Some days ago I wanted something tasty for lunch and made this baked cannelloni.
They are simple and fun to make, and you can mix them with other recipes we’ve shared on this blog recently. There’s really no reason not to post this dish as well.
It takes some time to make it properly, but trust me: you’re not going to regret it!
Ingredients
Here is everything you need for this recipe.
Ricotta mixture: I’ve used the ricotta and spinach filling that I shared on this blog some days ago. You can also use the one Chuck made for his Sunday Sauce Lasagna Recipe.
Egg pasta sheets: medium sized lasagna sheets will do.
Grated cheese: For this recipe, I recommend parmesan cheese, as its nutty flavor blends well with the rest of the ingredients. However, you can also use pecorino cheese. It will make your baked cannelloni a little saltier and spicier.
Meat sauce: I didn’t have much time to cook, so I went with a store bought meat sauce. But for best results, try following our Bolognese Sauce recipe. It will take a while, but it will be worth it. And if you want to enjoy it without spending time on the stove, we also ship it all over the US.
Method
Step 1: Start by pre-heating your oven to 356° F. In the meantime, bring some water to a boil in a pot.
Step 2: Make the ricotta mix as I showed you a few days ago. Heat some spinach in a saucepan, then blend them and mix them with ricotta, parmesan cheese and your favorite spices in a bowl.
Step 3: When the water is boiling, add the lasagna sheets one by one and let them boil for a minute, then take them out.
Step 4: Place 1 or 2 tablespoons of ricotta mix on each lasagna sheet, then roll everything up.
Step 5: Take a baking dish and layer some meat sauce over its bottom. Don’t use it all, you’ll need most of it for the next steps. Two of three tablespoons will be enough.
Step 6: You can see where this is going. Make a single layer of pasta rollups.
Step 7: Cover everything with the rest of the meat sauce, and top with the grated cheese.
Step 8: Bake at 356° F for about 40 minutes.
For best results, cover with aluminum foil and bake in the central part of the oven for the first 25 minutes. Then remove the foil and move the baking dish to the highest part of the oven, and wait another 10 minutes. Finally, switch to the grill function for the last 5 minutes.
What to serve with baked cannelloni?
Appetizers: I’d go with something easy, like ricotta toast.
Meat: Try serving these baked cannelloni with some chicken breast dressed with bechamel sauce or with Chuck’s cheese sauce recipe without flour.
Salad: Add some more cheese to the equation by serving some feta salad.
Wine: I’m usually a red wine stan, but this time I’d probably go with a nice rosee.
Recipe Card
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Baked Cannelloni With Ricotta & Meat Sauce
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 3 1x
Ingredients
1 can of Mortadella Head’s Bolognese Sauce
8 lasagna sheets
12 tbsp of grated parmesan cheese
16 oz fresh whole milk ricotta
13 oz spinach
olive oil to taste
ground black pepper
nutmeg powder
2 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
Instructions
Preparation:
Start by pre-heating your oven to 356° F. In the meantime, bring some water to a boil in a pot.
Making the ricotta mix:
- Heat the spinach in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta with 6 tbsp grated parmesan and the spices.
- Take the spinach away from the heat, remove the excess water, and when they’ve cooled down a little, blend them.
- Combine with the ricotta cheese mixture, add the lemon juice, and mix again.
Assembling the cannelloni:
- When the water is boiling, add the lasagna sheets one by one and let them boil for 1 minute each, then set them aside.
- Place 1 or 2 tbsp of ricotta mix on each lasagna sheet and roll everything up
- Take a baking dish and layer some of the meat sauce over its bottom.
- Add the rolled up cannelloni to form a single pasta layer.
- Add the rest of the bolognese sauce and the remaining 6 tbsp of parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 356° F for 40 minutes.
- Enjoy.
Notes
For best results, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in the central part of the oven for the first 25 minutes. Then remove the foil and move the baking dish to the highest part of the oven, and wait another 10 minutes. Finally, switch to the grill function for the last 5 minutes.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 40
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
