Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni

Name: Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 3 tbsp olive oil; 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 3 tbsp caster sugar; 2 tbsp red wine vinegar; 3 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes; bunch of fresh basil leaves; 2 tubs (500g) mascarpone; 3 tbsp whole milk; 185g vegetarian Italian hard cheese, grated; 2 balls (250g) mozzarella, sliced; 1kg mature spinach; 3 tubs (750g) ricotta; pinch of ground nutmeg; 400g dried cannelloni tubes

Silky tubes stuffed with creamy ricotta and wilted greens, baked under rich tomato and cheese.

60 min serves 6 Medium Watch

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil500ml

8 cloves garlic, finely chopped3 pack

3 tbsp caster sugar1kg

2 tbsp red wine vinegar350ml

3 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes4 x 400g

bunch of fresh basil leaves30g

2 tubs (500g) mascarpone250g

3 tbsp whole milk1L

185g vegetarian Italian hard cheese, grated200g

2 balls (250g) mozzarella, sliced125g

1kg mature spinach500g

3 tubs (750g) ricotta250g

pinch of ground nutmeg35g

400g dried cannelloni tubes250g

Method

First make the tomato sauce. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the garlic for 1 min. Add the sugar, vinegar, tomatoes and some seasoning and simmer for 20 mins, stirring occasionally, until thick. Add the basil and divide the sauce between 2 or more shallow ovenproof dishes (see Tips for freezing, below). Set aside. Make a sauce by beating the mascarpone with the milk until smooth, season, then set aside.
Put the spinach in a large colander and pour over a kettle of boiling water to wilt it (you may need to do this in batches). When cool enough to handle squeeze out the excess water. Roughly chop the spinach and mix in a large bowl with 100g Parmesan and ricotta. Season well with salt, pepper and the nutmeg.
Heat 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. You can now freeze the cannelloni, uncooked, or you can cook it first and then freeze. Bake for 30-35 mins until golden and bubbling. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 mins before serving.

Cost to cook

serves 6 · I have the cupboard staples

Mostly estimated prices. Full-pack shop cost · about £29.71 of it is what this recipe actually uses.

Find it in store

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Tesco Asda

£34.94 est. · serves 6

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil500ml

8 cloves garlic, finely chopped3 pack

3 tbsp caster sugar1kg

2 tbsp red wine vinegar350ml

3 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes4 x 400g

bunch of fresh basil leaves30g

2 tubs (500g) mascarpone250g

3 tbsp whole milk1L

185g vegetarian Italian hard cheese, grated200g

2 balls (250g) mozzarella, sliced125g

1kg mature spinach500g

3 tubs (750g) ricotta250g

pinch of ground nutmeg35g

400g dried cannelloni tubes250g

Method

First make the tomato sauce. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the garlic for 1 min. Add the sugar, vinegar, tomatoes and some seasoning and simmer for 20 mins, stirring occasionally, until thick. Add the basil and divide the sauce between 2 or more shallow ovenproof dishes (see Tips for freezing, below). Set aside. Make a sauce by beating the mascarpone with the milk until smooth, season, then set aside.

Put the spinach in a large colander and pour over a kettle of boiling water to wilt it (you may need to do this in batches). When cool enough to handle squeeze out the excess water. Roughly chop the spinach and mix in a large bowl with 100g Parmesan and ricotta. Season well with salt, pepper and the nutmeg.

Heat 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. You can now freeze the cannelloni, uncooked, or you can cook it first and then freeze. Bake for 30-35 mins until golden and bubbling. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 mins before serving.