Three Cheese and Spinach Cannelloni Made With Easy Lasagna Noodles

Three cheese cannelloni with spinach covered with a garlic marinara sauce and topped with chopped fresh basil.

5 from 4 votes

Three Cheese and Spinach Cannelloni Made With Easy Lasagna Noodles

This cannelloni pasta dish combines the richness of three kinds of cheese with the freshness of spinach, all conveniently packed into tender sheets of lasagna noodles. It's a culinary masterpiece that will impress even the toughest food critics.

Prep Time25

Cook Time30

Resting Time5

Total Time1

Course: Main Course Pasta

Cuisine: American-Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 672kcal

Author: Marisa Franca @ All Our Way

Equipment

Ingredients

16 oz. Lasagna noodles
2 cups whole milk ricotta
2 cups grated Pecorino Romano divided
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach 10 oz., thawed and squeezed dry
1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley stems discarded, leaves chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. fresh garlic grated
½ tsp. nutmeg freshly grated
kosher Salt to taste
black pepper to taste
red pepper flakes q.b. quanto basta (to taste)
1 recipe Besciamella.
1 recipe Roasted Tomato Sauce

Besciamella - White Sauce

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2¼ cup whole milk
½ teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Roasted Tomato Sauce - prepare this ahead of time. You may also substitute a good jarred marinara sauce or garlic sauce such as Raos's

2½ lbs. Roma tomatoes seedes and chopped
½ cup onion chopped
3 garlic cloves smashed
3 Tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and red pepper flakes q.b. quanto basto (as you like)

Instructions

Make the Besciamella sauce : Makes 2 ½ cups

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute.
Whisk in milk and nutmeg, bring sauce to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook until thick, whisking occasionally, 10 minutes.
Season besciamella with salt.

If using Homemade Roasted Tomato Sauce: Makes 4 cups

Preheat oven to 450℉.
Toss tomatoes, onion, and garlic with oil; season with kosher salt and red pepper flakes.
Transfer mixture to a baking dish; roast until tomatoes blister, 35-40 minutes.
Purée mixtue in a food processor or with a handheld blender.

Presoak Regular Lasagna Noodles - no boiling needed

Fill a large square deep casserole with the hottest tap water. Put the dry lasagna noodles in, and let the noodles soak for 20 minutes before draining.
To prevent sticking, place the noodles in the water one at a time and swirl occasionally.
When the noodles are done, stack in a single layer between sheets of foil coated with non stick spray. Finish

Cannelloni Cheese Filling:

Combine ricotta, 1 cup Pecorino, mozzarella, spinach, parsley, oil, garlic, and nutmeg for the filling; season with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.

To Assemble the Cannelloni:

To assemble cannelloni, spray the bottom and sides of a 3-quart baking dish with vegetable spray, then coat the bottom of the dish with Besciamella.
Fill each lasagna sheet with a scant ¼ cup filling and gently roll.
Arrange cannelloni, seam sides down, in dish; spread 3 cups tomato sauce over the top, then sprinkle with remaining 1 cup Pecorino.
Bake cannelloni 30 minutes; serve with remaining sauce on the side.

Notes

- To prevent lasagna noodles from sticking during the pre-soaking step, place them in the water individually and swirl occasionally.

- When assembling Italian cannelloni, use a scant ¼ cup of filling for each lasagna sheet and gently roll them to prevent overfilling.

- Allow the assembled cannelloni recipe to cool before refrigerating or freezing to avoid condensation, which can affect the texture.

- Always spray your baking/casserole dishes with vegetable cooking spray to prevent sticking.
NOTE: The nutritional values here are approximations. If you use your recipes, they will alter a bit.

Nutrition