Spinach Ricotta Cannelloni
Quick answer
- Total time
- 60 min
- Level
- Hard
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 9
About this dish
Spinach ricotta cannelloni fills tube-shaped pasta with a mixture of sautéed spinach, ricotta cheese, garlic, and Parmesan, then bakes them in tomato sauce topped with mozzarella.
Read more
Removing as much moisture from the spinach as possible is the most important step - excess water thins the filling and causes the tubes to split during baking. Half the Parmesan goes into the filling for depth, while the rest is scattered on top with mozzarella to build a golden, bubbling crust. Baking covered at 190 degrees Celsius for the first 25 minutes lets the sauce steam the pasta through, and uncovering for the final 10 minutes crisps the cheese surface. Resting the dish for 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven allows the sauce to thicken and the filling to set, producing cleaner portions when sliced.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Control
Preheat the oven to 190°C and rinse the 220 g spinach, draining it well.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan over medium heat, then sauté the spinach until wilted and the pan looks mostly dry.
- 2Heat
Transfer the cooked spinach to a sieve, press out the liquid, and let it cool briefly.
Squeeze it again before chopping finely, because trapped moisture will loosen the ricotta filling and can split the pasta tubes.
- 3Season
In a bowl, combine 300 g ricotta, the chopped spinach, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon salt, and 20 g Parmesan.
Mix until evenly combined and thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon.
- 4Season
Fill the 12 cannelloni tubes without packing the filling too tightly, so they do not tear.
Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce in the baking dish, then arrange the tubes in one snug layer.
- 5Season
Pour the remaining tomato sauce evenly over the tubes so they do not dry out.
Scatter 150 g mozzarella and the remaining 20 g Parmesan over the top.
- 6Control
Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes, then uncover and bake 10 minutes more until the cheese is golden and bubbling.
Rest for 10 minutes after baking so the sauce thickens before slicing and serving.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Cannelloni filled with squeezed spinach and ricotta bake in tomato sauce, covered then uncovered to finish.
- Finish cue
- Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes, then uncover and bake 10 minutes more until the cheese is golden and bubbling.
- Avoid this
- Fill the 12 cannelloni tubes without packing the filling too tightly, so they do not tear.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
60min, 9 ingredients
Category median
35min, 9 ingredients
Based on 109 recipes
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