Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni

Posted: 09 December '09 by Niall

Spinach and ricotta cannelloni

Spinach and ricotta canneloni

Here’s the recipe for one of our favourite Italian dishes: spinach and ricotta cannelloni (or is that “canneloni”?). Given that the recipe is suitable for vegetarians, it just shows you that bechamel with melted cheese can overcome all obstacles to enjoyment!

The recipe does take a little bit of effort – stuffing the pasta tubes with the spinach and ricotta mixture requires some patience – but it’s all worth it in the end. The canneloni is also great for mid-week dinners, as it invariably lasts for two nights, and tastes even better the next day.

The dish is great by itself, but we prefer a small rocket salad and warm ciabatta alongside.

You can see more photos hereImage 1Image 2Image 3Image 4Image 5Image 6Image 7Image 8

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion, peeled and minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 2 pinches of dried oregano
  • 2 pinches of dried basil
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tbsp red wine
  • 500g spinach
  • 300g ricotta
  • 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • As many cannelloni tubes as will fill your oven dish

For the Napoli sauce

  • 25g butter
  • 25g flour
  • 300ml milk
  • Pinch of ground nutmeg
  • 60g Cheddar cheese, grated
  • 30g Parmesan cheese, grated

To finish:

  • 60g Cheddar cheese, grated
  • 10g Parmesan cheese, grated

You might also use: a piping bag to put the mixture into the cannelloni tubes.

Cooking Method

Cooking Method – Spinach and Ricotta

  1. Place a frying pan on a low heat and add some olive oil
  2. Place the spinach leaves in the pan and cook until they have wilted slightly
  3. Remove the leaves from the pan and drain in a colander, using the back of a spoon to press the leaves until most of the excess liquid has drained
  4. Chop the drained spinach leaves until they are quite fine
  5. Allow the spinach to cool
  6. Place the ricotta in a bowl and add the cooled spinach leaves, mixing thoroughly
  7. If you are using a piping bag, spoon the mixture into the bag and squeeze it down to form a continuous mass, ready for squeezing
  8. Taking your cannelloni tube either: squeeze the mixture into the tube until it is full; or using the back of a spoon, scoop the mixture up and place inside the tube
  9. Repeat this process until all of the cannelloni has been filled, placing each filled tube into the oven dish as they are finished

Cooking Method – Napoli Sauce:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 225°C.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a hot pan and sweat the garlic and onion down until they are translucent.
  3. Add the basil, oregano, and black pepper and stir thoroughly.
  4. Add the wine and cook off the alcohol.
  5. Add the tomatoes and bay leaf, stirring well before leaving to simmer for a further 2-3 minutes.
  6. Finally add the tomato puree and allow some time on the heat to reduce the sauce (it needs to be relatively thick, without any excess liquid).

Cooking Method – Bechamel:

  1. In one saucepan. add the butter and place over a low heat.
  2. In a second saucepan, add the milk and nutmeg, warming the milk until it is just shy of boiling point.
  3. Reducing the heat completely When the butter has melted, add the flour and mix together, until you have a thick paste (similar to play-doh).
  4. Add a third of the milk to the play-doh, whisking to prevent any lumps forming – then add the rest of the milk a third at a time, whisking as you go. You want to get a smooth sauce.
  5. Allow the sauce to cook out for another minute before adding the Cheddar cheese. Stir and remove from the heat.

Cooking Method – Assembling the dish:

  1. Spoon the sauce over the filled cannelloni.
  2. Pour the bechamel on top of this, making sure that you cover the layer below.
  3. Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese and parmesan over the bechamel.
  4. Place the oven dish in the oven to bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown.

Wine selection

There’s only one option for me here – a robust chianti compliments the rich, tomato-based cannelloni perfectly.

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Rating: 5.4/10 (5 votes cast)
Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni, 5.4 out of 10 based on 5 ratings
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Categories: Featured Post > Italian Food > Main Course > Pasta > Recipes > Vegetables

One Response to “Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni”

  1. Kelly says:
    December 9, 2009 at 5:03 pm

    I LOVE this dish, it is sooo tasty! And is gorgeous the next day too!!

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