Rich Beef Ragù Cannelloni with Creamy Mascarpone Topping

Finely dice the yellow onion, peeled carrot, and trimmed celery stalk into uniform 3-millimeter pieces, then mince the garlic cloves using a chef's knife on a cutting board.

Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat at 160°C (320°F) until shimmering.

Add the diced onion, carrot, and celery to the hot oil and sauté over medium heat for 8 minutes until softened and translucent, then add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

Add the ground beef, 5 grams of sea salt, and 2 grams of black pepper to the vegetables, breaking the meat apart thoroughly with a wooden spoon, cooking until no pink remains and an instant-read thermometer registers at least 71°C (160°F). Clean all boards and tools after handling raw beef to prevent cross-contamination.

Stir the tomato paste directly into the meat mixture and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes until it darkens to a brick-red hue and smells sweet.

Pour in the dry red wine to deglaze the Dutch oven, vigorously scraping up all browned fond stuck to the bottom, and simmer for 3 minutes until the liquid reduces by three-quarters.

Add the crushed tomatoes, beef stock, minced rosemary, and fresh thyme leaves to the pot, reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and simmer gently for 35 minutes until the sauce is thick, rich, and spoonable.

Remove the ragù from the heat and allow it to cool at room temperature for 15 minutes to reach a safe, workable consistency for filling the pasta.

In a mixing bowl, combine the mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, 30 grams of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated nutmeg, remaining 1 gram of sea salt, and remaining 1 gram of black pepper, whisking until uniformly silky and pourable.

Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) with a rack set in the center position.

Pour the tomato passata across the bottom of the 23x33 cm baking dish, tilting the dish to spread it in an even layer across the entire base.

Transfer the cooled beef ragù into a piping bag, pipe the filling firmly into each dried cannelloni tube from both open ends until completely filled, and arrange them side by side in a single snug layer over the tomato base.

Pour the mascarpone cream mixture over the stuffed cannelloni tubes, using the back of a spoon to spread it so every portion of exposed dry pasta is fully coated, then scatter the remaining 30 grams of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano evenly over the surface.

Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 190°C (375°F) for 25 minutes, then discard the foil and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes until bubbling and browned in spots.

Remove the cannelloni from the oven and allow the dish to rest undisturbed on a wire rack at room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing and plating.