Imagine coming home to this Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni…… a juicy spinach and ricotta filling inside cannelloni pasta tubes, topped with a homemade tomato basil sauce and melted cheese. After you’ve made this, try Beef and Spinach Cannelloni. It’s so good!
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni
This is one of my go-to freezer meals I make to give to friends, and a great one to make for dinners to cater for both carnivores and vegetarians.
I make it often throughout most of the year, except perhaps at the very height of summer. Yes, I love cannelloni that much!
What is cannelloni??
Cannelloni is a tube shaped dry pasta about 7 cm / 3″ long and 2cm / 2/3″ wide. It is stuffed with filling, covered in a sauce and cheese then baked. It does not need to be cooked before filling, it softens when baked in the oven.
The most common variety is a spinach and ricotta filling topped with a tomato sauce which is the version I am sharing today.
What’s the difference between cannelloni and manicotti?
Manicotti is also a dry paste tube. It’s the Italian-American version of cannelloni. The difference is that manicotti is larger with ridges, whereas cannelloni is smooth.
The spinach and ricotta filling in this recipe fills 18 – 22 cannelloni tubes, or 10 – 12 manicotti tubes.
There are two ways to make cannelloni:
stuffing dry pasta tubes
rolling the filling up in fresh lasagna sheets
I like using the tubes – partly because they are more cost effective. And also because I like the size – a better filling to pasta/sauce/cheese ratio. Lasagna sheets are thicker and you need a double layer where the sheets overlap to seal in the filling and inevitably, the cannellonis end up bigger.
Easiest way to fill cannelloni tubes
And I know what many of you are thinking – stuffing the tubes is a pain.
After many years of using knives / thin spoons / combination of those + the end of wooden spoons and I finally accepted the inevitable fact:
The fastest way to fill the tubes is with a piping bag.
7 seconds per tube x 20 tubes = 2.3 minutes. (Watch the video!)
The Spinach and Ricotta Filling
The Spinach and Ricotta Filling is creamy, has the perfect spinach to ricotta ratio, and made extra tasty with the addition of parmesan and cheese. It’s so good, I can eat spoonfuls of it straight out of the bowl!
Here’s what’s in it:
Spinach – use frozen for convenience (thaw, remove excess water before using), or fresh if you’ve got an abundance of it;
Ricotta – be sure to use a food quality full fat, creamy one. (Tip: avoid Perfect Italiano tub, it’s quite powdery and unpleasant)
Shredded cheese – a flavoured one is best, like cheddar, tasty. Save the mozzarella for the topping.
Parmesan – don’t skip this! It adds extra savouriness and seasoning to the filling. Just store bought finely shredded or grated is fine, or grate your own.
Garlic – because it makes everything better
Egg – for binding (can be skipped)
Nutmeg – optional, but it’s a lovely touch. I use it in almost all my spinach ricotta fillings.
Salt and pepper
This is my standard recipe that is virtually identical (if not identical) to what I use for all things spinach and ricotta, from this Spinach and Ricotta Pasta Bake, to Puff Pasty Puffs, Rotolo (it’s like upright cannelloni – and it’s amazing!), to Spinach Ricotta Rolls.
Can you freeze spinach and ricotta filling?
YES, it’s perfectly fine to freeze. If using to stuff something, then thaw, give it a good mix then use per recipe. If it’s already prepared, like Cannelloni, it can even be cooked from frozen.
I freeze cannelloni more often than cooking it fresh!
Sauce for Cannelloni
Cannelloni has to be smothered generously with sauce to ensure there’s enough liquid for the dry pasta tubes to absorb and cook in the oven, and there is still sauce when serving it up. The most common sauce is a tomato pasta sauce which is what I use.
There are recipes “out there” that say to just use plain canned tomatoes or tomato passata for the topping (or bottled pasta sauce).
I really, REALLY think that if you’re making the effort to making cannelloni, it is a no brainer to make a tiny extra effort to make a simple pasta sauce. It is honestly so much better than using plain canned tomato or a store bought pasta sauce!
Option: Load up on extra spinach
You can double the spinach in this, if you want. It can take it, plus you will use up an entire box of cannelloni tubes. They come in boxes of 30 here in Australia, and it is kind of annoying to end up with 10 or so floating around in the pantry, which then motivates me to make another batch just to use them up, then I end up with more tubes leftover so I have to make another batch.
Serve Cannelloni with a simple garden salad tossed with Italian Dressing. For a blow-out Italian feast, add a side of Garlic Bread, or a quick Cheesy Garlic Bread! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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Spinach Ricotta Cannelloni
Ingredients
Sauce (you need LOTS!):
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion , finely chopped
- 4 garlic clove , minced
- 1 bay leaf , fresh (sub dried)
- 1/2 tsp each dried thyme and oregano
- 1/3 cup tomato paste
- 800 g / 28 oz canned crushed tomato
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock/broth , low sodium
- 1/3 cup Chardonnay or other dry white wine (sub more stock)
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/3 tsp black pepper
- 2/3 cup basil leaves , roughly torn (recommended but not critical)
Filling:
- 250 g / 8 oz frozen chopped spinach , thawed (Note 1)
- 500 g / 1 lb ricotta , full fat please (Note 2)
- 1/3 cup parmesan , finely shredded
- 1 cup shredded cheese (Mozzarella, Colby, Cheddar, Tasty, Gruyere, Swiss)
- 1 egg
- 1 large garlic clove , minced
- Grated fresh nutmeg (just a sprinkling) or 1/8 tsp nutmeg powder (optional)
- 3/4 tsp cooking / kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Cannelloni
- 18 – 22 dried cannelloni tubes (250g pack) or 14 manicotti tubes (8.8 oz) (Note 3)
- 1/3 cup parmesan , finely shredded
- 1 1/4 cups shredded Mozzarella
- More basil and parmesan , for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Sauce:
- Sauté – Heat oil in a small pot over medium high heat. Add garlic, onion, bay leaf, thyme and oregano. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
- Reduce wine – Add wine, increase heat to high and let it simmer rapidly until mostly evaporated (about 2 minutes).
- Simmer – Add tomatoes, stock, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir then simmer on medium low for 20 minutes.
- Blitz – Remove bay leaf then blitz with a stick blender until smooth. Simmer for 1 more minute then remove from the stove
- Basil – Stir in basil then cover to keep warm until required.
Filling:
- Squeeze spinach – Place spinach in a colander and press out most of the liquid (don't need to thoroughly squeeze dry).
- Mix filling – Place Spinach in bowl with remaining Filling ingredients. Mix, taste, adjust salt and pepper to taste (different cheeses have different saltiness).
Assemble & Bake:
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan).
- Pan – Choose a baking pan which will comfortably fit about 20 cannelloni – mine is 21 x 26 cm / 8.5 x 10.5".
- Smear – Spread 1 cup of Sauce on the base (stops cannelloni from sliding around).
- Fill tubes – Transfer Filling to a piping bag with a large nozzle (that fits in the tubes), or use a strong ziplock bag. Or do this step using a knife (it's a bit tedious though!). Pipe the filling into the tubes.
- Assemble – Place cannelloni in baking dish. Pour over remaining Sauce, covering all the tubes.
- Bake covered (but naked) – Cover with foil, then bake for 30 minutes.
- Cheese it! Remove foil, scatter over parmesan then mozzarella. Return to oven for 15 minutes until cheese is melted.
- Serve, garnished with extra parmesan and basil if desired.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Remember how I shared his current favourite toy – this squeaking emoji? Did I mention his favourite place to gnaw away at it? Smack bang in the middle of the new day bed. He literally plonks himself in the middle.
And please… someone remind me why I got a DARK GREY one??? 🙄
Question about the piping bag, I can only find ones for icing and the tips don’t look big enough for the filling. Did you use the bag without the tip? Could you explain how you did it it looks so easy in the video and I had no luck with cutting the corner off of a plastic bag. Thanks
Hi Lisa! I used a piping tip with a large plain nozzle. I’ve also done it using a ziplock bag – I find plastic bags aren’t strong enough. I hope that helps! N x
Made this for dinner tonight. I used fresh spinach and just to give it a little more spin I crushed up some broccoli florets and threw that in with the spinach as well. It tasted sensational. Your an awesome cook Nagi.
Thanks for sharing.
Are you using no boil cannelloni? In San Jose Ca all you can buy is pre boil Manicotti. I researched on line and you can use the Manicotti the way you are, but the cook time is 1 hour, making me think you are using no boil? I ordered no boil cannelloni from Amazon, I think it is coming from England. I have to wait a month to your enjoy your recipe. I think it will be worth the wait.
Hi Lori! Yes I used no boil cannelloni, you can’t find it?? I had a reader in Tennessee who made this and didn’t mention difficulty getting the no boil cannelloni??
Another winner. Thanks Nagi. So yum.
Steven.
YESSSSSSSS! So SO glad you enjoyed this Steven! N x
love love the music to this video…and I would make this tomorrow if we had electricity. Day 7 of no electricity due to Hurricane Irma in eastern Florida. But you give me ideas and hope.
And you’re using battery power to leave this message? 😳 Thinking of you and everyone else affected by Irma, keep your spirits up! N xx
Spinach YES PLEASE! Any time, love it. When we lived in big house every spring time there was endless spinach cooking. The best one for Me is sauce with crisp bacon and SOFT EGGS WITH IT! Love the colours on a plate , runny yellow yolks on fresh green spinach. Try spinach sauce mixed with twirly pasta top with grated chees and baked in oven, YUMI!! Doser looks so peaceful, gorges. PS Agree to make your own tomato sauce. Photos are good do Not doubt that.
Oooh that sounds delightful! So sautéed spinach with bacon and eggs? And what sauce was that?? And spinach SAUCE – YUM!!
Hi Nagi! Made this last night…OMG SO good! i did up the amount of spinach and I also cooked some ground pork and added that to the sauce. I am not good at piping so it took me longer than you to fill the pasta. Having a repeat tonight 🙂
YOU MADE THIS!!!!!! 😘 Giant hug through the screen Dorothy, so pleased you enjoyed it!!!
Food look great
Thanks Elvera!!
Oh.my.gosh!!! I made this for my bestie tonight. What a winner. Even my husband loved it and he’s not a spinach fan at all. He said I must make it again. Nagi, your recipes are my go to for ideas of what to make.
That’s so great to hear Kim! I’m SO pleased you enjoyed this! N x
Thanks so much for this 2 wonderful cookbook…have tried this cannelli last night and its so easy cos the ingridients are just what we have around the kitchen …..
My husband and grandson really loved it…
Thanks Nagi
YOU TRIED THIS ALREAY?? Whoot! I’m so pleased, I hope they loved it! N x
I think your picture looks 100% better and tastier than the frozen packets and I’ll be trying this soon! Yummm
PS: Great choice for the upcoming ebook, can’t wait!!
Awww thanks Julie! I appreciate the kind words! 🙂 N xx
Another winning recipe. It was very easy to make and turned out super delicious. I loved the tomato sauce – in such recipes I usually try to save time by using store-bought sauces (not the healthiest choice), but this sauce is quick, easy and much healthier. I can’t thank you enough, Nagi!
WHOOT! I’m so SO pleased you enjoyed this Dina! It’s honestly a personal favourite, I was waiting and waiting before I could make decent recipe videos before I shared it 🙂 N xx
I don’t know in the least what you are talking about. Not one of your photos looks messy. Every one is drool worthy.
Messy DELICIOUSNESS! 😂
Hi Nagi
I love, love,love your recipes this is the third one I have tried and so far they have all been delicious.
I love looking at recipe books but it is very rare that I will actually cook from one as the list of ingredients is always too long or the steps too complicated.
I love the fact that you include notes or suggest alternative ingredients these are so helpful. The videos are great too as you can double check what you are doing is correct or check things like consistency.
Thank you for all your wonderful recipes
Ps. Say hi to Dozer
YOU TRIED IT!!! WHOOT! So glad you enjoyed this Tracy, this is a personal favourite, thank you! N xx PS Dozer says WOOF back! N x
Well, I had an absolute nightmare making these. I bought the wrong frozen spinach, all free flow leaves and soggy stems and it took FOREVER to defrost and I tried to chop it up by hand and then I had wet fragmented vegetation being flicked all over the kitchen… then I couldn’t find the one crucially important bit for my piping bag, I spent ages searching but it is well and truly hidden… so then I used a plastic bag, but I squeezed too hard and it burst only three cannellloni in… I had to do the rest by hand with a knife and the spinach was all lumpy and stringy and bits were falling out everywhere…it took forever to bake (I think the spinach ricotta mix was still too cold) and a lot of liquid came out and I panicked thinking the bottoms would be soggy and the tops not cooked enough. I DOUBTED MY COMPETENCY AS A COOK, NAGI!
i should have just trusted you.
They came out perfectly.
Delicious. Well seasoned. Perfectly cooked and held together. Excellent ratio of sauce, filling, pasta and cheese. Perfect.
yes Yes YESSSSS!!! You ROCK Chris! So glad you loved this and you persisted despite the world being against you! 😂
Hy Nagi, Hope you are having a good day. Spinach Ricotta Cannelloni looks so yum, It’s tempting. I love all your recipes. Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
Hope you try it! It’s a personal favourite! 😂
Is there a way this dish can be made with another vegetable like broccoli? If so how would you suggest cooking it?
It would be GREAT with broccoli! Boil until soft, chop finely then add into the Filling!
Dinner is over for today…but this will be deelish! for tomorrow’s fare!
Let’s face it…no other lounge color could possibly show Dozer’s luffly coloring better than dark grey!! Just look at those ginger strands next to the fabric! Now pat yourself on the back for your awesome sense of color!! 😀 😀
Laugh all you want… until the time comes that you’re invited to sit on that Day Bed… 😈
Hellooooo gorgeous. This looks like pure cheesy, saucey perfection. Definitely need to try this soon!
You nailed the description… 😂 Can you be my ghost writer??
Thank the blessed Lord these cannelloni look nothing like what is photographed on the frozen stuff packages! Only an occasional treat for me because of all the fat, but, OMG, yummy-looking 🙂 ! Have never used a piping bag – I wonder why I so oft miss the obvious . . . I do not often use frozen vegetables, spinach and corn being the two exceptions – so, here we go !!! Why the dark grey daybed . . . . well, you buy other backdrops sufficiently elegant for your presented goodies . . . . what style in that photo: exquisitely planned, yes ?
That dark grey day bed….. it’s killing me Eha! 😂