Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni

Name: Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: italian
Ingredients: 3 tbsp Olive Oil; 8 cloves chopped Garlic; 3 tbsp Caster Sugar; 2 tblsp Red Wine Vinegar; 3 400 g Cans Chopped Tomatoes; Bunch Basil Leaves; 2 tubs Mascarpone; 3 tbsp Milk; 85 g Parmesan; 2 sliced Mozzarella; 1 kg Spinach; 100 g Parmesan; 3 tubs Ricotta; pinch Nutmeg; 400 g Cannellini Beans

A classic Italian vegetarian from TheMealDB community kitchen — straightforward technique, real ingredients.

Updated April 25, 2026

min total

servings

1473

cal / serving

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Heads up: dietary tags are inferred from listed ingredients. If you have a medical allergy or intolerance, verify each ingredient against a label before cooking. This is not certified-allergen-safe content.

Origin

Categorized as Italian Vegetarian in TheMealDB. Original source: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/531632/spinach-and-ricotta-cannelloni

Ingredients

3 tbspOlive Oil
8 cloves choppedGarlic
3 tbspCaster Sugar
2 tblspRed Wine Vinegar
3 400 g CansChopped Tomatoes
BunchBasil Leaves
2 tubsMascarpone
3 tbspMilk
85 gParmesan
2 slicedMozzarella
1 kgSpinach
100 gParmesan
3 tubsRicotta
pinchNutmeg
400 gCannellini Beans

Instructions

01
First make the tomato sauce. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the garlic for 1 min. Add the sugar, vinegar, tomatoes and some seasoning and simmer for 20 mins, stirring occasionally, until thick. Add the basil and divide the sauce between 2 or more shallow ovenproof dishes (see Tips for freezing, below). Set aside. Make a sauce by beating the mascarpone with the milk until smooth, season, then set aside.
02
Put the spinach in a large colander and pour over a kettle of boiling water to wilt it (you may need to do this in batches). When cool enough to handle squeeze out the excess water. Roughly chop the spinach and mix in a large bowl with 100g Parmesan and ricotta. Season well with salt, pepper and the nutmeg.
03
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Using a piping bag or plastic food bag with the corner snipped off, squeeze the filling into the cannelloni tubes. Lay the tubes, side by side, on top of the tomato sauce and spoon over the mascarpone sauce. Top with Parmesan and mozzarella. You can now freeze the cannelloni, uncooked, or you can cook it first and then freeze. Bake for 30-35 mins until golden and bubbling. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 mins before serving.