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Prep time
35 minutes
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Cook time
40 minutes
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Serves
6
Author Notes
This easy dish can be prepared a few hours ahead of time, then just put in the oven at the last minute … perfect for casual entertaining. I use Barilla cannelloni tubes that don’t need to be cooked before filling, the moisture from the sauce softens them as they bake, just be sure it says ‘no pre-cook’ (or similar) on the pack. I’ve also used this filling with large shell-shaped pasta (conchiglioni) for an unusual dinner party entrée, though they do need to be boiled before filling. If ricotta is very fresh it contains a lot of liquid, so leave it in a strainer for an hour or so to drain. Disposable piping bags, available from kitchenware shops, make filling the tubes easy. I like a soft red with this, like a Beaujolais. —Roberta Muir
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Ingredients
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1/4 cup
extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for oiling
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Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
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500 grams
baby spinach
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600 grams
ricotta cheese, drained
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2
eggs
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Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
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Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
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1 cup
freshly grated parmesan
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24
cannelloni tubes (no-cook)
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Green salad, for serving
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tomato sauce
Recipe
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1/4 cup
extra virgin olive oil
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2
red onions, finely diced
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Salt flakes, to taste
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800 grams
Italian canned tomatoes, chopped
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1/4 cup
basil leaves, finely sliced
Directions
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Make Tomato Sauce: place oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion and salt, cover and cook for about 10 minutes, until soft. Stir in tomato, crush well with a potato masher or wooden spoon and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes then stir in basil and set aside.
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Preheat oven to 180°C.
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Heat oil in a large, high-sided frying pan over low heat. Add spinach and salt, cover and cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until spinach is thoroughly wilted. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to add spinach in batches as each lot wilts a little to make room for more.
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Tip spinach into a sieve and set aside to cool enough to handle. Squeeze to remove as much excess liquid as possible, then chop roughly.
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Combine well with ricotta, egg, nutmeg, salt, pepper and half the parmesan.
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Oil the bottom of a baking dish and cover with one third of the Tomato Sauce.
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Using a piping bag, pipe the ricotta mixture into the cannelloni tubes, arranging them in the dish in a single layer.
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Pour remaining sauce over the top, pressing them down gently, if necessary, so they are all covered with sauce.
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Sprinkle with remaining parmesan and bake for 40 minutes.
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Serve with a green salad.
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