A very yummy stuffed pasta dish that will surely be loved by all your lucky eaters! This is a traditional Italian dish that combines spinach, ricotta parmesan cheese stuffing and the all time favorite tomato pasta sauce to top it all off. Oh! Let us not forget the wonderful melted mozzarella cheese at the very top! Serve with a fresh green salad and bread and you are good to go.
Cannelloni Stuffed with Spinach and Cheese
Ingredients
Cannelloni and stuffing
- Cannelloni Shells - about 200 grams (1-18 shells)
- Ground Nutmeg - 1/2 teaspoon
- Chopped Spinach - 400 grams
- Ricotta Cheese - 250 grams
- Grated Parmesan - 1 1/2 tablespoon
- Egg - 1
- Salt - 1/4 teaspoon
- Black Pepper - 1/4 teaspoon
Tomato Sauce
- Onions, Finely Chopped - 1/2 cup
- Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Tomatoes, Finely Chopped - 4 cups
- Tomato Sauce - 2 cups
- Garlic, Minced - 2 cloves
- Sugar - 1 tablespoon
- Bay leaf - 1
Topping
- Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded - 1 cup
- Dried Basil Leaves - 1 teaspoon
Steps
- Step 1
Make your Stuffing
Lightly steam your spinach over low heat till it is wilted. Drain out the excess juice, and put your spinach in a mixing bowl. Add the rest of the stuffing ingredients to the spinach (except for the cannelloni) and mix well. Set aside. Make the sauce.
- Step 2
Make the Sauce
In a sauce pot, add the olive oil and onions over medium high heat. Stir gently till onions became transparent in color (about 6-8 minutes).
- Step 3
Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato sauce and bring to boil.
- Step 4
Lower the heat to simmer. Add garlic, sugar, and bay leaf. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Leave to simmer for about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, stuff your cannelloni. Also preheat oven to 350° F 10 minutes before your sauce is done cooking.
- Step 5
Stuff your Cannelloni
Using your hands, stuff the cannelloni with your spinach and cheese stuffing. Cannelloni should be stuffed well. Set aside.
- Step 6
Bake your Cannelloni
Once your pasta sauce is done cooking, oil a dish that is big enough to fit all your cannelloni shells laying down. Spoon about 1 cup of the sauce into the bottom of your baking dish. Lay your stuffed cannelloni on the sauce.
- Step 7
Pour the rest of the sauce on top of the stuffed cannelloni.
- Step 8
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Step 9
Remove foil, sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and basil on top of the cannelloni, and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
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About the Author: Riwa Saied
