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Homemade Delicious spinach & ricotta cannelloni bake photo
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Delicious spinach & ricotta cannelloni bake

A comforting baked cannelloni filled with spinach and ricotta, topped with a simple tomato sauce and mozzarella.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 55 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tins Italian whole peeled tomatoes
  • 1 large white onion halved
  • 40-60 g butter for tomato sauce and/or cooking as indicated
  • sea salt flakes (such as Maldon) a few pinches
  • black pepper to taste
  • 500 g spinach deveined and destalked (two 250 g portions)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil for frying
  • 2 small red onions or one large, finely chopped
  • 2-3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp butter for the white sauce
  • 2 tbsp flour for the roux
  • 1/2 cup milk plus a little more if needed
  • 250 g ricotta
  • 3 tbsp grated Parmesan
  • 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • small handful fresh basil leaves shredded
  • 250 g mozzarella or fior di latte two 125 g balls, torn or sliced
  • olive oil drizzle for the top
  • 14-16 cannelloni tubes

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
  • Make the tomato sauce: put the whole peeled tomatoes and halved white onion into a heavy-based pot. Squash the tomatoes with a potato masher or knife, add 40–60 g butter, a few pinches of sea salt and some black pepper, then simmer gently for 45 minutes. Remove and discard the onion halves, then keep the sauce warm.
  • Cook the spinach in a large pan or pot until wilted. Drain well, cool slightly, then roughly chop and squeeze out excess liquid.
  • In a large non-stick pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over low-medium heat and gently cook the finely chopped red onion for about 5 minutes until softened but not browned.
  • Add 2 tbsp butter and the minced garlic to the softened onions and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.
  • Stir in 2 tbsp flour to make a roux and cook briefly, then add the milk slowly while whisking until smooth. Add a little more milk if the sauce is too thick and cook until the flour has cooked out and the sauce is thickened.
  • Add the chopped spinach to the white sauce, season with salt, pepper and 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg, and stir until the mixture is a fairly thick, paste-like texture.
  • Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 250 g ricotta and 3 tbsp grated Parmesan until very well combined; cool the filling slightly so it is safe to handle or pipe.
  • Line the base of a baking dish with a thin layer of the tomato sauce and scatter the shredded basil leaves over it.
  • Transfer the spinach and ricotta filling to a piping bag and snip a hole slightly smaller than the cannelloni diameter. Hold one end of a tube closed with your hand and pipe the filling into each cannelloni until filled. Place the filled tubes snugly in the prepared dish.
  • Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the filled cannelloni. Scatter or arrange the torn/sliced mozzarella over the top and drizzle a little olive oil over the cheese. Loosely cover the dish for the first 20 minutes of baking to prevent over-browning.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour, until the cannelloni are cooked through and the top is golden; remove the cover for the final baking time if desired.
  • Allow the bake to rest briefly, then serve scattered with extra fresh basil if desired.

Equipment

  • heavy-based pot
  • large non-stick pan
  • Baking Dish
  • potato masher or knife
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Piping Bag
  • Oven

Notes

  • This can be made in advance and baked before serving.
  • Freeze any leftovers.