When you're in the mood for pasta but fancy whipping up something special without too much effort, this spinach and ricotta cannelloni recipe is just the ticket.

Two plates of Spinach and ricotta cannelloni on a wooden table.

The tubular cannelloni pasta shells are filled with a mixture of creamy ricotta, garlicky spinach and salty parmesan.

The filled cannelloni are then nestled on a base of herby tomato sauce and drenched in a smooth white sauce with a blanket of cheese, then baked until bubbling and gorgeous.

A fork cutting open the Spinach and ricotta cannelloni on a plate.

This recipe makes a large tray full of tender spinach and ricotta cannelloni, enough for six hungry people.

Here’s my spinach and ricotta cannelloni recipe in full, with lots of step-by-step photos to help you at every stage.

Ingredients

For the tomato sauce

1 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 brown onion finely chopped
800 g (28 oz) canned chopped tomatoes
salt and black pepper

For the cannelloni filling

½ tbsp olive oil
30 g (2 tbsp) slightly salted butter
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
½ tsp ground nutmeg
180 g (6.5 oz) fresh spinach washed drained and dried
500 g (18 oz) ricotta cheese
165 g (1⅔ cups) Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese alternative
salt and black pepper
250 g (9 oz) dried cannelloni shells

For the white sauce topping

20 g (1 tbsp) slightly salted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
80 g (½ cup + 1 tbsp) plain white flour (all purpose flour) all purpose flour
800 ml (3⅓ cup) whole milk
salt and black pepper
150 g (1¼ cup) grated/shredded mature cheese

Equipment

Instructions

To make the tomato sauce

Heat the oil in a large pan over low-medium heat.

Overhead shot of a pan on an induction hob with oil surrounded by some of the ingredients required to make the Spinach and ricotta cannelloni.

Add the onion and garlic and fry gently for 10 minutes until soft.

Chopped onion and garlic inside a pan on a induction hob surrounded by some of the other ingredients required to make the recipe.

Add the chopped tomatoes and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Overhead shot of some of the ingredients required to make the Spinach and ricotta cannelloni in a pan being cooked on an induction hob.

Simmer for 5 mins until thickened a little. Set aside.

To make the cannelloni filling

In another pan, warm the oil and butter over a medium heat.

Overhead shot of oil and butter being melted in a pan.

Add the nutmeg and garlic.

Overhead shot of some of the ingredients required to make the Spinach and ricotta cannelloni being cooked in a pan.

Fry for 30 seconds.

Add the spinach.

Overhead shot of the spinach inside a pan being cooked on an induction hob.

Cook gently until just wilted

Overhead shot after the spinach has been cooked on the induction hob for a few minutes.

Tip into a bowl to cool.

Overhead shot of spinach cooling inside a bowl.

Once cool. finely chop and return to the bowl.

Overhead shot of finely cut cooked spinach in a bowl.

Add the ricotta and grated hard cheese.

Overhead shot of some of the ingredients required to make the Spinach and ricotta cannelloni in a bowl.

Mix, season to taste and set aside.

Overhead shot of a bowl of the ingredients mixed together that are required to make the Spinach and ricotta cannelloni.

To make the white sauce

Melt the butter and oil in a pan over a medium heat

Overhead shot of butter and oil being melted in a pan.

Add the flour and milk.

Overhead shot of butter, flour, milk and oil being melted in a pan on top of an induction hob.

Whisk over the heat until the sauce is thickened.

Overhead shot of the thickened ingredients in a pan.

Season and set aside.

To assemble

Grease a large roasting tray, then pour the tomato sauce into the base, spreading evenly.

Overhead shot of some of the ingredients for the spinach and ricotta cannelloni together in a baking dish.

Fill a piping bag with the spinach and ricotta mix and then snip off the end. Use to fill the cannelloni shells.

Overhead shot of a piping bag filled with the spinach and ricotta filling.

Lay the filled cannelloni on top of the tomato sauce in a single layer.

Overhead shot of the spinach and ricotta cannelloni ontop of the tomato base in a baking dish.

Pour the white sauce all over, aiming for an even coating that should just cover the pasta.

Overhead shot of the white sauce which has topped the spinach and ricotta cannelloni inside of the baking dish.

Scatter the grated cheese over the top.

Overhead shot of the finished spinach and ricotta cannelloni before being put in the oven.

Season with salt and pepper.

Bake at 200C (180C fan, 390F) for 30-35 minutes until the pasta is tender, which you can check by pushing a skewer into the centre of a cannelloni shell.

Overhead shot of the finished spinach and ricotta cannelloni after being in the oven.

Serve and enjoy!

Side on shot of the finished spinach and ricotta cannelloni served on a plate.

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4.8 from 6 votes

Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni Recipe

Creamy, soft cannelloni bursting with cheesy flavour in a rich tomato sauce, a perfect dish to transport you to the heart of Italy.

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Total Time1

Course: Pasta meals

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: 6 portions

Author: Emily Leary