Ground Beef Cannelloni

Total Time: 2 hrs 45 mins Preparation Time: 2 hrs Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup onion, finely chopped
• 4 cups plum tomatoes, coarsly chopped, not drained
• 6 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons basil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• pepper
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic, chopped
• 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 lb ground round
• 2 chicken livers (optional)
• 5 tablespoons parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• salt
• pepper
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• pepper
• manicotti, cooked according to box directions

Recipe

• 1 for salsa de pomodori: heat oil in a large pot. add onion and cook 7-8 minutes or until soft. all all remaining ingredients for sauce. cover and cook over low heat for 40 minutes. press through a sieve. set aside.
• 2 for filling: heat oil in large frying pan. add onion and garlic, cook until soft. stir in spinach. cook 3-4 minutes or until all moisture is boiled away and mixture begins to stick. move mixture to a large bowl. melt 1 t butter and cook livers 3-4 minutes until firm and lightly browned, but pink inside. chop coarsly and add to spinach mixture (note as i said, i always leave this step out). melt remaining butter and brown beef. add to spinach mixture. add cheese, cream, eggs and oregano to mixture. mix and season to taste.
• 3 for besciamella: melt butter in large saucepan over high heat. reduct heat to medium and add flour. stir constantly to form a roux. stir for 1 minute. pour in milk and cream stirring constantly. return to high heat and cook, stirring constantly. when sauce boils, reduce heat and cook 2-3 minutes, until sauce is thick. season to taste.
• 4 to assemble: place one cup of salsa di pomodori in bottom of a sprayed 9x13 baking dish. stuff each shell with 2-4 tablespoons of filling. place in pan. cover with remaining salsa de pomodori. pour evenly besciamella over the red sauce. bake at covered with foil in a 350 oven for 45 minutes or until bubbly.