Cannelloni ricotta e spinaci

The cannelloni with ricotta and spinach is an italian traditional main course often prepared on feast days,  made with small variations in many regions and represents a classic dish of stuffed pasta ; their success is due to the fact that they are a really versatile dish and very tasty.

The cannelloni with ricotta and spinach are formed by rectangles of rolled pasta stuffed with ricotta cheese, spinach, Parmesan cheese and spices.

The cannelloni with ricotta and spinach are a rich and tasty dish, suitable for non-meat eaters!

Ingredients

Cannelloni secchi (16)
Spinach (500g)
Parmigiano reggiano cheese (100g)
Ricotta (400g)
Béchamel sauce (500ml)

Elaboration

Begin preparing the filling: cleanse fresh spinach and boil in a small amount of salted water, then put them to drain, squeezing for good in order to remove as much water as possible. Finally chop with the blade of a knife or a crescent.

Place the spinach in a bowl together with the ricotta, eggs, pepper and nutmeg, and finally the grated cheese. Stir well and mix evenly all with a spoon, then season with salt.

Now we can make the cannelloni: blanch the pasta or cannelloni in salted water for 1-2 minutes and then put them to dry on a clean tea towel (you should read the instructions on the package, because it may not be necessary to boil the dough before baking, especially if it is fresh or if you made it at home). We used sheets of 20 cm long and 15 cm wide. Place the center of each pastry a couple of tablespoons of filling (for our dough are about 130 gr)  then roll it up on itself to form the cylinders. If you use ready-made cannelloni, filled a sac-à-poche (with large nozzle and smooth) with the mixture of ricotta and spinach cannelloni and stuffed one by one.

Halve each cylinder and here's your cannelloni. Arrange them on a well oiled baking dish on the bottom and covered with a couple of tablespoons of sauce then cover them entirely with other white sauce.

Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and bake at 200 degrees for 20-25 minutes, using the grill for the last 5 minutes, in order to brown the surface of the cannelloni with ricotta and spinach. Here are your ready cannelloni with ricotta and spinach!