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gratin

Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni

5 de 6 votes
Cannelloni stuffed with spinach and ricotta, tasty and easy to make. A delicious baked pasta for fans of Italian cuisine.
SERVING:6
TOTAL TIME45 minutes
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Course: easy meal, evening meal, Main course
Cuisine: Italian
Author: Rachida

INGREDIENTS
 

For 24 cannelloni

For the spinach-ricotta filling

  • 1 onion
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 500 g spinach
  • 200 g ricotta cheese I used fat-free
  • 200 g cream cheese or simply more ricotta
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 150 g grated cheese Parmesan, Gruyère, Emmental, or a mix

For the béchamel sauce

  • 1/2 liter whole milk
  • 50 g butter
  • 30 g sifted all-purpose flour
  • A bit of grated Emmental cheese about 2 tablespoons
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/2 grated nutmeg optional

PREPARATION

Prepare the spinach-ricotta filling

  • In a frying pan, sauté the chopped onion and garlic with two tablespoons of olive oil. Then add the spinach.
  • Cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. The heat should be high enough to allow the water to evaporate from the spinach.
  • Lightly season with salt and pepper. Drain the spinach and leave to cool.
  • In a mixing bowl, mix the cooled spinach with the ricotta, fromage frais and a little grated cheese.
  • Put the ricotta and spinach mixture into a piping bag (or a freezer bag) and use it to fill the cannelloni.
  • Preheat oven to 200°C.

Prepare the béchamel sauce

  • Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the flour. Whisk well to form a smooth mixture, this is called a white roux. Make sure it doesn't brown.
  • Remove from the heat and gradually pour in the cold milk, whisking constantly to fully dissolve the mixture. If any lumps form, strain the sauce before returning it to the pan.
  • Place the pan back over medium heat and stir continuously until the sauce thickens. Once it starts to turn creamy, add the grated cheese, season with salt and pepper, and stir in a pinch of grated nutmeg.
    The béchamel should remain fairly fluid but thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  • Pour a little of the béchamel sauce into the bottom of a baking dish. Arrange the filled cannelloni on top, then cover with the remaining béchamel.
  • Sprinkle with grated cheese.
  • Bake for 35 minutes, until the top is nicely golden.
  • Note: I used frozen grated cheese, which is why it didn’t fully melt.
  • Serve hot, with a green salad or any side of your choice.