Are you in the mood for a comforting and delicious Italian dish that's easy to make at home? Look no further than this easy spinach and ricotta cannelloni recipe!
This hearty meat-free pasta is made by stuffing pasta tubes with a creamy mixture of spinach, ricotta cheese, Parmesan, nutmeg, and basil, then baking it in a flavourful tomato sauce.
Spinach ricotta cannelloni is a classic Italian dish that has been enjoyed for generations, and my recipe is super simple to make at home.
It's comforting and cosy and best of all, it can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge until you're ready to bake it!
👩🍳 Love baked pasta? Try my easy tuna pasta bake next!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
- Easy baked pasta recipe.
- Perfect for Meat Free Monday.
- Hearty and filling.
- Great for batch cooking and freezing.
A brief history
Spinach and ricotta cannelloni originated in Italy as a classic pasta dish using frugal, easy to get hold of ingredients. Cannelloni, which means "large reeds" in Italian, is a type of pasta that is typically filled with a variety of ingredients, including meat, cheese, or vegetables.
The combination of spinach and ricotta cheese is a traditional filling that is used in many Italian dishes, including lasagne and cannelloni. The combination of creamy ricotta and fresh spinach creates a delicious filling that, with a few added ingredients is incredibly tasty.
In Italy, spinach and ricotta cannelloni is a popular dish that is often served as a main course or as a side dish as part of a larger meal. It's also popular in other countries, including the United Kingdon and United States, where it has been adapted and modified to suit local tastes.
🛒 Ingredient notes
For the spinach and ricotta cannelloni you will need;
Cannelloni Tubes - 12 dried cannelloni tubes.
Spinach - 250g of fresh baby spinach.
Cheese - a mixture of ricotta cheese and grated Parmesan.
Basil - finely chopped, or substitute for dried basil.
Nutmeg - for extra flavour.
For the tomato sauce you will need;
Oil - a mild olive oil for frying the onion and garlic.
Onion - one brown onion, finely chopped.
Garlic - 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped.
Passata - 500ml of passata or swap for a tin of chopped tomatoes.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes - finely chopped to add flavour to the sauce.
Seasoning - salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar if needed.
For the easy cheese sauce you will need;
Butter - unsalted is best.
Flour - plain (all-purpose) flour.
Milk - semi-skimmed or whole milk.
Cheese - grated extra mature cheddar.
Parmesan - for the topping.
🔪 Instructions
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Preheat your oven to 200C (180fan/ Gas 6/ 400F).
Two: To make the spinach and ricotta filling, first place the spinach leaves in a colander and set it over the sink. Pour over boiling water to wilt the spinach. Once cooled squeeze out the excess water with your hands and chop finely on a chopping board.
Three: Put the ricotta, Parmesan, nutmeg, chopped basil and wilted spinach leaves into a large mixing bowl and mix to combine. Place it in the fridge whilst you prepare the other components of the dish.
Four: To make the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a pan and gently cook the onion and garlic for 5-6 minutes until soft. Pour in the passata, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Five: To make the cheese sauce, place the butter in a pan on the hob and melt it over a medium heat, add the flour and stir for 1 minute. Gradually add the milk and continue to stir until the sauce has thickened (you might find using a whisk easier, which will help to prevent lumps from forming).
Six: Take the white sauce off the heat and mix in the grated cheese.
Seven: Fill the pasta tubes with the spinach and ricotta mixture using a teaspoon or a piping bag. Be careful not to overfill the tubes, as the filling may expand and burst during cooking.
Eight: Spoon the tomato sauce into the bottom of a 2-litre baking dish.
Nine: Place the filled pasta tubes in a single layer on top of the tomato sauce.
Ten: Top with the cheese sauce, sprinkle with Parmesan and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes until golden and bubbling.
💭 Expert tips
- Squeeze out any excess liquid from the cooked spinach, as this will help to prevent the filling from becoming too watery.
- If you don't have time to make your own tomato sauce, use a good quality store-bought tomato pasta sauce and add a tablespoon of tomato puree for extra flavour. You could also use a store-bought fresh cheese sauce too.
- Use a teaspoon to gently push the spinach ricotta mixture into the cannelloni tubes. It's a bit fiddly but it won't take long. Alternatively, you could use a piping bag to pipe the mixture into the tubes.
- If you can't find dried cannelloni, use fresh lasagne sheets instead. Spoon the ricotta mixture and one end of the sheet and roll it up.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Spinach and ricotta cannelloni is a versatile dish that can be served either as a main course or as a side dish. It pairs well with a simple green salad (like this rocket salad with Parmesan), air fried green beans, or garlic bread and a glass of wine. To make this dish even more special, try garnishing it with fresh basil leaves or freshly chopped parsley and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
📖 Variations
- Swap the fresh spinach for frozen spinach, but it is best to defrost it and squeeze out any excess liquid before using it in the filling.
- For a healthier version of the dish, you can use low-fat ricotta cheese, or a mixture of ricotta and cottage cheese.
- Sprinkle with red pepper flakes before serving.
- Add different herbs to the filling. Instead of fresh basil, try oregano, or thyme. You can also use dried herbs if fresh ones aren't available.
- For a crispy topping, sprinkle a mixture of breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan cheese over the dish before baking.
🥡 Storage
Make-Ahead: The cannelloni can be assembled up to 2 days ahead of time and stored in the fridge until you're ready to bake it in the oven.
Store: Let it cool completely, then cover it with foil or cling film (plastic wrap) and place it in the fridge. Individual portions can be put in an airtight container. It will keep for up to 3 days.
Reheat: Remove the foil, and microwave until hot and bubbly. It can also be reheated in a hot oven (covered with foil).
Freeze: Let it cool completely, then wrap it tightly in cling film (plastic wrap) and place it in the freezer. It will keep for up to 3 months.
Note: It is best to freeze the cannelloni uncooked. To cook frozen cannelloni, place it in a preheated oven at 200C (400F) for 40-45 minutes, or until the sauce is hot and bubbling.
❓ Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can use fresh pasta instead of dried pasta for cannelloni. Fresh pasta will cook faster and may be easier to handle when filling with the spinach and ricotta mixture. However, the texture may be softer and less firm than dried pasta.
Yes, you can use different cheeses instead of ricotta and Parmesan. For example, you can use mozzarella, cheddar or gruyere. Just make sure to choose a cheese that will melt well and provide the creamy texture you are looking for.
This recipe makes 4 large servings.
Yes, you can add other ingredients to the spinach and ricotta filling. For example, you can add cooked mushrooms or courgettes, sun-dried tomatoes, or leftover bolognese. Just make sure not to overfill the pasta tubes, as the filling may expand during cooking.
The easiest way to fill cannelloni tubes is to use a piping bag or a large zip-top bag with the corner snipped off.
It does not need to be cooked before filling, it softens and cooks when baked in the oven.
A typical serving size is 2-3 cannelloni per person depending on whether you are serving it as a main dish or side dish.
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Recipe
Easy Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For the spinach and ricotta filling
- 250 g Baby Spinach
- 500 g Ricotta
- 175 g Parmesan grated
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon Basil Leaves chopped
- 12 Dried Pasta Tubes (Cannelloni)
For the tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Onion peeled and finely chopped
- 4 Garlic Cloves peeled and finely chopped
- 500 ml Passata
- 10 Sun Dried Tomatoes chopped
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Sugar
For the cheese sauce
- 50 g Butter
- 50 g Plain Flour
- 600 ml Milk
- 250 g Extra Mature Cheddar grated
- 50 g Parmesan grated
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C (180 fan/ Gas 6/ 400F).
- To make the spinach and ricotta filling, first place the spinach leaves in a colander and set it over the sink. Pour over boiling water to wilt the spinach. Once cooled squeeze, out the excess water with your hands and chop finely on a chopping board. Place the mixture in the fridge whilst you get on with the other components of the dish.250 g Baby Spinach
- Put the ricotta, Parmesan, nutmeg, chopped basil and wilted spinach leaves in a large mixing bowl and mix to combine.500 g Ricotta, 175 g Parmesan, ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg, 1 tablespoon Basil Leaves
- To make the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a pan and gently cook the onion and garlic for 5-6 minutes until soft. Pour in the passata, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar. Simmer for 10 minutes.1 tablespoon Olive Oil, 1 Onion, 4 Garlic Cloves, 500 ml Passata, 10 Sun Dried Tomatoes, 1 teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Pepper, ½ teaspoon Sugar
- To make the cheese sauce, place the butter in pan on the hob and melt it over a medium heat, add the flour and stir for 1 minute. Gradually add the milk and continue to stir until the sauce has thickened (you might find using a whisk easier, which will help to prevent lumps from forming).50 g Butter, 50 g Plain Flour, 600 ml Milk
- Take the white sauce off the heat and mix in the grated cheese.250 g Extra Mature Cheddar
- Fill the pasta tubes with the spinach and ricotta mixture using a spoon or a piping bag. Be careful not to overfill the tubes, as the filling may expand and burst during cooking.12 Dried Pasta Tubes (Cannelloni)
- Spoon the tomato sauce into the bottom of a 2 litre baking dish.
- Place the filled pasta tubes on top of the tomato sauce.
- Top with the cheese sauce, sprinkle with Parmesan and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes until golden and bubbling.50 g Parmesan
Notes
- Squeeze out any excess liquid from the cooked spinach, as this will help to prevent the filling from becoming too watery.
- If you don't have time to make your own tomato sauce, use a good quality store-bought tomato pasta sauce. You could also use a store-bought fresh cheese sauce too.
- Use a teaspoon to gently push the spinach ricotta mixture into the cannelloni tubes. It's a bit fiddly but it won't take long. Alternatively, you could use a piping bag to pipe the mixture into the tubes.
- Swap the fresh spinach for frozen spinach, but it is best to defrost it and squeeze out any excess liquid before using it in the filling.
- For a healthier version of the dish, you can use low-fat ricotta cheese, or a mixture of ricotta and cottage cheese.
- Sprinkle with red pepper flakes before serving.
- For a crispy topping, sprinkle a mixture of breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan cheese over the dish before baking.
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
Absolutely pure comfort. I love the creaminess of the filling with the spinach. Can't wait to make this.
Kushigalu
Love the combination of ingredients here. So delicious. Thanks for sharing
Tavo
The cannelloni were super rich and filling. The whole family love them! Thanks for the recipe!
Katherine
Dreamy comfort food! This cannelloni is incredible.
Stephanie
So delicious, and I really love that you don't have to cook the pasta ahead of time. It's so much harder to fill them that way!
Lizzie
Can I cook from frozen or defrosted and then cook. Timings appreciated.
Beth Sachs
Hi Lizzie. All the info you need can be found in the post here https://www.effortlessfoodie.com/spinach-ricotta-cannelloni/#storage
Hope it helps