If you’re looking for a comforting and delicious dish that’s both hearty and easy to make, this spinach and ricotta cannelloni is the perfect choice.

With creamy ricotta, nutritious spinach, and a rich tomato sauce topped with gooey mozzarella, this baked pasta dish is sure to become a family favorite.

Ideal for weeknight dinners or special occasions, it’s simple enough for beginners yet impressive enough to wow your guests!

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Ingredients

For the Tomato Sauce

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 8 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 4 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• Small bunch of fresh basil leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the Topping

• 2 x 250g tubs mascarpone
• 3 tbsp milk
• 85g grated parmesan (or a vegetarian alternative)
• 2 x 125g balls of mozzarella, sliced

For the Filling

• 1kg fresh spinach
• 100g grated parmesan (or a vegetarian alternative)
• 3 x 250g tubs ricotta
• Large pinch of grated nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 400g dried cannelloni tubes

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Instructions

Step 1: Make the Tomato Sauce

• Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
• Add the crushed garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant, but not browned.
• Stir in the 3 tablespoons of caster sugar and 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.
• Let the sauce simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens.
• Remove from heat and stir in the fresh basil leaves.
• Pour the sauce into two or more shallow, oven-safe dishes.
• Set aside while you prepare the filling and topping.

Step 2: Prepare the Filling

• Place the spinach in a large colander.
• Boil a kettle of water and pour it over the spinach to wilt it.
• You may need to do this in batches.
• Once the spinach is cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much excess water as possible.
• Roughly chop the spinach and place it in a large mixing bowl.
• Add 100g grated parmesan, the ricotta, and a large pinch of grated nutmeg to the bowl.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Mix everything together until well combined.

Step 3: Prepare the Topping

• In a separate bowl, whisk together the mascarpone and 3 tablespoons of milk until smooth.
• Season with a little salt and pepper.
• Set the mascarpone mixture aside.

Step 4: Assemble the Cannelloni

• Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan) or gas mark 6.
• Use a piping bag or a plastic food bag with a corner snipped off to fill the cannelloni tubes with the spinach and ricotta mixture.
• Lay the filled cannelloni tubes side by side on top of the tomato sauce in your prepared dishes.

Step 5: Add the Topping and Bake

• Spoon the mascarpone sauce over the filled cannelloni tubes.
• Sprinkle the grated parmesan over the top, followed by the sliced mozzarella.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden and bubbling.
• Once baked, let the cannelloni sit for 5 minutes before serving.

FAQs

What’s the easiest way to fill the cannelloni tubes?

Using a piping bag or a plastic food bag with a corner snipped off makes filling the tubes quick and easy. If you don’t have one, you can also use a small spoon to carefully stuff the filling inside.

Can I add other vegetables or meat to the filling?

Absolutely! You can add cooked mushrooms, finely chopped zucchini, or even cooked ground meat like beef or sausage to the spinach and ricotta filling for extra flavor and texture.

Easy to Make Italian Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni

This easy spinach and ricotta cannelloni recipe features tender pasta tubes filled with a creamy spinach mixture, topped with a rich tomato and mascarpone sauce, then baked until golden and bubbling.

Print Pin Rate

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 50 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 10

Ingredients

For the Tomato Sauce

• ▢ 3 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 8 garlic cloves crushed
• ▢ 3 tbsp caster sugar
• ▢ 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• ▢ 4 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• ▢ Small bunch of fresh basil leaves
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste

For the Topping

• ▢ 2 250g tubs mascarpone
• ▢ 3 tbsp milk
• ▢ 85 grams parmesan grated, (or a vegetarian alternative)
• ▢ 2 125g balls of mozzarella sliced

For the Filling

• ▢ 1 kilogram fresh spinach
• ▢ 100 gram parmesan grated (or a vegetarian alternative)
• ▢ 3 tubs ricotta (250 grams)
• ▢ Large pinch of grated nutmeg
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste
• ▢ 400 grams dried cannelloni tubes

Instructions

Make the Tomato Sauce

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.

   Add the crushed garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant, but not browned.

   Stir in the 3 tablespoons of caster sugar and 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar.

   Add the chopped tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.

   Let the sauce simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens.

   Remove from heat and stir in the fresh basil leaves.

   Pour the sauce into two or more shallow, oven-safe dishes.

   Set aside while you prepare the filling and topping.

Prepare the Filling

1. Place the spinach in a large colander.

   Boil a kettle of water and pour it over the spinach to wilt it.

   You may need to do this in batches.

   Once the spinach is cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much excess water as possible.

   Roughly chop the spinach and place it in a large mixing bowl.

   Add 100g grated parmesan, the ricotta, and a large pinch of grated nutmeg to the bowl.

   Season with salt and pepper to taste.

   Mix everything together until well combined.

Prepare the Topping

1. In a separate bowl, whisk together the mascarpone and 3 tablespoons of milk until smooth.

   Season with a little salt and pepper.

   Set the mascarpone mixture aside.

Assemble the Cannelloni

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan) or gas mark 6.

   Use a piping bag or a plastic food bag with a corner snipped off to fill the cannelloni tubes with the spinach and ricotta mixture.

   Lay the filled cannelloni tubes side by side on top of the tomato sauce in your prepared dishes.

Add the Topping and Bake

1. Spoon the mascarpone sauce over the filled cannelloni tubes.

   Sprinkle the grated parmesan over the top, followed by the sliced mozzarella.

   Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden and bubbling.

   Once baked, let the cannelloni sit for 5 minutes before serving.

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