Method
Wilt and dry the spinach
Rinse 400 g of fresh spinach thoroughly and place it in a large pot over medium heat with only the water clinging to the leaves. Cover and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, until every leaf has collapsed. Transfer the spinach to a colander and let it cool until safe to handle. Press out as much liquid as possible, then squeeze small handfuls firmly and chop them. The spinach should feel damp but should not release water when pressed.
04:00Start the tomato sauce
Warm 15 ml of extra-virgin olive oil in a wide saucepan over medium-low heat. Mince 2 garlic cloves, add it to the oil, and stir for about 30 seconds until fragrant without letting it color. Add 700 g of tomato passata, 180 ml of water for tomato sauce, 1.5 g of fine sea salt for sauce, and 10 g of fresh basil. Stir until the sauce is evenly loosened and bring it to a gentle simmer.
00:30Simmer the tomato sauce
Simmer the sauce gently for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring twice, until the garlic tastes mellow but the sauce still pours easily from a spoon. Do not reduce it to a thick pasta sauce; the extra moisture is needed to soften the cannelloni in the oven.
10:00Cook the bechamel base
Melt 20 g of unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add 20 g of all-purpose flour and whisk continuously for 1 minute. The mixture should foam lightly and smell toasty but remain pale.
01:00Thicken the bechamel
Pour in 360 ml of whole milk in four additions, whisking each addition smooth before adding more. Add 1.5 g of fine sea salt for bechamel, raise the heat to medium, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, whisking often, until the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon and a finger drawn through it leaves a clean line. Remove it from the heat; it should remain fluid enough to spread.
05:00Mix the ricotta and spinach filling
Place 400 g of whole-milk ricotta in a large bowl and loosen it with a sturdy spoon. Add the chopped spinach, 40 g of parmesan for filling, 0.5 g of ground nutmeg, 0.5 g of black pepper, and 1.5 g of fine sea salt for filling. Fold until the spinach is evenly distributed and the mixture holds its shape on the spoon. Transfer the filling to a piping bag or a sturdy food-safe bag with one corner cut wide enough for the spinach to pass through.
Fill and assemble the cannelloni
Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Use a 30 x 20 cm (12 x 8 in) baking dish (for 4 servings); for a scaled batch, choose a dish that keeps the cannelloni in one snug layer at a similar depth. Spread one-third of the tomato sauce across the base. Pipe the ricotta mixture into both ends of 200 g of dried cannelloni tubes, filling each tube without forcing it until it splits. Arrange the filled tubes in one snug layer. Spoon the remaining tomato sauce over every tube, spread the bechamel evenly on top, and finish with 20 g of parmesan for topping. Cover the dish tightly with foil so steam cannot escape.
Bake until the pasta softens
Bake the covered cannelloni for 30 minutes. At the first check, carefully lift one corner of the foil away from your face and pierce a center tube with a small knife. The pasta should yield with only slight resistance and the sauce should be bubbling around the edges. If the tube is still firm, reseal the dish and bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer before uncovering.
30:00Brown the top
Remove the foil and bake for 12 to 15 minutes more, until the bechamel is bubbling, the parmesan is golden in patches, and the pasta is fully tender when pierced. Rotate the dish once if your oven browns unevenly.
12:00Settle the sauces and serve
Let the cannelloni stand for 5 minutes so the filling and sauces settle enough for clean portions. Serve while the center is hot and the browned edges are still crisp.
05:00
Smart Substitutions
- No fresh spinach? Use Swiss chard leaves; remove the thick stems, wilt the leaves, and squeeze them very dry before mixing the filling.
- No parmesan? Use Grana Padano for a similar nutty finish, or pecorino for a sharper, saltier result.
- No cannelloni tubes? Use fresh lasagne sheets cut into rectangles, spread each with filling, and roll them into snug cylinders before saucing.
- Prefer a lighter filling? Replace one-quarter of the ricotta with well-drained full-fat cottage cheese blended until smooth.
Tips and Variations
- Squeeze the spinach in several small handfuls; one wet clump can loosen the entire filling.
- Pipe from both ends of each tube so the center fills without cracking the pasta.
- Seal the foil around the rim rather than laying it loosely on top; trapped steam is what cooks the dry tubes evenly.
What Went Wrong?
- Cannelloni are still firm Pour a small splash of hot water around the edge of the dish, cover tightly, and continue baking until a center tube yields to a knife.
- Filling leaks into the sauce The spinach was probably too wet or the tubes were overfilled. Squeeze the spinach more firmly and stop piping as soon as the filling reaches each end.
- Bechamel is lumpy Whisk vigorously off the heat, then press it through a fine sieve before spreading it over the cannelloni.
- Top browns before the pasta is tender Cover the dish loosely with foil and continue baking until the center tubes are fully tender.
Nutrition Estimate
- Fiber: 7 g per serving
- Sodium: 880 mg per serving
Nutrition disclaimer:This recipe is provided for general cooking information only. Nutrition values are estimates and may vary by ingredients, brands, preparation methods, and serving sizes. Check ingredient labels and follow appropriate food-safety practices. This content is not medical, dietary, allergy, or professional food-safety advice.
