For a night when you’ve got a little bit more time and fancy making something extra delicious, this is just the ticket: cannelloni pasta filled with spinach and ricotta, cooked on a base of herby tomato sauce and topped with a garlic and a herb white sauce – all baked until bubbling and gorgeous.
This recipe makes a large tray full – enough for six hungry people, or four very hungry people.
Here’s what to do…
Ingredients
For the tomato sauce:
- 2 tbsp oil
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 white onion, finely diced
- 1 heaped tsp dried oregano
- 800g (28 oz) (2 tins) tinned chopped tomatoes
- Salt and pepper
For the cannelloni filling
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 30g (1 oz) butter
- 180g (6 oz) fresh spinach, washed drained and dried
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 500g (18 oz) ricotta
- 165g (5.8 oz) hard cheese, finely grated
- 200g (7 oz) dried cannelloni shells
For the white sauce topping:
- 300g (10.5 oz) cream cheese
- 15g (0.5 oz) fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
- 150ml whole milk
- 65g (2oz) hard cheese, finely grated
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
To make the tomato sauce
Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat and the onion and garlic until soft.
Add the oregano, chopped tomatoes and a pinch of salt and pepper and simmer for 10-15 mins until thickened and reduced by about half. Set aside.
To make the cannelloni filling
In another pan, warm the oil and butter over a medium heat and add the spinach, then add to the pan with the nutmeg and the rest of garlic. Cook gently until completely wilted.
Leave to cool, drain off the excess water if necessary, then tip the spinach onto a board and finely chop.
In a bowl, mix the chopped spinach with the ricotta and hard cheese until fully combined.
Fill a piping bag with the mix and the snip off the end, then use to fill the cannelloni shells.
To make the white sauce topping
In a bowl, beat the cream cheese, basil and milk together until smooth.
Mix in the hard cheese and a pinch of salt and pepper.
To assemble
Grease a large roasting tray, then pour the tomato sauce into the base, spreading evenly.
Lay the cannelloni on top in a single layer.
Pour the white sauce all over, aiming for an even coating that should just cover the pasta.
Bake at 200C/390F (180C/355F fan) for 20-30 minutes, depending on if you like your cannelloni saucy or firm.
Fancy trying it? Let me know if you do! Here’s the recipe in printable form.
Spinach and ricotta cannelloni
Ingredients
For the tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp oil
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 white onion finely diced
- 1 heaped tsp dried oregano
- 800 g 28 oz (2 tins) tinned chopped tomatoes
- Salt and pepper
For the cannelloni filling
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 30 g 1 oz butter
- 180 g 6 oz fresh spinach, washed drained and dried
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 500 g 18 oz ricotta
- 165 g 5.8 oz Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese alternative
- 200 g 7 oz dried cannelloni shells
For the white sauce topping
- 300 g 10.5 oz cream cheese
- 15 g fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
- 150 ml whole milk
- 65 g 2 oz Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese alternative
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
To make the tomato sauce
- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat and the onion and garlic until soft.
- Add the oregano. chopped tomatoes and a pinch of salt and pepper and simmer for 10-15 mins until thickened and reduce by about half. Set aside.
To make the cannelloni filling
- In another pan, warm the oil and butter over a medium heat and add the spinach, then add to the pan with the nutmeg and the rest of garlic. Cook gently until completely wilted
- Leave to cool, drain off the excess water if necessary, then tip the spinach onto a board and finely chop.
- In a bowl, mix the chopped spinach with the ricotta, milk and hard cheese until fully combined.
- Fill a piping bag with the mix and then snip off the end, then use to fill the cannelloni shells.
To make the white sauce topping
- In a bowl, beat the cream cheese, basil and milk together until smooth.
- Mix in the hard cheese and a pinch of salt and pepper.
To assemble
- Grease a large roasting tray, then pour the tomato sauce into the base, spreading evenly.
- Lay the cannelloni on top in a single layer.
- Pour the white sauce all over, aiming for an even coating that should just cover the pasta.
- Bake at 200C/390F (180C/355F fan) for 20-30 minutes depending on if you like your cannelloni saucy or firm.
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Daisy says
Started making this...with some difficulty, as all the three parts of the recipe are indistinguishable so I had to keep reading and re-reading to check which part I was at. Would have been easier if the recipe was divided into three parts for ease of reference.
Then the part with the filling - it says to mix the spinach with milk but I can't see anywhere how much milk??? It says 150 ml for the sauce, is it the same for the filling? :S
Kind of now winging it as I have no idea how much milk is meant to go in haha! Hope it comes out alright!
Emily Leary says
Hi. The recipe is already divided by sub-heading into three parts (For the sauce, For the filling etc) and has step by step images so I'm not sure where the confusion lies in that respect? Perhaps the recipe card wasn't displaying properly?
Sorry about the mention of milk in the filling method - I've deleted that. How did it go?
melissa major says
I just love pasta, this recipe looks delicious! I love the step by step guide here, so helpful
Emily Leary says
Thanks! I always think it makes recipes so much clearer and more 'doable' when you can see what each stage is meant to look like.
Katrina says
Looks yummy I would make just for for me as my hubb and son don’t like pasta there crazy lol
Emily Leary says
GASP! All the more for you then :D
Hannah says
This sounds and looks delicious. I usually love things like this so I need to try it x
Emily Leary says
Thank so much. Let me know if you make it!
Lauretta At Home and Horizon says
Wow! I've never seen this recipe before nor tried it. Looking at how you made the recipe, makes me want to try it. Yum yum.
Emily Leary says
Oh I hope you enjoy it! :) Let me know!
Jenni says
I love spinach and ricotta cannelloni but I’ve never made it myself, I wish I had more time to cook properly. This looks incredible x
Emily Leary says
Thanks! This one has a few shortcuts in it to make the sauce etc so it's a lot quicker to make than you might think :)
five little doves says
Ooh nice! You cant beat spinach and ricotta, it's such a lovely combination and cannelloni done like this i is pretty much the only way we ever get the kids to eat spinach!!
Emily Leary says
Thanks! Let me know if you try it with the kids :)
Charli says
I haven't had spinach and ricotta cannelloni for a long long time but love it. The crispy top sounds great - I really have to try it!
C x
Emily Leary says
Thanks very much!
adriana says
Wow this looks so good! I love this flavor combination - definitely need to make this! Yum!
Emily Leary says
Thanks very much. Do make it - it's super yummy!
kirsty says
I've never tried ricotta and I've recently been told I need to eat more Iron as my levels are non existent so I love the idea of mixing in the spinach. I'll have to give it ago
Emily Leary says
Oh yes do try! It's a wonderful way to enjoy spinach!
Jade Bremner says
This looks tasty and a meal that can adapt to any season. Something I will have to try x
Emily Leary says
Thanks! I hope you enjoy it :)
Elizabeth says
You've just reminded me that it's been years since I last made spinach and ricotta cannelloni - it used to be one of our favourite family meals too! I need to remedy this, soon!
Emily Leary says
Yes it's such a family winner!
Rhian Westbury says
This is one of my ultimate favourite pasta dishes and I love cooking it so much, you make it look so easy though but I always struggle putting the filling in the cannelloni x
Emily Leary says
It is super easy with a piping back - I like the blue ones from Lakeland as they have a textured surface which makes them easy to grip.
Ana De- Jesus says
I am always so inspired by your recipes and this one being veggie friendly for me as a vegetarian is no exception! I love the sound of a creamy and bubbling cannelloni recipe it sounds divine!
Emily Leary says
Thank you so much! I really appreciate it :) Have a lovely Christmas x
Sarah Bailey says
You are such an amazing cook, honestly every time I come on here I just see something else I want to try and make and completely fail compared to you haha!
This sounds absolutely delicious and yes it is going on my to cook list!
Emily Leary says
Aw thanks, Sarah. That means so much! You wouldn't fail though - I promise! Everything I post is super easy to cook :)
Rebecca | AAUBlog says
I'm all over comfort food like this at this time of year - it looks amazing. I love ricotta too :) x
Emily Leary says
Yes! Totally comforting! Thank you :)
Hannah denton says
Oh wow! I’ve never seen this recipe before, they look amazing! I bet they won’t last long on Christmas Day!
Emily Leary says
Thanks - more of a mid-week meal than a Christmas one, but a total winner :)
Super Busy Mum says
This looks insanely delicious! So beautiful and tasty - gorgeous photos too!
Emily Leary says
Thanks so much!
Ruth says
I LOVE spinach and ricotta canneloni :) quite an effort to make at the mo with a 3 month old attached to me most of the time, but will try this one day when I have more time!
Steph (@imcountingufoz) says
Ooooh I make this quite a lot. There is something deeply satisfying about filling canneloni tubes.
Sarah says
*drool*
I'm always too lazy to dig out the piping bag so try and fill the cannelloni with a spoon, which usually results in me wanting to throw the entire dish across the room, and takes longer than it would have taken to just find the bag. [/rant].
Shall add this to my menu for next week :)
Coombemill says
Love the filling the pasta bit!
clairejustineoxox says
Looks great and soooo tasty :)
jenny paulin says
i love this dish sadly my man being a bit of a carnivore always insist i add bacon to make up his meat allowence! *tuts* still, when he is away i can omit the meat!
sorry for the waffle there.
it looks really yummy x
Bex @ The Mummy Adventure says
Going to try and make some of this and freeze some as it is my favourite and will be a great one to get out when baby is here and I don't want to cook! x
michaela britton says
No! not fair at all. My 2 favourites, spinach and ricotta and I don't have the ingredients to try this recipe. Oh man! Just looking at your photos is making me hungry, I'll be trying this out and letting you know how I get on.
I seriously love getting your emails as they give me so many different recipes to try :-)
http://www.adventuresofayorkshiremum.co.uk/
Colleen, The Smart Cookie Cook says
Oh man, talk about drool-worthy! This looks like creamy heaven, and so pretty too!
Mum in a Hurry (@mum_in_a_hurry) says
Wow. That looks AMAZING. I wouldn't be confident enough to try that. Im a rubbish cook.
Helen says
Ooh this looks lovely! I've got some cannelloni shells so I might have to try this!