VEGAN ‘BEEF’ CANNELLONI
This lasagne style cannelloni is stuffed with sunflower mince bolognese, smothered in the most creamiest cheese sauce and topped with pesto breadcrumbs.
There are quite a few components to this dish but each can be made in advance and assembled at a later time, its totally worth it! I utilised using a food processor and its attachments to help with the ol’ prep.
TIP: If you whack a big batch of bolognese and cheese sauce in the freezer in portions you’ve got yourself some quick versatile meal components! Think spagbol, lasagne, Mac and cheese, cauli cheese and a pre prepped cannelloni meal, the options are endless!
Written recipe below and you can find a video recipe up on my instagram page.
This is how we doooo 👇🏻
VEGAN BEEF CANNELLONI
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Bolognese
- 85 g sunflower seed mince
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 200 ml vegan red wine
- 200 ml veg stock
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- 1 celery stick
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 tsp of each dried rosemary,thyme, oregano, marjoram, basil, smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp dried sage
- 1 tbsp tamari or coconut aminos for soy free
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Cheese sauce
- 3 cups 300g cauliflower florets chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1.5 cups 270g cashews
- 3 cups 700ml unsweetened almond milk
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 4 tbsp white miso
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp himalayan salt
- White pepper
- 1 large leek halved then thinly sliced
Pesto breadcrumbs
- 1 cup basil
- 1 large garlic clove minced
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/8 cup toasted pinenuts
- Or 2 tbsp's of store-bought vegan green pesto
- 80 g gluten free brown bread
- 20 Gluten free cannelloni pasta tubes I used Tenuta Marmorelle brand
Instructions
Bolognese
- In a food processor blitz carrot + onion + celery until finely chopped. I make my mine super small for cannelloni so it fits in the pasta tubes better.
- Heat oil in a large saucepan on a medium heat. Add in the chopped veggies. Saute for 8 mins then add in garlic + tomato puree, cook for a further 2 mins.
- Add all remaining ingredients. Simmer until the bolognese has reduced to a thick consistency, around 20 or so mins. Stirring occasionally.
Cheese sauce
- On a medium heat sweat the leek in 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan till soft, around 8 mins.
- While the leek is cooking, in a med-large saucepan bung in oil, mustard, miso, garlic and cook for a couple of mins.
- Add in almond milk, cauliflower and cashews. Simmer on medium high heat for 20 mins or until the cauliflower is completely soft. Pour into a high power blender and blitz till smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste, adding more almond milk to thin if needed. Mix in the leeks.
Pesto breadcrumbs
- Bung all pesto ingredients into a small blender, blitz till it forms a sauce like consistency.
- Add the torn up bread into a food processor, pulse till crumbs form. Mix all the pesto into the crumbs.
Assembly
- Stuff Bolognese into partboiled cannelloni tubes with a spoons handle or use a piping bag.
- Lay into a baking dish, pour on the cheese sauce until the cannelloni are covered, give the baking dish a good shake then sprinkle on the breadcrumbs.
- Pop in a preheated oven at 190c for 15-18 mins.
Notes
Make ahead If assembling the cannelloni dish in advance and chilling, bake for an extra 10 mins or until the middle of the cannelloni is piping hot.
Batch cook Make up the same amount if cooking for 2 and freeze the bolognese, cheese sauce and breadcrumbs into portions for a speedy freezer meal!
