An absolutely delicious stuffed spinach and ricotta cannelloni recipe covered in a perfect tomato and basil sauce and lots of cheese. This is such a fun recipe to make at home and one I make all year round. A great vegetarian main or side dish for any occasion and one the whole family will enjoy, I'm sure!
Hi! I am so excited to be writing up this absolutely delicious classic Italian dish. I had just finished working on my Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli and knew I had to use the filling for some cannelloni. I have made really clear step by step instructions and you could pre-make the tomato and basil sauce the day before to make it even easier.
It's a really rustic dish, like my lasagne bolognese it's a bit sloppy and that's OK! It's about big flavors and doesn't need to be pretty. You could use my Homemade Pasta Dough if you would like to make the tubes from scratch but I actually prefer dried tubes.
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What is cannelloni?
Cannelloni are tubes of pasta that are filled, in this case with a mixture of ricotta and spinach, but sometimes meat. You lay them in a baking dish, cover in a tomato sauce and cheese, then bake. They don't need to be pre-cooked so it's actually quite an easy dish to bring together. It's a high class pasta bake!
Main ingredients
Cannelloni pasta tubes - As I said above, you could make your own or use fresh pasta sheets but I prefer the dry pasta tubes.
Spinach - I use frozen as it's just so much easier than fresh spinach in my opinion. Just make sure after you defrost it that ALL the excess liquid is squeezed out through a clean tea towel.
Whole milk ricotta cheese - There is no substitution. It's actually fun to make your own ricotta too!
Lemon - I love adding lemon juice just to add a bright and fresh flavor note. I also add the lemon zest.
Parmesan cheese - Very finely grate it before blending with the rest of the ingredients. Substitute for pecorino or Grana Padano.
Mozzarella cheese - Use fresh balls and tear into chunks or grate a block.
Basil - Fresh basil leaves are used in the tomato sauce and are lovely to garnish on the finished dish too.
Tomato and Basil Sauce
You'll need to make a batch of this simple tomato sauce which is a great base recipe to have in your repertoire. Use the best quality canned tomatoes you can get, San Marzano if possible.
You could use a ready made tomato passata but this pasta sauce is so easy to make and doesn't take long so is worth taking the extra step!
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How to make spinach ricotta cannelloni
Full ingredient list, thorough step-by-step instructions and a short video are in the recipe card below, this is just mainly for photo reference!
ONE: Make the tomato sauce and while it is simmering blend all the filling ingredients in a food processor.
TWO: Fill the cannelloni tubes with the spinach and ricotta mixture, a piping bag is the easiest way but use teaspoons if you prefer.
THREE: In an oven proof dish that will fit about 12 tubes, pour 1 cup of tomato sauce into the bottom. Lay the filled tubes on top in a single layer.
FOUR: Pour the remaining sauce on top of the cannelloni.
FIVE: Evenly spread the grated mozzarella and parmesan cheese on the top.
SIX: Bake in the oven covered for 20 minutes then an additional 15 - 20 minutes uncovered until golden brown.
Expert tips for success
- Pre-make the delicious tomato sauce the day before if you want to get ahead. I leave out the butter then re-heat it on the day and add it in.
- Use a piping bag for filling, it really is so much cleaner and easier in my opinion and you'll end up using every single bit of the filling.
- Have everything all ready and bench cleaned down for assembly to make it feel more chill.
- Feeding a crowd? Double the recipe and cook in either one much larger dish or two smaller ones.
Try my delicious Amatriciana sauce
This is a simple tomato sauce with guanciale and could also be used for this dish if you would like a flavor boost!
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use fresh lasagne sheets. Place the spinach mixture on top, roll up and place on top of the tomato sauce seam down.
No! The sauce around them is enough to cook the pasta through.
Yes! You can assemble it as normal in a baking dish and then cover with plastic wrap and freeze. Let it thaw before baking. I prefer to add the cheese at the time of baking.
Store well covered or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. I think microwaving is the easiest way to reheat, it can dry out slightly in the oven. This isn't a huge portion so hopefully you won't have leftovers!
Some other recipes to try
If you loved this easy cannelloni recipe then check out all my other delicious pasta dishes. From homemade fresh pasta shapes to quick weeknight sauces, there is something for everyone.
Did you make this recipe?
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Recipe
Cannelloni
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Equipment
- Piping bag (It really makes it easier to fill the tubes!)
- Dutch oven or heavy bottomed saucepan
- Baking dish (mine measures 11.5 x 8.5 inches)
Ingredients
- 12 cannelloni tubes
For the filling
- 300 grams frozen spinach defrosted
- 350 grams ricotta cheese
- 60 grams parmesan cheese finely grated
- 1 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice plus the zest
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
For the sauce
- 1 batch tomato and basil pasta sauce
For the topping
- 120 grams mozzarella cheese torn or grated
- 50 grams parmesan cheese finely grated
- fresh basil leaves to serve
Instructions
Make the tomato sauce and filling
- Make the tomato and basil sauce, recipe is linked above in ingredient list.
- Make sure you squeeze all the excess liquid out of the frozen spinach, I do this in a clean tea towel (one that I don't mind if it gets stained!)
- While the sauce is simmering make the filling by combining all the filling ingredients by hand or in a food processor. Season to taste, you do want it on the saltier side.
- Place it in a piping bag and put in the fridge until ready to use. You can absolutely use spoons to fill the tubes but a piping bag or a strong snap lock with the corner cut off is much cleaner.
Assembling and baking
- Preheat your oven to 350f (180c). Pick a baking dish that will fit the 12 tubes in with a bit of space to spare. Mine measures 11.5 x 8.5 inches but anything around that size will work.
- In your baking dish place a cup of the tomato sauce.
- Fill each tube with the filling, you should get 12. Place them in whatever pattern you like in the dish.
- Cover with the rest of the sauce and then the grated cheeses on top.
- Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 - 20 mins until the top is golden and bubbling.
- Let it sit for 10 minutes before scattering with fresh basil leaves and serve. Check out the photos in post above and video below.
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