A classic dish for Sundays and festive occasions, cannelloni stuffed with ricotta and spinach, au gratin in the oven with tomato and béchamel. In this case, I used dry cannelloni to shorten the preparation time… they are very practical and, if the pasta is of good quality, they are as good as fresh ones. You just need to boil them for a minute to ensure they cook well in the oven. The filling is quick to prepare and the seasoning is simple but really tasty… if you don’t like tomato, you can also use only the béchamel, doubling the amount.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 258.29 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 20.93 (g) of which sugars 2.15 (g)
- Proteins 13.85 (g)
- Fat 14.16 (g) of which saturated 8.23 (g)of which unsaturated 4.48 (g)
- Fibers 2.89 (g)
- Sodium 336.30 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 200 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 12 egg cannelloni (dry)
- 10.5 oz spinach (or chard, already cleaned)
- 9.9 oz ricotta
- 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup béchamel
- 10.5 oz tomato pulp
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- milk (2-3 tablespoons, if necessary)
Tools
- Baking dish
- Pot
- Pan
- Bowl
- Sieve
- Piping bag disposable
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Preparation
After cleaning and washing the spinach, let them wilt in a pan with oil (or butter) and a pinch of salt.
When they are tender, squeeze them well from the excess liquid and chop them finely.
Put them in a bowl, add the ricotta, salt, pepper, and a tablespoon of Parmesan. Mix well and set aside (1).
Blanch the cannelloni in salted boiling water for a minute (no longer or you will struggle to fill them).
Drain them and let them dry on a cloth or absorbent paper.
Pour the tomato pulp into a small pan, add a drizzle of oil, a pinch of salt, and if you like, some oregano or basil.
Let the sauce reduce for 5-6 minutes.
If the béchamel is very thick, thin it with 2-3 tablespoons of milk.
Transfer the ricotta and spinach filling into a piping bag (no nozzle needed, just cut the tip).
Fill the cannelloni, first from one side then from the other, so that the filling is even.
Take the baking dish and spread the bottom with part of the béchamel and part of the tomato.
Place the cannelloni side by side (2).
Cover them with the remaining tomato sauce and remaining béchamel, finally sprinkle with a tablespoon of Parmesan (3).
Place the dish in a fan oven at 356-374°F and bake for about 30 minutes.
Cannelloni with ricotta and spinach are ready, let them cool for a few minutes before serving… enjoy your meal!
Tips and Notes
You can use spinach, chard, mixed greens, even frozen (but I always recommend choosing fresh ingredients).
You can use mixed ricotta, cow, or sheep, according to your taste.
If instead of tomato pulp you use tomato purée, there’s no need to cook it on the stove, just season it with salt and oil.
Before turning off the oven, check with a fork or a skewer that the pasta is tender.
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