An Italian Winemaker’s Recipe for Beef Cannelloni

This fall, be inspired by the warm, welcoming style of Italian entertaining: turn to the kitchen, the heart of the home, to entertain.

“Italian gatherings are relaxing and fun, so don’t worry about timing the main course to the minute guests arrive,” says Emilia Nardi, owner of the award-wining Brunello producer Tenute Silvio Nardi winery of Montalcino in Tuscany. “Family dinners should be a joy for both the guests and the hosts.”

An avid cook and host, Emilia Nardi recommends having the wine and appetizers ready for when guests arrive. Wines should be opened to breathe. A Caprese salad of fresh ingredients—tomato, basil, and mozzarella drizzled with olive oil—is a classic starter. A charcuterie board is simple to prep and will keep guests appeased. For the main course, Emilia Nardi suggests her family recipe for Beef Cannelloni.

Beef Cannelloni

Pasta Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 2 pinches of salt
• 2 tsp of extra virgin olive oil

Pasta Instructions:

Add to mixer and knead by hand for 10 minutes. Cover in olive oil and wrap in saran wrap. Let it rest for one hour. Spread it out by hand and cut in squares, around 15cm per 15cm.

Mixture and Sauce Ingredients:

• 4 cups crushed tomatoes
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk in big chops
• 3 carrots in big chops
• 6 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb. lean beef chops
• 2/3 lb. lean pork chops
• 1/2 lb. ground turkey
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 2 cups grated parmigiana cheese
• 4 1/3 cups béchamel sauce
• 1/2 a lemon grated peel
• Aromatic bunch: Tie together sprigs of rosemary, sage and parsley.

Instructions:

1. Cover the pan with olive oil to brown the onions. Add the meat, carrots, celery, the aromatic bunch and hot tomato sauce. Add salt and pepper. Cook over low heat for one hour.
2. Remove the aromatic bunch and celery. Then remove meat and carrots and put them into the mixer. Continue by adding béchamel sauce, nutmeg, lemon peel and parmigiana. Mix well.
3. In boiling water, briefly immerse the pasta square then lay on a rag. Add mixture onto the length of the pasta and roll it up.
4. In a baking tray, add béchamel and tomato sauce, lay the cannelloni in a row, cover with béchamel, tomato sauce, and sprinkle on the parmigiana.
5. Bake for 40 minutes at medium-high temperature.

Emilia recommends pairing the dish with the Tenute Silvio Nardi Rosso di Montalcino, a fruit-forward medium-bodied wine with a velvety texture or the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, a full-bodied wine that offers intense aromas and flavors of red berries offset by notes of leather and incense.

This autumn, keep guests full and happy with Italian food and drink that befits the season!