Cannelloni with Besciamella Sauce

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 oz pancetta, finely chopped (bacon)
1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 lb ground beef (minced)
4 plum roma tomatoes, chopped
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
1 lb pasta dough*
besciamella sauce*
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese


Filling
In a large saute pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the pancetta, onion, carrot, and celery and saute until the onion is golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ground beef and cook, stirring to break up the meat, until the beef is lightly browned, about 8-10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until the mixture is thickened, about15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 10-15 minutes. Stir in the egg and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper then set aside.

*Pasta dough
3 cups all purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon safflower oil

To make dough by hand, place the flour in a mound on a hard surface. Make a well in the center. In a bowl, whisk together eggs and oil. Pour the egg mixture into the well. Then with a fork gradually work the egg mixture into the flour. When the mixture gets too hard to mix with your fork, switch and start working the dough with your hands.
Lightly flour your hands, gather the dough into a ball, and knead, adding additional flour in small amounts as needed to prevent stickiness, until smooth and elastic, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Place the dough in a plastic bag and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to relax the dough before rolling. Cut or break the dough into 4 equal (or as equal as possible) pieces and return 3 to the bag to keep from drying out.
Roll out the pasta
To roll the dough out using a pasta machine, adjust the rollers to the widest setting. Flatten the piece of dough with your hand, lightly dust with flour, and pass the dough through the rollers. Fold the dough in half and pass it through the rollers a second time. Repeat the rolling and folding 6-8 more times or until the dough is smooth. Flour the dough lightly if it tears or starts to stick. Reset the rollers one width narrower and repeat, passing the dough, WITHOUT FOLDING, through the rollers. Continue to put the dough through the rollers, without folding it and using a narrower setting for each pass, until the sheet of dough is the desired thinness, usually the second to last setting for stuffed pasta such as ravioli or cannelloni. Each sheet will be 4-5 inches wide. (Hopefully but it doesn't really matter)

Using a thin bladed knife, cut into eight4 by 6 inch rectangles.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Lightly oil a baking sheet.

Generously salt the boiling water, add the pasta, a few rectangles at a time, and cook until al dente, about 3 minutes. Using a sieve, remove the pasta from the pot, drain well, and place on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer.

*Besciamella Sauce
Heat 2 1/2 cups whole milk in a saucepan over medium heat until small bubbles appear at the edge of the pan. In another saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter over medium heat. Whisk in 3 tablespoons all purpose flour and cook, stirring, until foamy, 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the hot milk and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, 3-4 minutes. Season with salt, white pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. To assemble the cannelloni, pour one third of the besciamella sauce into a baking dish. Put 1/4 cup filling on each pasta rectangle and spread to cover the pasta, leaving about a 1/4 inch border around the edge. Working from one short side, roll up the pasta and filling. Place seam side down on top of the sauce in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining pasta and filling, placing the rolls touching in a single layer. Pour the remaining besciamella sauce evenly over the top of the cannelloni and sprinkle evenly with the 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Bake until the cheese is lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Serve at once. Makes 4 servings.