Spinach and ricotta cannelloni.
Cook time: 1 hour 10 mins | Prep time: 40mins | Serves: 10
Ingredients.
Easy tomato passata/sauce
1 brown onion, finely diced
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
700ml tomato passata
1 litre water
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon sweetener
3 stalks of basil with leaves attached
Ricotta filling
1kg ricotta, drained (Sit the ricotta in a colander and in a bowl covered in the fridge overnight)
250g x frozen spinach, defrost and squeeze out the liquid
1 lemon, zest only
1 cup frozen baby peas, defrosted (baby peas so the peas go through the piping bag easily)
2 tablespoons of grated parmesan
salt and pepper
Spinach and ricotta cannelloni
1 batch of easy tomato salsa
1 batch of ricotta filling
30 cannelloni pasta shells
3 tablespoons of grated parmesan
Basil leaves to serve
Optional - shredded mozzarella for topping at the same stage as adding the parmesan.
What you will need - a 30 x 39cm baking tray
Method.
Easy tomato passata/sauce
1. In a medium to a large-sized saucepan on medium heat add enough olive oil to cover the base of the pan. Then add the onion with a pinch of salt. The salt will prevent the onions from burning. Stir onions consistently for 6 minutes then add garlic for another minute and stir.
2. Pour in the passata and water, add the sweetener, and a little salt and pepper. Add the basil leaves and bring them to a simmer. Cook on low for 35 minutes.
Ricotta filling
1. Combine all the ingredients into a bowl.
Spinach and ricotta cannelloni
1. Grease baking tray with oil and spoon in 3 ladles of tomato passata to cover the base.
2. With a piping bag and a large nozzle, spoon in the ricotta mixture in the bag and fill each cannelloni shell. Fill each shell halfway then spin around and fill the other half of the shell.
3. Line each shell one by one in the baking tray until filled. Ladle the tomato sauce over the pasta shells to fully cover the shells. (Leftover sauce, if any, can be used for chicken/eggplant parmi)
4. In each corner of the baking tray pour in 20ml of water. Then, cover with baking paper and foil and place in a 180°C oven for 30 minutes. Take off foil and baking paper, add cheese (and shredded cheese if adding) and bake for another 10 minutes, no cover.
5. Take out and let rest for 15 minutes. Serve with basil leaves, a drizzle of olive oil, sea salt, and cracked pepper.
Tip: Use gluten-free pasta sheets to make the shells for your cannelloni
