Cannelloni with Spinach and Ricotta

Method8 steps · about 1 hr 15 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Start by preheating your oven to 390°F (200°C).

2. 2

   Step 2: In a pot, add the spinach and 1 tablespoon of water, then cook for about 1 minute until it is just wilted. Drain well, squeezing out as much water as possible. Once cooled, chop the spinach finely.

   Wilt spinach; then drain · 1 minUses 500 g cleaned fresh spinach, or kale · 1 tbsp water (to wilt the spinach)

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Mix all the wilted, squeezed, cooled and chopped spinach with the drained ricotta (400 g), both eggs (2), ground pepper, some nutmeg and the 75 g filling Parmigiano. Season with salt. Choose cheese made without animal rennet for a vegetarian version.

   Uses wilted, squeezed, cooled, chopped spinach · 400 g drained ricotta · 2 Eggs · ground pepper, to taste · nutmeg powder, amount unspecified · Separate 75 g grated cheese for filling · salt, to taste

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Melt butter (50 g) in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in the flour to form a paste (roux). Gradually add the milk (500 ml), whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Season with nutmeg and salt. The béchamel should be slightly thinner than usual for this recipe.

   Uses 50 g butter for roux · 50 g '00' flour for roux · 500 ml milk, added gradually · Nutmeg for béchamel, to taste · Salt for béchamel, to taste

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Fill the cannelloni tubes with the spinach and ricotta mixture. You can use a piping bag or a teaspoon for this step.

   Uses 16 Dried Cannelloni Tubes (I used De Cecco) · prepared spinach and ricotta filling

6. 6

   Step 6: Spread a thin layer of béchamel sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Arrange the filled cannelloni in a single layer. Cover with the remaining béchamel sauce. Sprinkle grated Parmigiano Reggiano over the top.

   Uses filled cannelloni tubes · prepared thin béchamel sauce · Separate 50 g grated cheese for topping

7. 7

   Step 7: Cover the dish with foil and bake at 200°C for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 5–10 minutes, until the cheese is golden and the cannelloni are tender. Continue a little longer if the pasta still feels firm.

   First 20 min; uncover 5–10 · 20 minUses covered filled cannelloni with béchamel and Parmigiano

8. 8

   Step 8: Allow the cannelloni to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

   Rest before serving · 5 minUses baked cannelloni, rested five minutes