Canelons, also known as Catalan-style Cannelloni, are a popular pasta dish associated with the city of Barcelona in Spain.

Rectangular fresh pasta sheets are filled with a blended mixture of meat and vegetables, rolled up and covered in a creamy béchamel sauce then topped with grated cheese before baking in the oven.

Scoop a few Canelons from the bubbling casserole dish onto plates and serve sprinkled with finely chopped chives. The carb and meat heavy comfort food is best served with a glass of Spanish red wine and a simple salad.

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What Are Spanish Canelons?

Canelons are Spain’s take on the popular Italian dish cannelloni. The recipe originates in the region of Catalan so you’re bound to find Canelons listed on menus at tapas bar throughout Barcelona.

Catalan-style Canelons differ from Italian Cannelloni mostly in their size. The Italian dish typically features large tubes of pasta filled with stuffing. Canelons are much smaller, sometimes half the size of their Italian cousin. The Spanish version also features a pureed meat filling, rather than a chunky stuffing like you’d find at some Italian restaurants.

Canelons are eaten all year round but the most traditional time of year to enjoy them is on Boxing Day. Home cooks utilize the leftovers from the roast meat they’ve cooked for the annual Christmas feast.

Spanish Cannelloni are a relatively recent addition to Catalan’s cuisine. The pasta was introduced by Italian chefs of the Barcelona bourgeoisie at the end of the 19th century.

For a very fancy meal they went to the Maison Dorée in Plaza de Cataluña owned by the brothers Pompidor. Considered the trendiest dish, since it was too time-consuming and complicated to make at home, you called ahead and ordered canelons. The kitchen got busy making the pasta, stuffing it, and coating it with bechamel.

Women who wanted to cook authentic Canelons (or more accurately, rich ladies who wanted their cooks to know how to prepare it for them) attended cooking classes that were offered from 1924 to 1931 in the feminist Institut i Biblioteca Popular de Cultura de la Dona.

The classes were taught by Chef Joseph Rondissoni, an Italian Swiss gourmand who was a disciple of Escoffier.

Now that many women in Barcelona had been trained on how to make the dish, its popularity proliferated in restaurants, home kitchens and cookbooks, soon making it a Catalan culinary staple.

Traditional Spanish Canelons pasta recipe ingredients.

Travel to Spain by Cooking Canelons at Home

I love traveling to Europe!

During my first visit to the continent I traveled for 5 months by train and plane. I had the opportunity to eat my way through Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Croatia, Bosnia, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Greece, Turkey, France, Malta and Italy.

As a professional food and travel journalist, I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy amazing meals in Europe, from traditional markets to award winning restaurants.

What I love most about traveling to Spain is the opportunity to sample unique dishes in each region and city. The Spanish dishes in Madrid and Barcelona are unique to what you might find on restaurant menus in Salamanca, Toledo, Valencia, Mallorca, Ibiza, Seville, Cordoba, Granada and Malaga.

Like any popular regional recipe you’ll see variation of ingredients and presentation when ordering Canelons at a restaurant. Chefs and home cooks will utilize seasonal local ingredients or follow a strict recipe that has been passed down in the family for generations.

Cook our Canelons recipe and you’ll enjoy a crowd-pleasing pasta casserole perfect for the meat and cheese lovers in your life. Once you’ve perfected the method, feel free to add additional meats into the cannelloni filling like leftover roast beef, chicken livers or Iberico liver pate. Fancy fine dining restaurants may even top the cannelloni with black truffle or foie gras!

Once back home from a tapas tour in Barcelona you’ll have a newfound appreciation for the flavours of the Catalan region and can impress friends and family by making our authentic Canelons recipe!

Prepare the beef and pork filling in a large skillet.

My Family Loves Catalan Style Cannelloni

Spain was one of the first countries I visited when backpacking through Europe in my third year of university.

I flew into Barcelona and traveled on a shoestring budget to Madrid, Salamanca and Toledo. It wasn’t until years later as a food and travel journalist that I had the opportunity to revisit Spain and experience it’s celebrated fine dining culture.

It was on a recent trip to Barcelona where I first fell in love with the comfort food favourited by locals. Paired with a glass of sparkling local cider, my mouth-watered for the tender pasta, creamy sauce and flavour-packed meat filling.

Once home I recreated the dish, using store-bought fresh lasagna pasta sheets and my food processor to blend the filling into a smooth paste.

I knew my family would enjoy this Spanish Cannelloni recipe because they love creamy sauces, meat stuffed pasta and cheesy gratin.

We enjoyed the dish at dinner with a glass of red wine served alongside a freshly tossed salad. It is a sublime meal for those looking to enjoy an authentic sensory escape to Spain!

Blitz the meat filling in a food processor until smooth.

Canelons Recipe Directions

The trick to making authentic Canelons is to use a food processor to blitz the filling ingredients so they are smooth (unlike Italian Cannelloni which is often more chunky).

While you may be tempted to skip this step (and save cleaning more dishes) we always recommend blending the ingredients before filling and rolling the lasagna pasta sheets into tubes. The smooth texture of the Canelons filling is distinctly unique.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot add onions and garlic. Lower heat and cook until onions begin to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, carrot and celery then continue cooking while stirring until tender, 8-10 minutes.
Add the ground beef & pork then raise the heat to medium, and cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Once cooked through add chopped Jamon Serrano, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
Let the mixture cool for 10-15 minutes then add to a food processor then blitz for 20-30 seconds until a smooth mixture forms. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 400 F.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. When the butter is melted, stir in the flour and cook until it bubbles and looks foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the milk and bring to a simmer, whisking almost constantly until the sauce thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the parmesan, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook to al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain and pat dry between clean kitchen towels.
Spoon a small amount of meat mixture along one side of each wrapper, covering no more than one-third of its surface, then carefully roll each one into a tube, starting from the meat side. As canalons are filled, place them seam side down, side by side, in a greased baking dish just big enough to hold them.
Pour the bechamel over the canelons, then scatter on the Manchego cheese. Bake the canelons until browned and bubbling, about 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes then serve.

Use fresh lasagna sheets to wrap Catalan Cannelloni pasta.

Canelons Recipe Cooking Tips

If it’s your first time preparing Spanish Cannelloni at home here are some helpful cooking tips.

Cook the meat and vegetable filling in a large nonstick skillet.
Don’t worry too much about how finely you are chopping the garlic, onion, carrot and celery. A rough chop is fine as you’ll be blending the cooked ingredients in a blender later.
We suggest using ground beef and pork that has a medium fat content as this adds flavour.
We like to also add Spanish Jamon Serrano to the filling as it’s one of our favourite Spanish ingredients and adds a unique flavour to the filling. Other ingredients that are sometimes added to Canelons filling include leftover roast beef, chicken livers or Iberico liver pate.
When preparing the bechamel never leave the stove and ensure you are constantly whisking. This ensures the sauce won’t burn on the bottom and the flour does not clump. You want to produce a perfectly smooth and velvety cheese sauce.
Because this dish is Spanish I like to add shredded Manchego cheese to the sauce as well as the gratin. Parmesan cheese is a perfectly good substitute.
If you live in Spain or in a community with a large Spanish population your grocery store may sell Canelons pasta sheets. My grocery store only sells fresh lasagna sheets so you can easily purchase these and use a sharp French knife to slice them in half into squares.

Line a casserole dish with Canelons smothered in cream sauce and topped with grated cheese.

Health Benefits

Our Catalan-style Canelons recipe is packed full of healthy ingredients!

Olive Oil is ranked as one of the healthiest fats and is a staple in the Mediterranean diet. It contains vitamins E and K and plenty of beneficial fatty acids and antioxidants.

It is only recently that scientists have begun to identify the components responsible for garlic’s myriad health benefits. Rich in phytochemicals and potassium, garlic helps boost your immune system, fight cancer and protect your heart.

Onions are a humble vegetable packed with vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Regular consumption of onions can help boost digestive health and reduce the risk of developing heart disease.

Celery is a great source of antioxidants, reduces inflammation and supports digestions.

An excellent source of vitamin A and the phytochemical beta-carotene, carrots help keep your eyes and bones healthy, and may help protect against several types of cancer.

Rich in a group of phytochemicals called carotenoids, tomatoes may help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, and provide protection against cancer. Tomatoes are also a good source of immune-boosting vitamin C.

Beef is a great source of protein and minerals like iron as well as an excellent source of the amino acid L-caine. Beef also features antioxidant glutathione known for its anti-aging benefits.

Pork is an excellent source of protein and provides several important vitamins and minerals. It’s an excellent source of thiamin, selenium, niacin, vitamin B-6 and phosphorus, zinc, riboflavin and potassium.

Nutmeg is said to relieve pain, soothe indigestion, strengthen cognitive function, detoxify the body, boost skin health, reduce insomnia, increase immune system function and improve blood circulation.

Consuming dairy products (such as milk and cheese) provides health benefits — especially improved bone health. Dairy foods provide nutrients that are vital for health and maintenance of your body. These nutrients include calcium, potassium, vitamin D, and protein.

What To Serve With Catalan-Style Canelons

We love serving this traditional Catalan Cannelloni recipe as a main course during the holiday season.

The dish is so popular in our family that we prepare it throughout the year, more often then we would cook a homemade lasagna, it’s that good!

We suggest serving 3-4 Canelons per person, garnishing each plate with finely chopped chives and a dusting of grated cheese if you have any leftover.

The meal is best served with a glass of Riojas red wine and a simple tossed salad. The acidity in the vinaigrette and crunchy fresh vegetables help cut through the decadence of the cream sauce slathered meat-filled pasta tubes.

If you’re hosting a Spanish themed dinner party you might also like to make:

Garnish Canelons with finely chopped chives.

Other Pasta Recipes You May Enjoy…

Now you're an expert on how to make traditional Spanish Canelons. — Now you’re an expert on how to make traditional Spanish Canelons.

How To Make Canelons “Catalan Cannelloni Pasta”

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Canelons Catalan-style Cannelloni Pasta

How to make traditional Spanish Canelons. Our easy Catalan-style Cannelloni recipe features beef stuffed pasta in a creamy cheese sauce.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1

Total Time1 20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Spanish

Keyword: Canelons

Servings:

Calories: 754kcal

Equipment

Large Skillet
Wooden spoon or spatula
measuring cups
measuring spoons
Large pot
Casserole dish
French knife
Food processor

Ingredients

Ragu Filling

1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 Spanish Onion chopped
2 Garlic Cloves minced
1 Carrot finely chopped
1 Celery finely chopped
1 cup Diced Tomatoes
8 oz Ground Beef
8 oz Ground Pork
3 oz Jamon Serrano or Prosciutto finely chopped
1 tsp Ground Nutmeg
Salt & Pepper

Bechamel Sauce

4 tbsp Unsalted Butter
3 tbsp All Purpose Flour
2 cups Whole Milk
1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
Salt & Pepper
1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano or Manchego

Assembly

Cooking Spray
20 Canelons Pasta Sheets or 3 fresh lasagna sheets cut into 5 x 6 inch rectangles
4 oz Parmigiano Reggiano or Manchego grated

Instructions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot add onions and garlic. Lower heat and cook until onions begin to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, carrot and celery then continue cooking while stirring until tender, 8-10 minutes.
Add the ground beef & pork then raise the heat to medium, and cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Once cooked through add chopped Jamon Serrano, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
Let the mixture cool for 10-15 minutes then add to a food processor then blitz for 20-30 seconds until a smooth mixture forms. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 400 F.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. When the butter is melted, stir in the flour and cook until it bubbles and looks foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the milk and bring to a simmer, whisking almost constantly until the sauce thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the parmesan, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook to al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain and pat dry between clean kitchen towels.
Spoon a small amount of meat mixture along one side of each wrapper, covering no more than one-third of its surface, then carefully roll each one into a tube, starting from the meat side. As canalons are filled, place them seam side down, side by side, in a greased baking dish just big enough to hold them.
Pour the bechamel over the canelons, then scatter on the Manchego cheese. Bake the canelons until browned and bubbling, about 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes then serve.

Nutrition

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