Spinach and ricotta are stuffed in cannelloni and covered in a tasty tomato sauce makes for an elegant and comforting dinner!
You can use ricotta in so many ways, like in these Lemon Ricotta Cookies!
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I love a baked pasta dish! Baking has a way of integrating the flavours and bringing out the best in all the ingredients.
Because baked pasta makes regular appearances at mealtime in my house, I’ve had to play around with more recipes. No one would be happy with the same dishes on rotation in my house!
That led me to grab a box of cannelloni from a supermarket shelf and bring this recipe together. The meal was a huge hit, which is why I had to share this Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni recipe with you! It’s such a satisfying dish, the perfect comfort food, that you’ll want it for dinner too!
Spinach and ricotta
Spinach and ricotta go together brilliantly with pasta, which is why it is such a common combination. That is why it is so often used in pasta sauces, tortellini, ravioli or even added as a layer in lasagna.
But when I think of the two together, my mind immediately goes to Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni. It’s such a classic dish, and just such a perfect way to cook this pasta.
The creamy ricotta and spinach mixture balances perfectly with the acidic tomato sauce. When baked together with the pasta tubes and it’s pure magic!
Cannelloni vs manicotti
If you are having problems finding cannelloni, then manicotti might be available. But the good thing is that there is very little difference between the two.
Cannelloni is a traditional Italian pasta shape that has been around for a long time. Manicotti is an American version which serves the same purpose. Both pasta shapes are large tubes. And they are almost always covered in sauce and baked stuffed with a delicious filling.
There are some subtle differences. Cannelloni has a smoother surface and is slightly smaller. But the two shapes can be used interchangeably so grab whatever is available where you shop.
Recipe tips and notes
- I usually use fresh spinach but frozen is great as well. In fact, I usually have a bag of frozen spinach in my freezer ready to go since it lasts much longer than fresh and takes up less space. If you do use frozen spinach, drain excess liquid before adding it to the ricotta.
- There’s no need to boil the cannelloni before adding the spinach ricotta filling. Just like with lasagna, the pasta will cook fully when baked and won’t be overdone.
- Although freeze dried Parmesan cheese may seem to be an obvious shortcut, please give it a miss! It’s far too dry, doesn’t melt correctly and carries very little flavour. Fresh Parmesan is far tastier so you can get away with using far less.
- When taken from the oven, these cannelloni are going to be HOT! Letting it rest for 15 minutes before serving is going to help limit the risk of burned mouths, especially if you have kids around the table.
Serving suggestions
A simple green salad the perfect companion to a rich pasta as fresh vegetables cut through the cheesy dish. A Caprese salad will do the same thing, although it may amount to too much cheese for some.
But I would face a rebellion at home if I tried serving this without garlic bread. I’ve made mine in an air fryer to keep it as quick and simple as possible!
Storage and leftovers
Pasta dishes tend not to do well when served the next day as they can get a bit soggy and lose the al dente texture we’ve worked hard to create.
Reheat in an oven set to 180C/350F and covered with aluminum foil so it doesn’t dry out. It should take 10-15 minutes, but this will vary depending on how much you have left so check that it is hot throughout before serving.
Baked cannelloni can also be frozen for up to a month. Freeze it in the baking dish and let it defrost completely before returning to the oven.
Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp This is an affiliate link.olive oil extra virgin
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ⅛ cup/ 12½g fresh basil leaves chopped
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1½ x 14oz/400g canned tomatoes
- ¼ tsp salt
- 8oz/250g ricotta full fat
- 4oz/125g spinach frozen and thawed, then well drained
- ½ cup/50g This is an affiliate link.Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup/50g Cheddar cheese sharp/extra mature
- 9oz/260g fresh mozzarella
- 1 egg
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
- Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and add minced garlic, tomato passata, chopped or sliced basil leaves and dried oregano with a pinch of salt and sugar, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- In a medium bowl combine the ricotta cheese, chopped spinach, Parmesan cheese and Cheddar cheese, salt and pepper to taste, then mix in 1 egg.
- Cover the bottom of a square 9X9 inch/23cm x 23cm casserole dish with the tomato basil sauce about ¼ inch/½ cm deep.
- Transfer the ricotta mixture to a large piping bag or a sandwich bag, then snip the tip with scissors. Fill each cannelloni tube with the cheese mixture and arrange the filled cannelloni on top of the sauce in the pan in a single layer.
- Cover with the remaining sauce and top with torn up fresh mozzarella, add a few basil leaves on top. Cover and bake for 25 minutes, uncover and cook for 10 minutes longer until the cheese is bubbly. Let it rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- I usually use fresh spinach but frozen is great as well. If you do use frozen spinach, drain excess liquid before adding it to the ricotta.
- Although freeze dried Parmesan cheese may seem to be an obvious shortcut, please give it a miss! It’s far too dry, doesn’t melt correctly and carries very little flavour. Fresh Parmesan is far tastier so you can get away with using far less.
- When taken from the oven, these cannelloni are going to be HOT! Letting it rest for 15 minutes before serving is going to help limit the risk of burned mouths.
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