Cannelloni ricotta e spinaci
Pasta tubes filled with ricotta, spinach, Parmigiano and nutmeg, baked under béchamel and a little tomato.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Rest
- 10 min
- Total
- 1 hr 25 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Cannelloni ricotta e spinaci are Sunday baked pasta, not a weeknight shortcut. The filling is spinach cooked and squeezed bone-dry, ricotta, Parmigiano, an egg and a grating of nutmeg. Fill dried tubes, or roll squares of fresh egg pasta around the filling, lay them on a little tomato sauce, then cover with béchamel and finish with more Parmigiano. That is the whole recipe: no mascarpone, no mozzarella blanket and no sugar or vinegar in the tomato. The spinach must be squeezed hard or the filling weeps. Thin the béchamel slightly; the pasta drinks it in the oven. Bake until the top is spotted gold and the edges bubble, then rest before serving.
What you'll need
13 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
- Ingredients
- Filling
- Béchamel
- Tomato
Ingredients
Filling
- Spinach500 g
- Ricotta, drained400 g
- Parmigiano Reggiano, grated, two-thirds for the filling100 g
- Egg1 large
- Nutmeg, freshly grated1.2 ml
Béchamel
- Butter40 g
- Wheat flour40 g
- Milk, whole, warm600 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Simmer the passata with the oil, basil and a pinch of salt for 10 minutes. Spread it over the base of a baking dish.
12 min
Step 2
Wilt the spinach in a dry pan, cool, then squeeze out every drop of water and chop finely. Mix with ricotta, two-thirds of the Parmigiano, the egg, nutmeg and salt.
15 min
Step 3
Make the béchamel: melt butter, stir in flour for 2 minutes, whisk in the warm milk and simmer until it coats a spoon. Season.
10 min
Step 4
Heat the oven to 200°C. Fill the tubes (a piping bag helps) or roll the filling in blanched pasta squares. Lay them on the tomato, cover with béchamel and scatter the rest of the Parmigiano.
15 min200°C
Step 5
Bake until golden and bubbling, 25–30 minutes. Rest 10 minutes.
30 min200°C
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 631 kcal
- Protein
- 29.1 g
- Carbs
- 53.7 g
- Fat
- 34.3 g
- Saturated fat
- 15.7 g
- Fibre
- 6.6 g
- Sugar
- 12.4 g
- Sodium
- 1118 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Wheat
- Eggs
- Milk
- Vegetarian
Vegetarian only with a vegetarian Parmigiano Reggiano: the traditional cheese is made with animal rennet.
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 11 November.
Substitutions
Fresh spinach → Frozen leaf spinach
Thaw and squeeze even harder.
Tips
- Sheep's-milk ricotta gives a sharper, richer filling.
- Assemble the day before and bake from the fridge with 10 extra minutes.
History & culture
A festive first course across central and northern Italy, made ahead for family lunches. Emilia and Piedmont lean on béchamel; elsewhere tomato does more of the work. Ricotta and spinach is the meatless filling for Fridays and feast days; meat-filled cannelloni, with leftover braise, are the other half of the tradition.
Stuffed baked pasta tubes appear in Italian cookbooks from the early twentieth century, with Sorrento and Amalfi both claiming the first cannelloni. Ricotta and spinach is the classic magro filling, the same one used for ravioli and tortelli. Béchamel, Italianised as besciamella, made it a rich festive bake.
Traditional — Ricotta, spinach, Parmigiano, nutmeg. Béchamel and a little plain tomato sauce.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Cannelloni ricotta e spinaci take?
1 hr 25 min all in — 40 min prep, 35 min cook, 10 min rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 4 portions. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Medium.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Wheat, Eggs, Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian.
6 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Saucepan, Mixing bowl, Baking tray.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1 tsp.
What can I use instead?
Fresh spinach → Frozen leaf spinach. Thaw and squeeze even harder.
Any tips from this recipe?
Sheep's-milk ricotta gives a sharper, richer filling. Assemble the day before and bake from the fridge with 10 extra minutes.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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