Easy cannelloni recipe for a delicious home made family favorite
A delicious Italian recipe for ricotta and spinach cannelloni made with fresh lasagna sheets, creamy béchamel, tomato sauce and Parmesan. Easy, comforting and perfect for family dinner or impressive Christmas main
Cannelloni ricotta e spinaci is one of those classic Italian dishes that feels homely, comforting and incredibly satisfying as is also surprisingly easy to make.
It’s a beloved Sunday lunch across Italy and a wonderful vegetarian option for festive meals, from Christmas to Easter to cosy winter evenings.
This version is the one we make at home and the one you’ll find across much of central and northern Italy: fresh lasagna sheets rolled around a creamy ricotta and spinach filling, topped with silky béchamel, a touch of tomato sauce and plenty of Parmesan.
Using fresh pasta sheets makes all the difference.
It keeps the cannelloni tender and delicate, avoiding the dryness that sometimes comes with using the dry tubes. If you’ve only ever had the boxed version, this recipe will be a revelation!
Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni Ingredients
For the filling
- 250 g ricotta
- 1Kg g spinach (raw weight)
- 3–4 tbsp Parmesan, grated
- Nutmeg, a pinch
- Salt and nutmeg to taste
For the pasta
- Fresh lasagna sheets (about 300–350 g), cut into rectangles for rolling
For the sauce
- 500–600 g béchamel sauce – home made, this makes this dish SO nice.
- 300 g tomato sauce (optional but lovely for colour and flavour)
For the topping
- Extra béchamel
- Parmesan for sprinkling
Method
Prepare the filling
Wash the spinach, shred roughly then put them in a large cooking pot / pan with a dash of water and a sprinkle of salt. On medium heat, let the the spinach cook, making sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom: ass water as needed to avoid this.
The spinach will shrink considerably and release a lot of dark green water: this is normal and just what you want it to do. Once the spinach is cooked, drain the water and squeeze the spinach to make it as dry as possible: I use a sieve and wooden spoon for this.
Return to the pot and mix with ricotta, parmesan, nutmeg and salt until you have a creamy, spoonable filling. Taste as you go to adjust exact seasoning to your taste.
If the filling looks too wet, add a little more Parmesan.
Prepare your tomato sauce
I like to add a bit of tomato sauce to my cannelloni, a small amount on top for color and taste. I use a very simple passata with fresh basil sauce, you can quickly cook while the spinach cooks or once the filling is done. You can find my exact tomato and basil sauce recipe here.
Prepare your béchamel sauce
To make the béchamel for this recipe, melt 50 g of butter in a saucepan, then whisk in 50 g of flour until you get a smooth, sticky paste that forms a ball you can move around the pot.
Slowly pour in 500 ml of milk, whisking continuously to avoid lumps (this is the moment to channel your inner kitchen ninja). Keep whisking over medium heat until the sauce thickens and becomes silky. Season with a little salt, and your béchamel is ready—simple, fuss-free, and just the right amount for this cannelloni recipe.
Prepare the pasta
Cut the fresh lasagna sheets into rectangles large enough to roll (usually 10–12 cm wide).
If your sheets are the dry type instead of fresh, this will add a layer of difficulty as they don’t always behave as we would like: but usually, you can blanch them for 10–20 seconds in boiling, salted water and this should make them payable enough to then roll.
Pat dry with a clean tea towel and careful in handling as they will get very hot very soon.
Fill and roll
Spread a line of filling along the long edge of each pasta rectangle, then gently roll it into a cylinder — your fresh cannelloni.
Place the rolls seam-side down in a baking dish with a thin layer of béchamel (or tomato sauce) at the bottom to prevent sticking.
Add the sauces
Spread béchamel over the cannelloni, then add spoonfuls of tomato sauce here and there.
You can swirl them lightly together for a marbled effect — it looks beautiful once baked.
Add parmesan and bake
Sprinkle generously with Parmesan.
Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 25–30 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden and bubbling.
Let rest for 5–10 minutes before serving (it sets beautifully as it cools slightly).
What to Serve With Cannelloni Ricotta e Spinaci
- A simple green salad. I like those made with kale (find my kale salads ideas here), which can be as simple or as elaborate as you wish
- Roasted vegetables
- A light tomato and mozzarella caprese salad
Good to know! In Italy, we do not serve carbs with carbs, so we would not have garlic bread or chips as a side to cannelloni. Salads are the most traditional choice and the one I believe works best with a pasta bake as it adds freshness and lightness, leaving the main as the star of the meal.
Tips for Perfect Cannelloni
- Drain the spinach very well: excess water will thin the filling and make the rolls lose their shape.
- Fresh lasagna sheets work best: dry ones behave more unpredictably and they may break
- Don’t be afraid of adding a generous amount of nutmeg also on top. It’s classic in Italian ricotta dishes.
- Let it rest before cutting for neat portions.
- Mixing béchamel and tomato sauce makes the dish lighter and more colourful.
Variations
- Fully white version: Use only béchamel for a creamier, richer result.
- More tomato-forward: Increase tomato sauce and decrease béchamel or even eliminate béchamel completely (double the amount of tomato sauce in this case).
- Mozzarella topping: Add a little mozzarella on top for extra meltiness.
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free lasagna sheets and GF béchamel.
Storing & Reheating
- Fridge: 2–3 days, tightly covered.
- Freezer: Freeze assembled but unbaked cannelloni for up to 2 months.
- Reheat: Warm in the oven with a splash of milk or béchamel to keep moist.
Ricotta and spinach cannelloni recipe: pin this!
Vegetarian cannelloni recipe: delicious spinach and ricotta cannelloni recipe from Italy
Ingredients
Method
- Wash the spinach, shred roughly then put them in a large cooking pot / pan with a dash of water and a sprinkle of salt. On medium heat, let the the spinach cook, making sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom: ass water as needed to avoid this.
- The spinach will shrink considerably and release a lot of dark green water: this is normal and just what you want it to do. Once the spinach is cooked, drain the water and squeeze the spinach to make it as dry as possible: I use a sieve and wooden spoon for this.
- Return to the pot and mix with ricotta, parmesan, nutmeg and salt until you have a creamy, spoonable filling. Taste as you go to adjust exact seasoning to your taste.
- If the filling looks too wet, add a little more Parmesan.
- I like to add a bit of tomato sauce to my cannelloni, a small amount on top for color and taste. I use a very simple passata with fresh basil sauce, you can quickly cook while the spinach cooks or once the filling is done. You can find my exact tomato and basil sauce recipe here.
- To make the béchamel for this recipe, melt 50 g of butter in a saucepan, then whisk in 50 g of flour until you get a smooth, sticky paste that forms a ball you can move around the pot.
- Slowly pour in 500 ml of milk, whisking continuously to avoid lumps (this is the moment to channel your inner kitchen ninja). Keep whisking over medium heat until the sauce thickens and becomes silky. Season with a little salt, and your béchamel is ready—simple, fuss-free, and just the right amount for this cannelloni recipe.
- Cut the fresh lasagna sheets into rectangles large enough to roll (usually 10–12 cm wide).
- If your sheets are the dry type instead of fresh, this will add a layer of difficulty as they don’t always behave as we would like: but usually, you can blanch them for 10–20 seconds in boiling, salted water and this should make them payable enough to then roll.
- Pat dry with a clean tea towel and careful in handling as they will get very hot very soon.
- Spread a line of filling along the long edge of each pasta rectangle, then gently roll it into a cylinder — your fresh cannelloni.
- Place the rolls seam-side down in a baking dish with a thin layer of béchamel (or tomato sauce) at the bottom to prevent sticking.
- Spread béchamel over the cannelloni, then add spoonfuls of tomato sauce here and there.
- You can swirl them lightly together for a marbled effect — it looks beautiful once baked.
- Sprinkle generously with Parmesan.
