La Bella Ro

Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni 

Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Prep time: 15 min
  • Cook time: 50 min
  • Serving: 6 persone
  • Cost: Low

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS FOR THE EGG PASTA FOR 8 CANNELLONI

  • Type 00 flour ¾ cup (100 g)
  • Eggs 1 (55 g) - medium

FOR THE FILLING

  • Spinach 0.5 lb (250 g)
  • Eggs 1 - medium
  • Extra virgin olive oil to taste
  • Nutmeg 1 pinchaste
  • Fine salt to taste
  • Cow's milk ricotta cheese- ⅔ cup (150 g)
  • Garlic -1 clove
  • Grana Padano PDO cheese- ½ cup (50 g) - grated
  • Black pepper to taste

FOR THE BÉCHAMEL SAUCE

  • Whole milk 2 ¼ cups (500 g)
  • Butter 3 tbsp (50 g)
  • Nutmeg to taste
  • Type 00 flour - ⅓ cup (37 g)
  • Fine salt -1 pinch
  • Black pepper 1 pinch

FOR THE BÉCHAMEL SAUCE

  • Grana Padano PDO cheese to taste

Preparation

What makes spinach and ricotta cannelloni such a tantalizing dish? Is it its inspiring effortlessness? The agreement of new hand crafted pasta combined with a wealthy filling? The brilliant beat of the savory heated béchamel sauce? Or maybe it brings out recollections of domestic, reminiscent of cherished family Sunday suppers? We’ve considered this, but it’s challenging to pinpoint fair one reason: each component contributes to making this dish a genuine Italian classic cherished by both the youthful and ancient. It’s culminate for veggie lover choices or uncommon social occasions!

To make the spinach and ricotta cannelloni, start by making the egg pasta. Pour the flour into a bowl, setting a little aside. Lightly beat the egg

  1. add to the bowl, and then work the mixture with your hands to combine all the ingredients
  2. Now transfer the dough to a pastry board and keep working it
  3. adding the flour you set aside as needed.Once you have a smooth, even dough that’s firm and elastic, shape it into a ball
  4. At this point, wrap the dough in plastic wrap
  5. and leave to rest for around one hour in a cool, dry place so that it develops the right elasticity. While the dough is resting, turn to the spinach. Pour the oil into a pot, add the garlic, let it brown and then remove it. Wash and drain the spinach well, then add it to the pot
  6. Season with salt and let it cook, covered, for around 5 minutes, until the spinach has wilted
  7. Once cooked, let the spinach cool. Meanwhile, prepare the béchamel sauce. First, warm the milk. Then add the butter to another pot and let it melt completely. Now sift the flour
  8. and, once the butter has melted, add it to the butter and stir vigorously. After a couple of minutes, you’ll get a hazelnut-colored roux. Remove the pot from the heat for a moment and slowly pour in the hot milk
  9. Keep stirring and season the béchamel with a pinch of salt and pepper and some grated nutmeg
  10. Continue to cook the béchamel over medium heat for 5-6 minutes until you get the desired consistency, then transfer to a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap
  11. The spinach will be cool by now; transfer to a cutting board and chop roughly with a knife
  12. Place the chopped spinach in a large bowl, add the ricotta
  13. stir with a fork, and then add the eggs
  14. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg and stir to combine. Finally, add the grated cheese
  15. Stir the ingredients together well
  16. Now transfer this mixture to a pastry bag and put it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. Take your egg pasta dough that’s rested and developed the right elasticity, and divide it in two
  17. Roll each portion of dough through a dough sheeter to number 8
  18. so you get a sheet about the thickness of a nickel coin (2 mm). If you don’t have a dough sheeter, you can roll out the dough by hand using a lightly floured rolling pin.Cut the sheet into rectangles measuring 3½x5½ inches (9×14 cm)
  19. taking into account the length of your baking dish. Next, blanch your pasta rectangles one at a time in boiling, slightly salted water
  20. for about 1 minute each. Drain and transfer to a tray covered with a clean kitchen cloth
  21. Be sure to lay the pasta out perfectly, without the rectangles overlapping each other. If you’d like, you can also run them under cold water to stop the cooking process. Place around 3.5 oz (100 g) of filling in the middle of the pasta, using the pastry bag
  22. Then roll the pasta up onto itself to form a cylinder
  23. Now spread 2 heaping spoonfuls of béchamel in a baking dish
  24. Arrange your cannelloni in the dish
  25. and cover with the remaining béchamel
  26. distributing it well
  27. Sprinkle with the grated cheese
  28. and bake in a conventional oven preheated to 390°F (200°C) for around 15 minutes. Then switch to broiler mode at 450°F (230°C) and cook for another 5 minutes until a golden crust has formed on top
  29. Your spinach and ricotta cannelloni are now ready to be served piping hot 

Storage

You can keep your spinach and ricotta cannelloni in the fridge for 1-2 days in an airtight container. You can freeze the cannelloni either before cooking them, and then defrost in the fridge and cook in the oven, or after cooking them, and then defrost in the fridge and reheat in the oven.

Interesting Facts

“My dear Albina, I am sorry to give you a great pain. But I have a sudden passion for can-nel-lo-ni. You need to have cannelloni ready at any time of day or night. Cannelloni! Cannelloni! Thank you!” This is the note that the poet Gabriele D’Annunzio left for his cook, urging her to frequently make cannelloni. Even a connoisseur like him couldn’t resist the delicious richness of this dish!

Tips

For a more original filling, try using chard instead of spinach, and for an even crispier crust, sprinkle with Grana Padano or grated caciocavallo cheese!

Source: Giallo Zafferano

Scroll to Top