5. Cover loosely with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil. Bake for 30 minutes or until top is golden and pasta is tender. Serve.