My Spinach Ricotta Cannelloni is a classic Italian recipe of baked pasta tubes with a cheesy spinach filling. Easy vegetarian stuffed pasta!
From Cheesy Manicotti to Stuffed Shells to these Ricotta Spinach Cannelloni, nothing says Italian comfort food like a hearty casserole dish loaded with pasta, sauce, and cheese! This classic recipe is sure to be a new favorite Pasta dinner.
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Sabrina’s Cannelloni Recipe
My easy classic version of Cannelloni will have everyone asking for seconds! Tender pasta tubes, stuffed with a rich and flavorful spinach and ricotta cheese filling, are baked to perfection with a generous layer of marinara sauce and even more gooey cheese on top. The result is a pasta dinner perfect as a simple weeknight main course, crowd-pleasing potluck dish, or served as a primo in a full traditional Italian meal.
What is Cannelloni?
Cannelloni is a classic Italian pasta dish made with large, hollow pasta tubes that are stuffed with a delicious filling and baked in a flavorful sauce. Traditionally the tubes were square fresh pasta sheets formed around the filling but nowadays you can buy the pre-made cannolli pasta tubes. The name “cannelloni” means “big tubes” in Italian, referring to the shape of the pasta. Usually the pasta is filled with a combination of ricotta cheese and spinach and topped with rich tomato sauce. However, other versions can be filled with a meat mixture or topped with cream sauces.
Ingredients
- Cannelloni Pasta: These large, cylindrical tubes are thinner than manicotti pasta tubes, so they don’t need to be parboiled before stuffing. This cuts down on your prep time and they are less likely to break while filling them.
- Ricotta Cheese: The creamy, smooth texture of ricotta cheese is perfect for filling stuffed pasta like Cannelloni. It has a mild creaminess that compliments the herby Italian seasoning and earthy, robust spinach flavor.
- Parmesan Cheese: Shredded Parmesan cheese adds a nutty, salty note to the filling and topping. It is an essential ingredient in Italian dishes and a little bit packs a big punch of flavor!
- Spinach: Using frozen spinach in the spinach and ricotta cheese mixture just makes this recipe so much easier. It needs to be thawed so you can drain all the excess water and prevent a watery filling.
- Egg: I like to use an egg in my ricotta cheese fillings because it helps make the mixture smoother while binding everything together. It also just adds another layer of richness.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Shredded mozzarella cheese adds delicious melty, cheesy goodness inside and on top of the Cannelloni. The cheese in the filling gets all gooey, and the topping slightly crisps on the outside as it browns under the broiler.
- Seasonings: A blend of dried herbs like oregano, basil, thyme, and rosemary, Italian seasoning gives the filling classic Italian flavor. A little bit of crushed pepper flakes add some kick to this creamy, cheesy, rich dish.
- Marinara Sauce: Traditional Cannelloni is usually topped with a rich tomato sauce. This recipe uses my easy, flavorful Homemade Marinara Sauce, but you can also use a jarred sauce.
How to Make Cannelloni
Time needed: 1 hour and 10 minutes.
- Prep
Preheat the oven. Mix ricotta cheese, Parmesan, spinach, mozzarella cheese, egg, garlic, Italian seasoning, pepper flakes, and pepper in a large bowl.
- Fill
Transfer the filling mixture to a large plastic storage bag or piping bag. Cut a small hole in the bottom corner. Place the tip in the pasta shell and gently squeeze, slowly pulling the bag out as the tube fills.
- Assemble
Spread a cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Line up the filled cannelloni shells on the sauce in two rows.
- Top
Cover with the remaining sauce and grated mozzarella cheese.
- Bake
Cover the prepared baking dish tightly with foil. Bake in a preheated oven until the pasta is tender and the filling is bubbling.
- Brown and Serve
Remove the foil and turn the oven to broil. Continue cooking until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. It will be very hot, so give it 5-10 minutes to cool. Top with parsley and Parmesan cheese and serve.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 2 cups ricotta cheese (whole milk style)
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese , shredded
- 12 ounces frozen chopped spinach , thawed and drained well
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese , shredded (divided)
- 1 large egg
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 8 ounces Cannelloni shells
To Finish:
- 4 cups marinara sauce
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese , shredded
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley , finely minced
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese , for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, well-drained spinach (I squeeze the spinach dry in small handfuls), 2 cups mozzarella cheese, egg, garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and black pepper to a large bowl.
- Put mixture into a large ziplock back and cut a 1-inch long opening into the bottom corner.
- Pipe filling into cannelloni shells.
- Add 1 cup marinara to the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
- Add the stuffed shells and top with the remaining 3 cups marinara sauce.
- Top with the remaining 2 cups of mozzarella cheese.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes until the shells are tender and the filling is bubbling and melted.
- Remove from oven, turn the oven up to broil.
- Put the baking dish back in the oven, uncovered, and cook for 15 minutes until cheese is melty and lightly browned.
- Let cool 5 minutes before serving, the filling will be very hot.
- Garnish with parsley and parmesan cheese.
Nutrition
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Chef’s Note: Easiest Stuffed Pasta Bake!
I love how Cannelloni is a super easy baked Italian pasta dish to make! Unlike lasagna or manicotti, you don’t have to par-boil any pasta ahead of time. This means no ripping pasta sheets stuck together or breaking pasta tubes as you try to fill them. The cheesy filling is a simple ricotta and spinach mixture that doesn’t require cooking. All in all, this Italian dish will go from fridge to table in about an hour.
Can this be made ahead of time?
Absolutely! Cannelloni can be assembled and refrigerated a day before, or you can freeze it for up to 3 months. Follow the recipe up to the point of baking, cover tightly with foil or plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator or freezer. You don’t even need to thaw it before baking it. When you’re ready to bake and serve your Cannelloni, add 10-20 minutes to the baking time to ensure the pasta shells are fully cooked. If you are freezing ahead, use a baking pan that can go from the freezer to the oven.
Nutritional Facts
How to Store
- Store: Once baked, Cannelloni can be at room temperature for 2 hours before being stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It will be very hot straight from the oven, so let it cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Reheat: It’s best to reheat this Cannelloni casserole dish in the oven. Cover the baking dish and use low heat to warm up slowly for 10-15 minutes so it doesn’t dry out.
- Freeze: Let the Cannelloni cool completely. Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil or an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator or reheat from frozen; remove the plastic wrap first and re-cover with foil.
Frequent Questions
Manicotti is the Americanized version of Italian Cannelloni. The main difference lies in the type of pasta used. Both are large cylindrical tubes, but Cannelloni pasta tends to be thinner and smoother with flat edges. Manicotti pasta has tapered edges and is ribbed outside, and it is generally thicker. However, they are used pretty interchangeably with similar fillings and sauces.
You can use a piping bag or a small spoon to fill Cannelloni. If using a piping bag (plastic storage bag), spoon the filling into the bag, then cut a 1-inch opening at the bottom corner. Insert the bag into one end of the pasta tube and gently squeeze the filling in, repeating for the remaining shells. Alternatively, you can use a small spoon to stuff the filling into the pasta tubes carefully.
Yes, eggs are commonly used in Cannelloni recipes. They serve as a binder for the filling, helping to hold the ingredients together and they also make the filling creamier and richer in flavor.
Cannelloni shells are ideal because, of course, that’s the dish’s name, and using another pasta means it’s not truly Cannelloni. However, you can use large pasta shells or manicotti pasta, you’ll just need to cook the pasta according to the package directions before stuffing them.
Variations
- Meat: Add cooked ground beef, Italian sausage, or diced Grilled Chicken to the spinach ricotta filling for a heartier Cannelloni recipe. You want to cook any meat filling first and drain any excess grease before adding it. You could also just swap the regular marinara with meat sauce – try them with my delicious Homemade Bolognese Recipe!
- Spinach: If you have the time, use 2 cups of fresh spinach leaves instead of frozen spinach. Cook them first and remove excess liquid so you don’t get a watery filling. Try steaming them with unpeeled garlic cloves or sauteing them in butter and garlic for some extra flavor.
- Veggies: Add some more veggies like roasted bell peppers, Sauteed Mushrooms, or cooked onions to the spinach. You could do a delicious combination of veggies; just make sure to keep it to about 1 ½ cups total including the spinach so there is a good ratio of vegetables to cheese.
- Kale: Swap out the spinach with some cooked kale, like my Sauteed Garlic Kale, just make sure to drain any extra water or liquid.
- Alfredo: Make a creamy, rich Spinach Cannelloni Alfredo by using an Alfredo Sauce instead of the marinara sauce. This would be really good with leftover Rotisserie Chicken added!
- Bechamel: Another classic topping for cannelloni is a creamy bechamel sauce. It’s a French white sauce made with butter and flour roux, milk, salt and nutmeg.
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