Delicious vegetarian stuffed spinach ricotta cannelloni with a simple homemade tomato sauce and melted mozzarella cheese! With an option for vegan cannelloni!
Cannelloni is a tube-shaped dry pasta made from semolina flour that is stuffed with filling and baked. There are many ways to cook cannelloni.
Here, you will learn how to make vegetarian spinach and ricotta cannelloni baked in a juicy homemade tomato sauce topped with melted mozzarella cheese! A classic and comforting Italian recipe.
The vegetarian cannelloni filling is made with spinach, ricotta, parmesan cheese, and lemon juice. It’s creamy and almost identical to the filling of spinach ricotta ravioli.
To ensure that there is enough liquid for the dry cannelloni pasta tubes to cook in the oven, we top it generously with a homemade tomato sauce. This also gives your cannelloni a wonderful flavor.
Spinach Cannelloni is a satisfying vegetarian main dish for the whole family. Serve them alongside this green salad or spinach apple salad!
Vegan Spinach Ricotta Cannelloni
This recipe is easily adaptable into vegan cannelloni. Substitute regular ricotta cheese with vegan ricotta cheese. It’s widely available in grocery stores, or you can even make your own following this vegan cashew ricotta cheese recipe!
If you can’t find vegan ricotta, use vegan cream cheese.
Omit mozzarella and parmesan cheese in the recipe. However, top the cannelloni prior to baking with a layer of vegan cheese for an extra melt.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This visual step-by-step instruction will help you along the way – definitely recommended if you’re a cooking beginner!
Sauce
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat with one tablespoon of olive oil. Add minced shallot and garlic, sauté for 2-3 minutes until translucent and fragrant.
- Stir in tomato passata and chopped basil. Let it simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Filling
- Thaw spinach, squeeze out all excess liquid by hand, and finely chop.
- Add chopped spinach, ricotta, grated parmesan, lemon juice, and nutmeg in a bowl and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Assemble & Bake
- Transfer filling into a piping bag.
- Pipe the filling into the cannelloni tubes.
- Spread ⅓ of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a baking dish (mine is 11×7 inches | 27x18cm). Assemble filled cannelloni tubes in an even layer in the baking dish.
- Spread the remaining tomato sauce over the cannelloni, then top with torn mozzarella and grated parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 35 minutes.
Storage & Make-Ahead Instructions
Store baked cannelloni in an airtight container in the fridge, or simply wrap the cold baking dish with plastic wrap (easiest to reheat). Good for 3-4 days.
Reheat for 20 minutes in the preheated oven at 355°F (180°C).
Prepare spinach cannelloni (but do not bake) up to one day in advance and store it wrapped with plastic wrap in the refrigerator. Bake per recipe timings when you are ready!
More Italian Recipes You’ll Love
- Vegetarian Lasagna
- Vegan Lentil Lasagna
- Eggplant Parmesan – Parmigiana di Melanzane
- Spinach Ricotta Ravioli
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📖 Recipe
Spinach Ricotta Cannelloni
Equipment
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 shallot minced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 24.5 oz tomato passata
- 1 bunch fresh basil chopped
- salt and pepper
Filling
- 9 oz frozen spinach thawed
- 1 cup ricotta cheese or vegan ricotta (Note 1)
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
- salt and pepper
Cannelloni
- 10-12 cannelloni tubes (Note 2)
- 1 ½ cup mozzarella torn apart or diced, or vegan cheese (Note 1)
- 2 tbsp grated parmesan
Instructions
Sauce
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat with one tablespoon of olive oil. Add minced shallot and garlic, sauté for 2-3 minutes until translucent and fragrant.
- Stir in tomato passata and chopped basil. Let it simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Filling
- Thaw spinach, squeeze out all excess liquid by hand, and finely chop.
- Add chopped spinach, ricotta, grated parmesan, lemon juice, and nutmeg in a bowl and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Transfer filling into a piping bag.
Assemble & Bake
- Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C).
- Spread ⅓ of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a baking dish (mine is 11×7 inches | 27x18cm). Pipe the filling into the cannelloni tubes, then assemble them in an even layer in the baking dish.
- Spread the remaining tomato sauce over the cannelloni, then top with torn mozzarella and grated parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 35 minutes.
Notes
- Vegan Spinach Ricotta Cannelloni: It’s super simple to make a vegan version of this recipe. Use vegan ricotta (store-bought or follow this cashew ricotta cheese recipe) and a vegan cheese alternative. You can even skip the parmesan in the recipe and only use vegan ricotta, tastes delicious too! But make sure to top the cannellonis with some vegan cheese for a nice melt.
- Cannelloni Tubes: Used dried cannelloni tubes (I love the one from Barilla). They do not need to be boiled before cooking in the oven.
- Keeps fresh for 3-4 days. Store it in an airtight container, or simply wrap the cold baking dish with plastic wrap (easiest to reheat), in the refrigerator.
- Reheat for 20 minutes in the preheated oven at 355°F (180°C).