Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni
This Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni is a creamy vegetarian pasta bake made with ricotta, spinach, tomato sauce, and cheese. It’s comforting, easy to make, and ideal for family dinners.
Servings 4
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 shallots, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 x 400 g cans crushed tomatoes (or passata)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/8 tsp chilli flakes, or to taste (optional)
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Handful fresh basil leaves, torn
For the Filling:
- 350 g frozen spinach, thawed
- 500 g ricotta cheese (2 × 250 g containers)
- 35 g freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped (3-4 tablespoons)
- 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
To Assemble:
- Olive oil, for greasing the pan
- 14 cannelloni pasta tubes
- 125 g ball buffalo mozzarella
- 3-4 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
Make the Sauce:
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic for the sauce and the filling and sauté until soft and translucent. Transfer half of this mixture to a medium bowl (for the filling). Add the crushed tomato, Italian seasoning, chili flakes (if using) and a generous handful of torn basil leaves. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes, set aside.
Prepare the Filling:
- Place the thawed spinach in a colander and press out most of the liquid (it doesn’t need to be completely dry). Add it to the bowl with the reserved shallot–garlic mixture. Stir in the ricotta, Parmesan, parsley, and chilli flakes (if using). Season with salt and pepper and mix until well combined.
Assemble the Cannelloni:
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C (160°C fan-assisted). Choose a baking pan which will comfortably fit about 14 cannelloni (my casserole dish is 30cm x 22cm, 2.2 litre). Coat the dish with a little olive oil (this makes for easier cleanup later).
- Add a few spoonfuls of tomato sauce to the bottom of the baking dish.
- Transfer the spinach and ricotta filling to a piping bag with a nozzle that fits in the tubes, (or a freezer bag with the corner snipped off). Pipe the filling into the pasta tubes.
- Place each filled cannelloni tube in an even layer in the baking dish. If any filling remains, spread it over the pasta.
- Spoon the remaining tomato sauce evenly over the cannelloni, then scatter with torn mozzarella and finish with a generous sprinkle of Parmesan.
Bake and Serve:
- Cover loosely with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for about 20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and cheese is golden and melted. For extra browning, switch on the grill for the final minute.
- Remove from oven, let stand for a few minutes. Garnish with a few basil leaves, serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Optional add-ins: I sometimes add a couple tablespoons of lightly toasted pine nuts to this filling. This gives the filling a little extra crunch and nutty flavour. Both versions taste great.
- Prep ahead: you can prepare and assemble the cannelloni in advance and store it in the fridge for up to 24 hours before baking.
- Leftovers: once cooled, you can refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days and reheat in the oven until warm.