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Italian

Spinach and ricotta cannelloni

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

Cannelloni ricotta e spinaci

Pasta tubes stuffed with ricotta, spinach, Parmigiano and nutmeg, baked under tomato sauce and béchamel until bubbling and golden.

Spinach and ricotta cannelloni is an Italian pasta dish, ready in about 1 hour 25 minutes and made with dried pasta, ricotta and spinach. It serves 6 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking
Baked cannelloni in tomato sauce under melted cheese
Photo: Francis Bijl from Groningen, Netherlands / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-2.0
Prep
40 min
Cook
35 min
Rest
10 min
Total
1 h 25 min
Serves
6
Level
Intermediate
Calories
589

Ingredients

6 servings

Filling

Tomato sauce

Béchamel

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Simmer the passata with the garlic (opens in a new tab), oil, basil (opens in a new tab) and a pinch of salt for 15 minutes. Remove the garlic.

  2. Step 2

    Wilt the spinach (opens in a new tab), squeeze very dry and chop. Mix with the ricotta (opens in a new tab), half the Parmesan (opens in a new tab), the egg (opens in a new tab), nutmeg (opens in a new tab) and salt.

  3. Step 3

    Make the béchamel: melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, then whisk (opens in a new tab) in the milk (opens in a new tab) gradually and simmer for 5 minutes until it coats a spoon. Season with salt and a little nutmeg (opens in a new tab).

  4. Step 4

    Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 200 °C (fan 180 °C). Spread the tomato sauce in a baking dish (opens in a new tab). Pipe or spoon the filling into the cannelloni and lay them in a single layer on the sauce. Cover completely with béchamel so no pasta (opens in a new tab) pokes out, then scatter over the remaining Parmesan (opens in a new tab) and the mozzarella (opens in a new tab).

    Any uncovered pasta stays hard — make sure the béchamel reaches every tube.

    Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

  5. Step 5

    Bake for 30–35 minutes until the pasta (opens in a new tab) is tender when pierced and the top is golden. Rest 10 minutes before serving.

About this dish

Origin
Italy · Origin disputedSeveral places, including Sorrento and Amalfi, claim the first cannelloni; filled, baked pasta rolls are now made all over Italy.Also popular in Spain, United KingdomMore food from Italy
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Pasta · Casseroles & bakes · Main courses
Cooking method
Oven-baked, Simmered
Taste
creamy, savoury, mild
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly · Batch cooking
Cook more with
Dried pasta · Ricotta · Spinach · Tomato passata · Parmesan · Egg
Techniques
Baking · Simmering · Roux thickening

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom ricotta, parmesan, milk, unsalted butter, mozzarella
  • Contains: Eggsfrom dried pasta, egg
  • Contains: Wheatfrom dried pasta, all-purpose flour
  • Contains: Glutenfrom dried pasta, all-purpose flour

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

589 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 439 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 17%
  • Carbohydrate 40%
  • Fat 43%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy589 kcal134 kcal
Protein25.5 g5.8 g
Carbohydrate59.8 g13.6 g
Net carbohydrate54.7 g12.5 g
Sugars11 g2.5 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre5 g1.1 g
Fat28.5 g6.5 g
Saturated fat14.6 g3.3 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol109 mg25 mg
Sodium——
Salt equivalent——
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
1281 mg
Calcium
562 mg
Iron
6 mg
Magnesium
144 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
659 µg
Vitamin C
33 mg
Vitamin D
1.7 µg
Vitamin B12
1.4 µg
Folate (DFE)
372 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: mozzarella.
  • Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): salt — so sodium is shown as unknown.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • A freezer bag with the corner snipped off makes an easy piping bag.

Common mistakes

  • Wet filling: squeeze the spinach thoroughly.

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days in the fridge; freezes well (unbaked or baked) for 2 months.

Reheating

  • Cover with foil and reheat at 180 °C for 25 minutes.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in step 4

Reviews & corrections

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