Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni
-
14 Ingredients
-
65 min total
-
Serves Serves 6
-
Medium
-
Italian
-
Vegetarian
Recipe byThe ZestyPlate Kitchen
Pasta tubes stuffed with creamy spinach and ricotta, baked in a rich basil and tomato sauce under mascarpone, Parmesan and mozzarella.
Pasta tubes packed with creamy spinach and ricotta, sat in a deep tomato sauce and finished with a silky mascarpone topping. It bakes up golden and bubbling, feeds a good crowd and freezes well if you want a meal in reserve. Being meat-free, it is a useful one to have up your sleeve.
Jump to recipe
Prep 30 min
Cook 35 min
Total 65 min
Medium
Scale:
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
- 8 cloves chopped Garlic
- 3 tbsp Caster Sugar
- 2 tblsp Red Wine Vinegar
- 3 400g Cans Chopped Tomatoes
- Bunch Basil Leaves
- 2 tubs Mascarpone
- 3 tbsp Milk
- 2 sliced Mozzarella
- 1kg Spinach
- 100g Parmesan
- 3 tubs Ricotta
- pinch Nutmeg
- 400g Cannellini Beans
Preparation
- Start with the tomato sauce. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the garlic for 1 minute. Add the sugar, vinegar, tomatoes and some seasoning, then simmer for 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick. Stir in the basil and divide the sauce between two or more shallow ovenproof dishes, then set aside. For the second sauce, beat the mascarpone with the milk until smooth, season it and set it aside too.
- Put the spinach in a large colander and pour a kettle of boiling water over it to wilt it, working in batches if you need to. Once it is cool enough to handle, squeeze out the excess water, chop it roughly and mix it in a large bowl with the Parmesan and ricotta. Season well with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
- Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Using a piping bag, or a food bag with the corner snipped off, pipe the filling into the cannelloni tubes. Lay them side by side over the tomato sauce and spoon the mascarpone sauce on top. Finish with Parmesan and mozzarella. At this point you can freeze it raw, or bake it now and freeze any leftovers. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden and bubbling. Take it out and let it stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen
- Wring the cooked spinach out as hard as you can, because a wet filling will make the bake watery.
- Filling the tubes is far easier with a piping bag, or a freezer bag with one corner snipped off.
- Season the ricotta filling properly, with a little grating of nutmeg, or it can taste flat.
- Give the bake a few minutes out of the oven before serving so it firms up and cuts cleanly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. You can assemble it and freeze it raw, or cook it first and freeze the leftovers. Defrost it in the fridge, then bake until it is piping hot right through the centre.
Not if you use plenty of sauce. The dried tubes soften in the moisture of the sauces as they bake, so just make sure they are well covered.
Yes. Thaw it first, then squeeze out every bit of water you can before mixing it with the ricotta.
Save this recipe, join ZestyPlate free
- Save your favourite recipes
- Build your own cookbooks
- Track what you've cooked
- New recipes in your inbox
Create free account
Already a member? Log in
Ratings & Reviews
Log in or create an account to rate this recipe.
No reviews yet, be the first to rate this recipe!
Comments (0)
Log in or create an account to join the conversation.
No comments yet, start the conversation!