“ITALIANS DO IT BETTER“.
Do you remember those T‑shirts with that slogan? I certainly do. Madonna helped make them popular, but beyond fashion the phrase also applies to food.
When I first moved out of home, my neighbour was an Italian woman who introduced me to regional Italian cooking. She was fiercely proud of her Neapolitan roots, yet she cooked dishes from across Italy. I learned a lot simply by watching and tasting.
One dish that fascinated me was her spinach and ricotta cannelloni. She rolled pasta sheets by hand and filled them with precision born of years of practice. It felt almost magical to watch.
Over the years I have eaten some disappointing cannelloni in restaurants: bland sauces, overly thick béchamel, or undercooked pasta. For home cooking, however, simple techniques and the right balance of sauce and filling give excellent results.
I’ll admit I bought a pasta machine and it now sits in a cupboard, rarely used. Is it cheating to use store‑bought cannelloni tubes? Not at all. Premade tubes are convenient and deliver great results when paired with plenty of sauce so the pasta cooks through and remains tender.
For this recipe I chose a creamy crème fraîche sauce combined with anchovies and grated Parmesan. It’s lighter and brighter than a heavy béchamel and complements the ricotta and spinach beautifully. The anchovies dissolve into the sauce, adding depth without a fishy taste.
Below you’ll find a clear, practical recipe for spinach and ricotta cannelloni with tips to ensure a creamy, well‑balanced dish. Use pre‑made tubes if you prefer, but make sure there’s enough sauce to prevent the pasta from drying out. Allow the finished bake to rest briefly so the filling settles and becomes easier to slice.
Ciao!
📖 Recipe
Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni
Conversions
Ingredients
- 500 g spinach, washed, stalks trimmed, finely sliced
- 500 g ricotta cheese, fresh
- 75 g Parmesan, grated
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 15 cannelloni tubes (about 10 cm / 4″ each)
- 250 ml tomato sauce (marinara)
Crème Fraîche Sauce
- 250 g crème fraîche
- 30 g anchovies, finely sliced
- 30 g Parmesan, grated
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F).
- Heat a little olive oil in a large pan. Add the spinach and cook over medium heat until it wilts. Remove from the pan and allow excess liquid to drain; chop finely if needed.
- In a bowl combine the ricotta, grated Parmesan and wilted spinach. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Mix until evenly combined.
- Transfer the ricotta mixture into a large piping bag (nozzle optional) and fill each cannelloni tube. Alternatively, use a small spoon to fill the tubes carefully.
- Spread the tomato sauce in the base of a large baking dish. Arrange the filled cannelloni in a single layer on top of the sauce.
- In a separate bowl mix the crème fraîche, sliced anchovies and grated Parmesan until smooth. Pour this sauce evenly over the cannelloni so each tube is well covered.
- Drizzle a little olive oil over the top and sprinkle a handful of extra Parmesan.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the top is golden, slightly browned and the sauce is bubbling.
- Allow the dish to rest for about 10 minutes before serving so the filling sets and slices hold together.
Tips for success
Use plenty of tomato and crème fraîche sauce so the tubes cook through and stay tender. If your spinach is particularly wet, squeeze out excess moisture to prevent a watery filling. If you prefer a milder anchovy presence, reduce the anchovies to taste — they should enhance the sauce rather than dominate it.
Nutrition
Calories: 809 kcal |
Carbohydrates: 51 g |
Protein: 37 g |
Fat: 50 g |
Saturated Fat: 15 g
Nutrition information is approximate and provided for guidance only.
© Souvlaki For the Soul
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