Classic spinach and ricotta cannelloni

Classic spinach and ricotta cannelloni with tomatoes, mozzarella and hard cheese: a hearty oven dish with a creamy filling, a well-seasoned sauce and a golden cheese crust.

At a glance

• Serves 3
• Prep time: 25 min
• Cooking time: 35 min
• Total time: 60 min
• Calories: 540 kcal per serving
• Protein: 24 g
• Fat: 22 g
• Carbs: 55 g

Ingredients

• 12 cannelloni tubes
• 400 g spinach
• 250 g ricotta
• 1 shallot
• 1 clove of garlic
• 50 g vegetarian hard cheese (Parmesan-style)
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 150 g mozzarella
• 1 tbsp Italian herbs
• 1 pinch of nutmeg

Method

You’ll need: oven · frying pan · baking dish · chopping board · knife · mixing bowl

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (160 °C fan) and lightly grease a baking dish with olive oil. Wilt the spinach in a frying pan, then chop it finely.
2. Chop the shallot and garlic very finely. Mix the spinach, ricotta, shallot, garlic and hard cheese in a bowl and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
3. Stir the chopped tomatoes with the Italian herbs and a little salt and pepper. Spread some of the tomato sauce over the base of the baking dish.
4. Fill the cannelloni with the spinach and ricotta mixture and lay them close together in the dish. Pour the rest of the tomato sauce over the top and scatter over the mozzarella.
5. Bake the cannelloni at 180 °C for 30–35 min until the pasta is cooked and the cheese turns golden brown. If the top gets too dark, cover the dish loosely.
6. Let the cannelloni rest briefly and serve hot. A little extra hard cheese goes well with it.

Good to know

This is the kind of oven dish that makes the kitchen smell like home straight away. Creamy, tomatoey, hearty – and just right when you want something down-to-earth.

Swaps

Ricotta → cottage cheese (also provides protein) | mozzarella → buffalo mozzarella (more intense flavour, also provides calcium) | cannelloni → wholewheat cannelloni (also provide fibre) | hard cheese → vegetarian hard cheese made from sheep's milk (stronger flavour)

Allergens

Contains gluten and milk. Usually fine for children if seasoned moderately; in pregnancy, generally fine as long as the dairy products are made from pasteurised milk.