Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni
Cannelloni is a tubular shaped pasta, filled with spinach and ricotta mix. It is then topped with a tomato sauce and a cream sauce before being baked like lasagne.
Ingredients
- Packet of dried cannelloni
- 2 250g tubs ricotta cheese
- 5 frozen spinach balls
- 1 egg beaten
- Nutmeg
- 400 g tin of tomatoes
- 4 large tomatoes on the vine Keep the vine
- 3-5 cloves garlic crushed
- 200 g Parmesan
- 50 g butter
- 400 ml double cream
- Bunch of basil
- Olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
- White pepper
Instructions
- First make the tomato sauce. Cut a cross in the bottom of each tomato, place in a bowl and pour over boiling water. Allow to sit for around a minute and then drain. The skins should peel off easily. Cut the tomatoes in half, scoop out the seeds, discard the seeds and roughly chop the flesh.
- Heat around 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the crushed garlic over a medium heat. When the garlic starts to sizzle add the chopped fresh tomatoes and the tin of tomatoes and the vine from the tomatoes for extra flavour. Season generously with salt and black pepper. Simmer on a low heat for around 30 minutes until thickened and saucy. Finally stir in half of the basil, finely chopped. Check the seasoning- it will probably need more salt and maybe a sprinkling of sugar.
- Meanwhile, if you are using fresh pasta then make the pasta using my basic pasta dough recipe, link found above.
- If making your own pasta, set up your pasta machine. Roll the pasta dough out into a rough rectangle with a rolling pin. Then roll the dough through the widest setting on the pasta machine, and then the next setting. Fold the pasta dough rectangle in half lengthwise and repeat 3 times until the pasta is soft and silky. Continue rolling the dough down the settings until you get to the third thinnest. Cannelloni needs slightly thicker pasta than other dishes, such as ravioli, so you won't need to use all the settings. Place the pasta sheet under a damp tea towel so it does not dry out.
- Next make the filling. Place the spinach in a bowl, cover with cling film and cook in the microwave for 3 minutes. Remove and cool. Squeeze out the moisture from the spinach and chop finely.
- Mix the spinach into the ricotta, season with salt and white pepper and grate in around half a nutmeg or 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg. Add the egg and around 50g grated Parmesan and stir to combine.
- Cut the pasta sheets into 10cmx12cm rectangles. Place the filling to one side of the rectangle (around 2 tablespoons- either pipe the filling or spread with a teaspoon) and roll up, sealing the cannelloni by brushing it with water and sticking it to the other side. Use up all the dough and the filling.
- If using dried cannelloni tubes, place the cannelloni tubes upright and pipe in the filling or use a teaspoon to fill.
- To make the Parmesan sauce, heat the cream in a pan over a medium heat until just simmering. Add the butter a tablespoon at a time, stirring to fully combine each time. Grate the remaining Parmesan and retain some for the topping. Stir in the Parmesan and season with a little white pepper, a little salt (remember the Parmesan is salty) and a grating of nutmeg.
- Place the tomato sauce on the bottom of your dish, top with the Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni tubes and spread over the Parmesan sauce. Top with the remaining parmesan.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 200C for 20 minutes or until bubbling and golden and the pasta is cooked through.
- Allow to cool slightly before topping with the remaining basil, serving the Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni with focaccia, salad and balsamic dressing.
