Ricotta and spinach cannelloni, an easy and delicious main dish perfect for enhancing your holiday table. Just a little note: I like to make cannelloni using fresh puff pastry, in this case store-bought for time reasons. But you can use ready-made cannelloni available on the market by adjusting the cooking time. To make this recipe a bit more special, I blended half of the spinach with cooled béchamel, and we loved the final result, so I like to propose it to you as I made it. Below I leave you other ideal recipes for the holidays with fresh pasta and, below, I answer the most frequently asked questions.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons, Christmas
Ingredients
- 12 oz spinach, cooked, boiled (about 21 oz of raw spinach)
- 6 sheets puff pastry
- 9 oz ricotta
- 2 cups béchamel
- 2.8 oz cheese (grated)
- 0.35 oz coarse salt (for the spinach)
- 3.5 oz mozzarella for pizza
- 1 egg (medium)
Tools
- 1 Baking dish
- 1 Pastry bag
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Hand blender
Steps
To make Ricotta and Spinach Cannelloni, first boil the spinach and drain them well, squeezing them. Let them cool. In a bowl, mix half with the ricotta, the egg, and half the grated cheese. You can add a pinch of salt.
Meanwhile, you can also prepare the béchamel, following my recipe if you like. This too must be cooled well. In the bowl of the food processor or a glass, blend it with the remaining spinach. Blend until you get a smooth cream.
Prepare the cannelloni by cutting the puff pastry sheet in half widthwise and fill each half with the ricotta and spinach mixture. Roll the pastry up and repeat to form the other cannelloni.
Spread a layer of béchamel cream at the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange the cannelloni, garnish with mozzarella and the remaining grated cheese, and bake in the middle of the oven at 356°F for 20-25 minutes, until that irresistible golden crust forms.
Let them cool a few minutes before serving. Ricotta and spinach cannelloni can also be prepared in advance and frozen, cooking them directly like this, or kept in the fridge uncooked for up to 24 hours.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What can I use to replace the béchamel?
You can make a cream of milk and ricotta, dosing the ingredients little by little until you get the desired consistency, adding the boiled spinach later.
