How to prepare ricotta and spinach cannelloni

• Drain the ricotta: If you haven’t already, make sure the ricotta is very dry. The optimal method is to let it drain in a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl in the refrigerator the night before using it. This way it will lose all excess whey.
  Cook the spinach: Wash the spinach, dry the leaves and wilt them in a non-stick frying pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and the whole garlic clove (which you’ll remove afterward). Cover with a lid and wait about 6-7 minutes.
  Squeeze the spinach: Once cooked, turn off the heat and let them cool completely. Squeeze the spinach very well now. Place the spinach in a fine-mesh strainer or wrap it in a clean kitchen towel and press hard with a spoon to remove excess water.
  Prepare the mixture: Put the cold, well-drained spinach in a blender along with the drained ricotta, the egg yolks and the grated cheese. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg.
  Blend and store: Turn on the blender and puree all the ingredients until you have a creamy, homogeneous mixture. Be careful: the filling must not be runny. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag (without a tip) and keep it in the refrigerator.

• Heat the milk: Warm the whole milk in a small saucepan.
  Prepare the roux: In a pan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the cornstarch (used here instead of flour) and stir quickly until you get the roux (the binding base).
  Finish the sauce: Pour the hot milk in a thin stream, season with a pinch of salt, black pepper and freshly grated nutmeg. Continue whisking the sauce.
  Cook and cool: Cook the mixture until it reaches a nice thick consistency. Once ready, transfer the béchamel to a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap directly on the surface so a skin does not form.

• Blanch the pasta: Bring a pot of salted water to a gentle boil and blanch the pasta sheets for a few seconds (just enough to make them pliable — follow package instructions if present).
  Prepare the sheets: Place the pasta sheets on a lightly oiled baking tray or work surface without overlapping them to prevent sticking.
  Fill and roll: Take the blanched sheets. Pipe about 3 oz (approximately) of filling onto each sheet using the piping bag, leaving at least 3/4 inch free from the edge; this will allow you to roll the pasta into perfect cylinders.

• Assemble: Take a baking dish about 14 x 9 7/8 in and lightly grease it with a bit of olive oil and 3 tablespoons of béchamel. Lay the cannelloni side by side in the dish.
  Cover and bake: Cover the cannelloni with the remaining béchamel and a generous sprinkling of grated cheese to promote browning.

  Bake your cannelloni in a preheated conventional oven at 392°F for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven when the surface has formed a nice golden, crispy crust.

  

• Convection oven: You can use a convection oven at 356°F, reducing the cooking time to about 15-20 minutes. If you notice the surface browning too quickly, cover the dish with aluminum foil and remove it only for the last 5 minutes.