Spinach & ricotta cannelloni — pasta tubes stuffed with creamy spinach and ricotta, baked in a rich basil-tomato sauce under mascarpone, Parmesan and mozzarella. A comforting Italian bake.
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
- 8 cloves chopped Garlic
- 3 tbsp Caster Sugar
- 2 tblsp Red Wine Vinegar
- 3 400g Cans Chopped Tomatoes
- Bunch Basil Leaves
- 2 tubs Mascarpone
- 3 tbsp Milk
- 2 sliced Mozzarella
- 1kg Spinach
- 100g Parmesan
- 3 tubs Ricotta
- pinch Nutmeg
- 400g Cannellini Beans
Video
Preparation
- First make the tomato sauce. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the garlic for 1 minute. Add the sugar, vinegar, tomatoes and some seasoning and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick. Add the basil and divide the sauce between 2 or more shallow ovenproof dishes, then set aside. Make a second sauce by beating the mascarpone with the milk until smooth, season, and set aside.
- Put the spinach in a large colander and pour over a kettle of boiling water to wilt it (in batches if needed). When cool enough to handle, squeeze out the excess water, roughly chop, and mix in a large bowl with the Parmesan and ricotta. Season well with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
- Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Using a piping bag or plastic food bag with the corner snipped off, squeeze the filling into the cannelloni tubes. Lay the tubes side by side on top of the tomato sauce and spoon over the mascarpone sauce. Top with Parmesan and mozzarella. The cannelloni can now be frozen uncooked, or cooked first and then frozen. Bake for 30–35 minutes until golden and bubbling. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
