This is my family’s recipe for Cannelloni! No meat in this version, the filling is rich and creamy with fresh spinach, onion, garlic, Ricotta, fresh Parmesan, egg yolk and a dash of nutmeg! The sauce is homemade, traditional and delish! Give this a try, you’ll love it as much as we do!
Ingredients:
Serves 5
- 10 pre-baked lasagna sheets
- 1 cup of shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Basil for garnish – optional
Tomato Sauce
- 1 Tbs of olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed and minced
- 4 cups of crushed tomatoes
- 3 Tbs of fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tsp of dried oregano
- 1 tsp of sugar
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1/2 tsp of black pepper
Filling
- 1 1/2 lbs of fresh spinach, rinsed and dried
- 1/4 cup of finely chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed and minced
- 10 oz of Ricotta cheese
- 5 oz of freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 egg yolks
- dash of nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp of salt
- 1/2 tsp of black pepper
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°
Start by making the tomato sauce, unless you’re using store-bought. In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, add in the olive oil and then the garlic and saute 1 minute, then add in the tomatoes, basil oregano, sugar and the salt & pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In a large skillet, over medium heat, add 2 tsp of olive oil and saute the onion and garlic for a few minutes, then add in the spinach and cook just long enough for the spinach to wilt. Let cool slightly and chop.
Then stir together all of the remaining filling ingredients in a medium bowl, adding in the wilted spinach.
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and drop in the lasagna sheets, cook just long enough for them to become pliable. Spoon some of the filling on the edge of the lasagna sheet and roll up.
Butter a 9×13 baking dish, pour 1/2 the sauce in the bottom and lay in the shells, seam side down, top with the remaining sauce, then sprinkle on the mozzarella and parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes. Garnish with basil if you like, let cool and dig in!
