Wood-Fired Cannelloni

Proper Italian cannelloni - pasta tubes stuffed with a rich meat ragu, covered in bechamel and Parmesan, then baked in your pizza oven until golden and bubbling. This is a retained-heat recipe: fire your oven for pizzas first, let it cool to 200°C, then slide in the cannelloni. It bakes gently while you eat your first course. The wood-fired heat gives the bechamel topping a beautiful golden crust that's worth the effort.

Ingredients

• 250g dried cannelloni tubes (or fresh lasagne sheets rolled into tubes)
• 500g meat ragu (your own, or a good shop-bought bolognese)
• 500ml bechamel sauce
• 80g Parmesan, freshly grated
• A knob of butter for greasing

Method

1. Let your pizza oven cool to around 200°C.
2. Butter a large oven-safe casserole dish. Spread a thin layer of meat ragu across the base.
3. Stuff the cannelloni tubes with the remaining ragu. A piping bag or a teaspoon both work - patience is the only ingredient here. Arrange the stuffed tubes in a single layer over the sauce.
4. Pour the bechamel evenly over the cannelloni, making sure every tube is covered. Scatter generously with grated Parmesan.
5. Cover the dish tightly with foil. Slide into your oven and bake for 30 minutes.
6. Remove the foil and bake for a further 10 minutes until the top is golden and the sauce is bubbling at the edges.
7. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving. It needs to set slightly or you'll have a flood of sauce on the plate.