Spinach Ricotta Cannelloni

• servings: 5 servings
• active time: 25 minutes
• total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

1 bottle of passata or spaghetti sauce

250 g / 8 oz frozen chopped spinach (, thawed, Note 1)

500 g / 1 lb ricotta (, full fat please, Note 2)

1/3 cup parmesan (, finely shredded)

1 cup shredded cheese (Mozzarella, Colby, Cheddar, Tasty, Gruyere, Swiss)

1 egg

1 large garlic clove (, minced)

Grated fresh nutmeg (just a sprinkling) (or 1/8 tsp nutmeg powder, optional)

3/4 tsp cooking / kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

18 - 22 dried cannelloni tubes (250g pack) (or 14 manicotti tubes, 8.8 oz, Note 3)

1/3 cup parmesan (, finely shredded)

1 1/4 cups shredded Mozzarella

More basil and parmesan (, for garnish, optional)

Directions

Sauce:

Use bottle sauce, or make your own below

Sauté - Heat oil in a small pot over medium high heat. Add garlic, onion, bay leaf, thyme and oregano. Cook for 3 - 4 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.

Reduce wine - Add wine, increase heat to high and let it simmer rapidly until mostly evaporated (about 2 minutes).

Simmer - Add tomatoes, stock, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir then simmer on medium low for 20 minutes.

Blitz - Remove bay leaf then blitz with a stick blender until smooth. Simmer for 1 more minute then remove from the stove

Basil - Stir in basil then cover to keep warm until required.

Filling:

Squeeze spinach - Place spinach in a colander and press out most of the liquid (don't need to thoroughly squeeze dry).

Mix filling - Place Spinach in bowl with remaining Filling ingredients. Mix, taste, adjust salt and pepper to taste (different cheeses have different saltiness).

Assemble & Bake:

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan).

Pan - Choose a baking pan which will comfortably fit about 20 cannelloni - mine is 21 x 26 cm / 8.5 x 10.5".

Smear - Spread 1 cup of Sauce on the base (stops cannelloni from sliding around).

Fill tubes - Transfer Filling to a piping bag with a large nozzle (that fits in the tubes), or use a strong ziplock bag. Or do this step using a knife (it's a bit tedious though!). Pipe the filling into the tubes.

Assemble - Place cannelloni in baking dish. Pour over remaining Sauce, covering all the tubes.

Bake covered (but naked) - Cover with foil, then bake for 30 minutes.

Cheese it! Remove foil, scatter over parmesan then mozzarella. Return to oven for 15 minutes until cheese is melted.

Serve, garnished with extra parmesan and basil if desired.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 407 g
• Calories: 531 kcal