Hearty spinach and ricotta cannelloni

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

At a glance

• Serves 4
• Prep time: 20 min
• Cooking time: 30 min
• Total time: 50 min
• Calories: 350 kcal per serving
• Protein: 20 g
• Fat: 18 g
• Carbs: 30 g

Ingredients

• 12 cannelloni tubes
• 250 g ricotta
• 200 g leaf spinach
• 400 g chopped tomatoes
• 100 g mozzarella
• 1 garlic clove

Method

You’ll need: oven · frying pan · baking dish · chopping board · knife · piping bag

1. Wilt the spinach in a hot dry frying pan. Then squeeze it out well and roughly chop so the filling doesn't turn watery.
2. Mix the ricotta with the spinach and finely grated garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper until the mixture is well seasoned and balanced.
3. Fill the cannelloni with the ricotta and spinach filling. This is neatest with a small spoon or a piping bag.
4. Spread the chopped tomatoes evenly in a baking dish. Sit the filled cannelloni close together in the sauce.
5. Tear the mozzarella into slices or pieces and scatter over the top. Bake in the oven at 200 °C (180 °C fan) for 30–35 min, until the pasta is soft and the cheese has golden-brown patches.
6. Leave to rest briefly, then serve hot. A green salad with olive oil goes very well with it.

Good to know

A bake like this is instant comfort. Creamy inside, golden on top, and the oven gives off exactly that smell of home.

Swaps

Ricotta → cottage cheese (a little more protein). Mozzarella → buffalo mozzarella (a little more calcium and a more intense flavour). Cannelloni → wholemeal cannelloni (provide fibre). Leaf spinach → chard (also provides folate and minerals).

Allergens

Contains gluten and milk. Usually fine for children if the garlic is used sparingly, and in pregnancy the dish works with pasteurised ricotta and pasteurised mozzarella.