Ricotta and Spinach Cannelloni, a comforting Italian dish made with pasta tubes and a secret ingredient, the Feta cheese. Other than that, the tomato sauce used is my Tomato Pasta Sauce which already is infused with ingredients like garlic and basil, and melting mozzarella cheese used as part of the topping.
A great dish for family and friends’ gatherings that can be made 1-2 days in advance, refrigerated cooking the last part of the process an hour before serving.
Spinach Cannelloni
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Place half the spinach in a sieve or colander and then pouring all-over it 2 L hot water to wilt. Keep aside and repeat for the rest of the spinach.
Place the spinach in a food processor with the metal blade on, pulse a couple of times to chop.
Add 80 gr of the Parmesan cheese, the ricotta and feta cheese.
Pulse a bit more to chop well and mix everything together.
Add the nutmeg and season with the salt and pepper.
Add in a plastic bag with one of its ends cut to be used as a filling pouch.
Take the bag with the spinach and squeeze the mixture into each of the cannelloni tubes.
Make the topping cream by adding the Mascarpone and the milk and mix to incorporate. Season and keep aside.
Add a thin layer of the mixture of the tomato passata and tomato pasta sauce.
Lay the Cannelloni on top of the sauce.
Once all cannelloni tubes are arranged pour on top them the remaining tomato mixture sauce.
Add on top of the tomato sauce the mascarpone topping cream,
and top-up all-over the mozzarella slices.
Finally sprinkle the remaining 80 gr of Parmesan cheese. and cook for 30 minutes
Spinach Cannelloni
Servings: 8 People
Ingredients
For the topping:
- 350 gr Mascarpone
- 80 gr Parmesan cheese , grated
- 35 ml Milk
- 200 gr Mozzarella , sliced 3 mm
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
- ⅓ teaspoon fresh ground Black Pepper
For the Pasta:
- 250 gr dry Cannelloni Pasta , about 20 tubes
- 750 gr Fresh Spinach , 5 cm of the stems cut and discarded
- 80 gr Parmesan cheese
- 300 gr Ricotta Cheese
- 175 gr Feta Cheese , crumbled
- 1 teaspoon Nutmeg , finely grated
- 280 gr Tomato Passata
- 220 gr Tomato Pasta Sauce , press for Recipe Tomato Pasta sauce
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper
Instructions
Stuffing:
- Start with the stuffing by placing half the spinach in a sieve or colander and then pouring all-over it 2 L hot water to wilt. Keep aside and repeat for the rest of the spinach.
- When cold enough to handle squeeze well to remove the water and place the spinach in a food processor with the metal blade on, pulse a couple of times to chop. Then add 80 gr of the Parmesan cheese, the ricotta and feta cheese. Pulse a bit more to chop well and mix everything together.
- Add the nutmeg and season with the salt and pepper. Keep aside in a plastic bag with one of its ends cut to be used as a filling pouch.
For the topping cream!
- In a medium bowl add the Mascarpone and the milk and mix to incorporate. Season and keep aside.
TO PUT EVERYTHING TOGETHER:
- Preheat the oven to the 180 degrees C, air circulation, rack in the middle.
- In a medium bowl mix the tomato passata and tomato pasta sauce. Taste and season to your liking. Keep aside.
- Take a non-stick oven dish big enough so that you can lay the cannelloni in and add on its base a thin layer of the mixture of the tomato passata and tomato pasta sauce. Take the bag with the spinach and squeeze the mixture into each of the cannelloni tubes and lay on top of the sauce. Once all cannelloni tubes are arranged pour on top them the remaining tomato mixture sauce.
- With a spoon add on top of the tomato sauce the mascarpone mixture and top-up all-over the mozzarella slices. Finally sprinkle the remaining 80 gr of Parmesan cheese. The above can be made well in advance and frozen covered with aluminium foil, or if made a day or two earlier to be refrigerated instead.
- When ready to cook bring the dish to room temperature and bake for 30 mins until golden, crusty and bubbling.
- Take off the oven and let stand for 15 minutes before serving.
