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Home Collections Quick Dinner Recipes

Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni

By:Nagi
Published:11 Sep '17Updated:16 Mar '23
364 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

Imagine coming home to this Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni…… a juicy spinach and ricotta filling inside cannelloni pasta tubes, topped with a homemade tomato basil sauce and melted cheese. After you’ve made this, try Beef and Spinach Cannelloni. It’s so good!

This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!

Close up photo of 2 pieces of Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni with tomato pasta sauce on a plate

Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni

This is one of my go-to freezer meals I make to give to friends, and a great one to make for dinners to cater for both carnivores and vegetarians.

I make it often throughout most of the year, except perhaps at the very height of summer. Yes, I love cannelloni that much!

Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni in a baking dish, fresh out of the oven
What is cannelloni??

Cannelloni is a tube shaped dry pasta about 7 cm / 3″ long and 2cm / 2/3″ wide. It is stuffed with filling, covered in a sauce and cheese then baked. It does not need to be cooked before filling, it softens when baked in the oven.

The most common variety is a spinach and ricotta filling topped with a tomato sauce which is the version I am sharing today.

What’s the difference between cannelloni and manicotti?

Manicotti is also a dry paste tube. It’s the Italian-American version of cannelloni.  The difference is that manicotti is larger with ridges, whereas cannelloni is smooth.

The spinach and ricotta filling in this recipe fills 18 – 22 cannelloni tubes, or 10 – 12 manicotti tubes.

Imagine coming home to this Spinach Ricotta Cannelloni.... www.recipetineats.com

There are two ways to make cannelloni:

  • stuffing dry pasta tubes

  • rolling the filling up in fresh lasagna sheets

I like using the tubes – partly because they are more cost effective. And also because I like the size – a better filling to pasta/sauce/cheese ratio. Lasagna sheets are thicker and you need a double layer where the sheets overlap to seal in the filling and inevitably, the cannellonis end up bigger.

Easiest way to fill cannelloni tubes

And I know what many of you are thinking – stuffing the tubes is a pain. 

After many years of using knives / thin spoons / combination of those + the end of wooden spoons and I finally accepted the inevitable fact:

The fastest way to fill the tubes is with a piping bag.
7 seconds per tube x 20 tubes = 2.3 minutes. (Watch the video!)

Quick way to fill cannelloni tubes and manicotti

The Spinach and Ricotta Filling

The Spinach and Ricotta Filling is creamy, has the perfect spinach to ricotta ratio, and made extra tasty with the addition of parmesan and cheese. It’s so good, I can eat spoonfuls of it straight out of the bowl!

Here’s what’s in it:

  • Spinach – use frozen for convenience (thaw, remove excess water before using), or fresh if you’ve got an abundance of it;

  • Ricotta – be sure to use a food quality full fat, creamy one. (Tip: avoid Perfect Italiano tub, it’s quite powdery and unpleasant)

  • Shredded cheese – a flavoured one is best, like cheddar, tasty. Save the mozzarella for the topping.

  • Parmesan – don’t skip this! It adds extra savouriness and seasoning to the filling. Just store bought finely shredded or grated is fine, or grate your own.

  • Garlic – because it makes everything better

  • Egg – for binding (can be skipped)

  • Nutmeg – optional, but it’s a lovely touch. I use it in almost all my spinach ricotta fillings.

  • Salt and pepper

This is my standard recipe that is virtually identical (if not identical) to what I use for all things spinach and ricotta, from this Spinach and Ricotta Pasta Bake, to Puff Pasty Puffs, Rotolo (it’s like upright cannelloni – and it’s amazing!), to Spinach Ricotta Rolls.

Can you freeze spinach and ricotta filling?

YES, it’s perfectly fine to freeze. If using to stuff something, then thaw, give it a good mix then use per recipe. If it’s already prepared, like Cannelloni, it can even be cooked from frozen.

I freeze cannelloni more often than cooking it fresh!

What goes in Spinach and Ricotta Filling

Sauce for Cannelloni

Cannelloni has to be smothered generously with sauce to ensure there’s enough liquid for the dry pasta tubes to absorb and cook in the oven, and there is still sauce when serving it up. The most common sauce is a tomato pasta sauce which is what I use.

There are recipes “out there” that say to just use plain canned tomatoes or tomato passata for the topping (or bottled pasta sauce).

I really, REALLY think that if you’re making the effort to making cannelloni, it is a no brainer to make a tiny extra effort to make a simple pasta sauce. It is honestly so much better than using plain canned tomato or a store bought pasta sauce!

Tomato pasta sauce for cannelloni
Imagine coming home to this Spinach Ricotta Cannelloni.... www.recipetineats.com

Option: Load up on extra spinach

You can double the spinach in this, if you want. It can take it, plus you will use up an entire box of cannelloni tubes. They come in boxes of 30 here in Australia, and it is kind of annoying to end up with 10 or so floating around in the pantry, which then motivates me to make another batch just to use them up, then I end up with more tubes leftover so I have to make another batch.

Serve Cannelloni with a simple garden salad tossed with Italian Dressing. For a blow-out Italian feast, add a side of Garlic Bread, or a quick Cheesy Garlic Bread! – Nagi x


Watch how to make it

This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!

Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.

Close up photo of 2 pieces of Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni with tomato pasta sauce on a plate

Spinach Ricotta Cannelloni

Author: Nagi
Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 35 mins
Total: 1 hr
Mains
American-Italian, Western
4.96 from 117 votes
Servings5 – 6 people
Tap or hover to scale
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Recipe VIDEO above. Juicy, perfectly seasoned spinach and ricotta filling inside cannelloni pasta tubes, topped with a simple, tasty tomato sauce and melted cheese. Great for freezing!
First published in September 2017, this reader favourite recipe is included by popular demand in my debut cookbook Dinner. I took the opportunity to make it even better by increasing the volume and thinning the thickness of the sauce so there's plenty of liquid to cook the cannelloni but it's still saucy when you serve it up. It was great before, it's AMAZING now!

Ingredients

Sauce (you need LOTS!):

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion , finely chopped
  • 4 garlic clove , minced
  • 1 bay leaf , fresh (sub dried)
  • 1/2 tsp each dried thyme and oregano
  • 1/3 cup tomato paste
  • 800 g / 28 oz canned crushed tomato
  • 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock/broth , low sodium
  • 1/3 cup Chardonnay or other dry white wine (sub more stock)
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1/3 tsp black pepper
  • 2/3 cup basil leaves , roughly torn (recommended but not critical)

Filling:

  • 250 g / 8 oz frozen chopped spinach , thawed (Note 1)
  • 500 g / 1 lb ricotta , full fat please (Note 2)
  • 1/3 cup parmesan , finely shredded
  • 1 cup shredded cheese (Mozzarella, Colby, Cheddar, Tasty, Gruyere, Swiss)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 large garlic clove , minced
  • Grated fresh nutmeg (just a sprinkling) or 1/8 tsp nutmeg powder (optional)
  • 3/4 tsp cooking / kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

Cannelloni

  • 18 – 22 dried cannelloni tubes (250g pack) or 14 manicotti tubes (8.8 oz) (Note 3)
  • 1/3 cup parmesan , finely shredded
  • 1 1/4 cups shredded Mozzarella
  • More basil and parmesan , for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Sauce:

  • Sauté – Heat oil in a small pot over medium high heat. Add garlic, onion, bay leaf, thyme and oregano. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
  • Reduce wine – Add wine, increase heat to high and let it simmer rapidly until mostly evaporated (about 2 minutes).
  • Simmer – Add tomatoes, stock, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir then simmer on medium low for 20 minutes.
  • Blitz – Remove bay leaf then blitz with a stick blender until smooth. Simmer for 1 more minute then remove from the stove
  • Basil – Stir in basil then cover to keep warm until required.

Filling:

  • Squeeze spinach – Place spinach in a colander and press out most of the liquid (don't need to thoroughly squeeze dry).
  • Mix filling – Place Spinach in bowl with remaining Filling ingredients. Mix, taste, adjust salt and pepper to taste (different cheeses have different saltiness).

Assemble & Bake:

  • Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan).
  • Pan – Choose a baking pan which will comfortably fit about 20 cannelloni – mine is 21 x 26 cm / 8.5 x 10.5".
  • Smear – Spread 1 cup of Sauce on the base (stops cannelloni from sliding around).
  • Fill tubes – Transfer Filling to a piping bag with a large nozzle (that fits in the tubes), or use a strong ziplock bag. Or do this step using a knife (it's a bit tedious though!). Pipe the filling into the tubes.
  • Assemble – Place cannelloni in baking dish. Pour over remaining Sauce, covering all the tubes.
  • Bake covered (but naked) – Cover with foil, then bake for 30 minutes.
  • Cheese it! Remove foil, scatter over parmesan then mozzarella. Return to oven for 15 minutes until cheese is melted.
  • Serve, garnished with extra parmesan and basil if desired.

Recipe Notes:

1. Spinach – I use frozen spinach for the convenience and also because I’m a sucker for the whole “snap frozen” thing. To use fresh, use about 500g/1 lb sliced spinach leaves or baby spinach leaves, saute with a little oil to wilt down and remove excess liquid. Cool then proceed with recipe.
2. Ricotta – Low fat ricotta is harder and drier, so it’s more difficult to pipe into the tubes plus once baked, is not as juicy and moist. Avoid Perfect Italian brand in tubs. My favourite is Paesanella.
3. Cannelloni – The cannelloni tubes I use are the dried ones sold in boxes at supermarkets and delis. They are about 11 cm / 4″ long and 2.5cm / 1″ wide. They do not need to be boiled before cooking in the oven. 
This recipe can also be used for manicotti which are larger tubes with ridges – use 10 to 12.
You can also make this using fresh lasagna sheets. Just roll Filling up inside, place in the baking pan seam side down. I prefer using dried tubes – refer in post for the reason why.
4. For FREEZING or refrigerating uncooked: Add extra 3/4 cup water* into Sauce, cook Sauce per recipe then blend* until smooth. Place filled, uncooked cannelloni in single or multiple dishes, cover with sauce (will look like LOTS!) then cheese. Cover, cool then freeze / refrigerate.
On the day of, thaw then bake per recipe (covered then uncovered). OR bake from frozen, bake covered 35 minutes then uncovered 10 minutes.
* The reason for extra water and blending: When uncooked cannelloni is assembled, the dry pasta will absorb some of the liquid as it freezes. If you don’t add extra water, the sauce dries up once baked. Blending also helps here, plus it brings the sauce together better so it doesn’t split when thawed.
COOKED leftovers – refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze, thaw, then reheat covered in microwave for best results.
5. Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings. 

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 407gCalories: 531cal (27%)
Keywords: Cannelloni, Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

 

Life of Dozer

Remember how I shared his current favourite toy – this squeaking emoji? Did I mention his favourite place to gnaw away at it? Smack bang in the middle of the new day bed. He literally plonks himself in the middle.

And please… someone remind me why I got a DARK GREY one??? 🙄

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Hi, I'm Nagi!

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364 Comments

  1. Susan says

    May 30, 2023 at 6:01 pm

    I made this dish last night. Like Delphia, I struggled to fill the cannelloni as I didn’t have a piping bag and a freezer bag wasn’t up to the job, so I ended up stuffing the filling in with my hands! I also had a bit of an overspill with the nutmeg, but no matter. I reckon it made up for the shortage of fresh basil! No matter, the result was delicious! Probably the best cannelloni dish I’ve ever made (or indeed, eaten). And cheap! I totted up the cost of the ingredients and with salad and or steamed veg you could feed 6 adults for $20. Or one Susan for 2 meals!

    Reply
  2. Delphia says

    May 12, 2023 at 9:10 pm

    4 stars
    The flavour of this is magnificent but I really struggled with filling the bloody tubes!!! My grandson stepped in & did an amazing job. I’ll use lasagne sheets next time. The quantity was spot on.

    Reply
  3. Maria M says

    April 23, 2023 at 4:04 am

    4 stars
    This wasn’t plane sailing for me. I used the recipe from the book which said total prep 25 minutes. I didn’t read the recipe ahead and see the sauce needed to simmer 35 minutes. My bad – dinner late again l0l! I had way too much sauce even after simmering for longer than suggested and tried to boil it down a bit. The sauce filled the dish almost to the top and was still soupy in the end. I noticed a few differences between the recipe online and doubling the sauce one in the book. Wine and oil is twice the amount. This shouldn’t have made a difference in the sauce as I reduced the wine. So I’m wondering where did I go wrong!
    I rushed out and got your book when it hit the shelves at Barns and Noble in Austin, TX. It was a sad display of a few books. I told them the error or their ways and how popular you are 🙂 Thanks for a great book and congratulations. Maria

    Reply
  4. Lauren says

    March 26, 2023 at 3:01 pm

    5 stars
    Incredible! Made this for the family and we devoured this. Another great recipe.

    Reply
  5. Jess says

    March 25, 2023 at 10:44 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious meal. 10/10! So glad it’s in the recipe tin cook book. I made this for dinner when we had family visiting. Paired with a simple salad and some garlic bread. Everyone’s plate was licked clean and not a single cannelloni was leftover as people went back for seconds. A couple of people even said the recipe was much nicer than cannelloni they have had at restaurants. Best compliment ever! Thanks so much Nagi for another hit recipe! They are always top notch 👌🏻

    Reply
  6. Jean says

    March 23, 2023 at 4:35 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious! I am lazy so knew from the get go I would be using fresh lasagne sheets for this recipe. Your note on this was so helpful as I knew to increase the rest of the ingredients from the get go, so the finished product had a good filling to pasta ratio. I added chopped roasted pumpkin (half a butternut), 750g ricotta, and 450g frozen spinach. I followed the rest of the recipe as written and the result is amazing. Thank you Nagi 🙂

    Reply
  7. Ange says

    March 8, 2023 at 6:45 pm

    5 stars
    So yum! This is my go to recipe when entertaining

    Reply
  8. Sandypaw says

    March 6, 2023 at 7:36 pm

    4 stars
    Hi Nagi I loved the old recipe but I find the new improved one takes a bit longer, so it’s not really a week night meal any more. Is there any chance you could put up the old recipe for us to refer back to?

    Congrats on the book too! 😀

    Reply
    • Julie says

      April 3, 2023 at 9:10 am

      I preferred the old recipe too!

      Reply
      • Sarah F says

        May 27, 2023 at 5:37 pm

        Me too. I made the original one a couple years ago and it was perfect. This one didn’t work last time. Trying again!

        Reply
  9. Karen Murry says

    February 27, 2023 at 7:01 am

    I have a general question about tomato paste.
    When a recipe such as this one call for 1/3 cup of tomato paste – how does that translate to products such as Leggos Triple Concentrate Tomato Paste Sachets which are 2 Tbsp per sachet.
    Is it a like for like amount or do you use less of concentrated tomato paste than the tomato paste used in this recipe?
    Note – I can only seem to find concentrated tomato paste at Woolies…

    Reply
    • Susan says

      May 30, 2023 at 6:05 pm

      Hi Karen. I think the label on the tomato paste sachets is a bit confusing. They ARE good, but I have found that Aldi sell a very good, Australian tomato paste in a jar at a great price, so I use that. It can be divided into portions and frozen with success.

      Reply
  10. Mel says

    January 17, 2023 at 10:40 am

    5 stars
    Absolutely perfect – delicious sauce (and plenty of it) and perfect pasta.

    Reply
  11. Jennifer C says

    December 16, 2022 at 11:52 am

    5 stars
    My kids said this is the best I’ve ever made! I made a couple alterations but the sauce is perfect! Thank you!

    Reply
  12. Yael says

    December 6, 2022 at 9:16 am

    What were the changes that were updated in November 2022? This recipe used to be a hit but my family doesn’t like this new version 🙁 My usual cannelloni loving kid won’t touch this now! What do I do to go back to the old version?

    Reply
  13. Yahaira lee says

    December 6, 2022 at 5:40 am

    Can I leave out the spinach? And if i leave out the spinach do I need to add more cheese? And if so how much more cheese?

    Reply
  14. Louisa says

    November 2, 2022 at 6:05 pm

    5 stars
    Really yummy and toddler loved it too! Win! I subbed the sauce with mutti tomato Parmesan pasta sauce and was still great!

    Reply
  15. Karen Suarez says

    October 29, 2022 at 6:09 am

    5 stars
    Massive hit. Requested again! Thank you. Your measurements and notes are so on point it makes me feel like a rockstar in the kitchen! Thanks again

    Reply
  16. Eve says

    October 26, 2022 at 4:10 pm

    Nagi, in your book it calls for a double batch of the “Saucy Tomato Sauce”, which is in total 4 cups of stock for 800g tomatoes. I’ve got a soup on my hands. What can I do?

    Reply
    • Susan says

      May 30, 2023 at 6:09 pm

      Hi Eve. Like you I thought that the amount of stock was excessive, but went along with it. The liquid adds a lot of juiciness to the filling and the pasta absorbs and thickens much of the rest of the liquid while leaving plenty of saucy sauce.

      Reply
    • Eve says

      October 28, 2022 at 5:25 pm

      5 stars
      I just spent an extra half-hour to reduce the sauce in a shallow pot. It was the tastiest tomato sauce I’ve ever made! I never used chardonnay in recipes before and I wouldn’t change a thing.

      The cannellonies were just spectacularly tasty and so, so fun to make. One of the best things I’ve cooked!

      Reply
  17. Kate says

    October 17, 2022 at 7:46 pm

    Nagi you have left off the sugar from the ingredients list! We’ve added a pinch and tastes delicious

    Reply
  18. Debra Schroeder says

    October 15, 2022 at 3:22 pm

    Hi recipe for the Spinach and ricotta canneloni states to add sugar but can’t see anywhere how much sugar – surely someone else has noticed this – I can’t see anyone question so on it though 🙂 thanks

    Reply
  19. Danielle says

    September 27, 2022 at 9:48 pm

    5 stars
    Good god this was delicious Nagi! I made this recipe about a month ago and froze it for a day like today, that went pear shaped. I took it right from the freezer to the oven and baked it and it tasted like it had been made fresh only moments before. What a sensational recipe to have up your sleeve in the freezer! My husband and father adored it too. Definitely making this again ASAP. It certainly goes a long way too, it’s quite filling. Served with a simple salad and garlic bread it looks like you’ve slaved all day at the stove but is surprisingly easy to pull together. Thanks for making my dinner delicious yet again, I don’t know what I’d do without you! 💕

    Reply
  20. Berrice says

    September 20, 2022 at 10:38 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Nagi, I made this for dinner tonight and we loved it. I know it’s an oldie but a goodie, and because it was on your website, I just had to try it. We grow a lot of veggies, including silver beet, so that is what I used. It was delicious. Thank you. Another successful recipe from your site.

    Reply
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I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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