Cannelloni stuffed with spinach and ricotta are one of those dishes that tell a story even before being tasted: they were born as a way to reuse ingredients in peasant kitchens, where nothing was wasted and the day-old fresh ricotta turned into a soft, fragrant filling, enriched by garden spinach and a generous handful of Parmigiano Reggiano.
In my family they inevitably appeared at holiday lunches, prepared the night before amid chatter and “quality control” tastings, with grandma always saying that nutmeg should be grated at the last minute because “that’s where the secret lies”; there is something deeply comforting about the gesture of rolling the sheet and lining them up neatly in the baking dish, knowing they will become creamy inside and lightly gratinated on top, with that golden crust everyone loves.
Making them is a small domestic ritual that slows time down, brings people together in the kitchen and yields a result that is elegant yet simple, vegetarian yet rich—perfect for special occasions or for turning an ordinary Sunday into a memorable moment.
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- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 5 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for the cannelloni stuffed with spinach and ricotta
- 9 oz lasagna sheets
- 1 1/4 cups cow's ricotta
- 13 oz fresh spinach (about 12 cups loosely packed)
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- to taste nutmeg
- 1 2/3 cups béchamel sauce
- to taste fine salt
Tools
- 1 Rectangular baking dish
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Fork
- 1 Piping bag
Steps for the cannelloni stuffed with spinach and ricotta
For the béchamel recipe CLICK HERE
If you use thin fresh sheets you can use them as they are.
If they are a bit thick, blanch them in salted water for 1 minute and drain.
Cut the sheets into rectangles of about 4 x 6 in
Meanwhile, in a bowl sift the ricotta or work it with a fork to make it creamy.
Blanch the previously washed spinach leaves for two minutes. Drain and let them cool completely. Squeeze them well with your hands to remove all the water. Then chop them with a knife on a cutting board.
Add them to the sifted ricotta together with the egg and the grated Parmigiano, along with nutmeg and fine salt. Mix all the ingredients with a fork.
Place a rectangle of pasta on a work surface. Spread a strip of filling along the short side using a piping bag or with a spoon.
Roll gently into a cylinder and continue until the filling is finished.
Take a rectangular baking dish, spread a thin layer of béchamel on the bottom and place the cannelloni side by side with the seam facing down. Cover them with the remaining béchamel and a generous handful of grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 374°F in conventional mode, switching to broil at the end of cooking.
When cooking is finished let them rest for 5 minutes and serve hot. Enjoy!
Storage and tips
To store the cannelloni stuffed with ricotta and spinach, let them cool completely.
Cover the baking dish with cling film or transfer them to an airtight container.
They keep for 2–3 days in the refrigerator.
To reheat: oven at 338–356°F for about 8 minutes (covered with foil to prevent drying), or microwave for single portions.
You can freeze them either raw or cooked. They last up to 2 months.
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