I am sure there is a trick I am missing. Still, I swear to God that I have never been capable of making cannelloni pasta using dry cannelloni. They either remain hard and uncooked, or they break. And since baked ricotta and spinach cannelloni is among my favorite pasta dishes, I had to figure out a way to prepare them.

This being said, here is how you can make one of the simple yet tastiest ricotta and spinach cannelloni recipes.

• I use homemade pasta dough. You can find the exact way to make it by reading our Bolognese Pasta recipe. However, if you don't have a pasta machine, you can use fresh lasagna sheets.

‍

‍

• In a food processor, add the spinach, red chili, chili flakes, 1 clove of garlic, thyme, and pulse until everything is turned into a paste.

‍

‍

• Drain the ricotta and put it in a bowl. Mix it with the spinach paste and the parmesan. Give it a taste and season it with salt and pepper.
• Take your lasagna sheets. Put the filling 1 1/2 tbsp of filling on each one and start rolling as you would when making crepes. You should be able to make 8-10 cannelloni with this filling.

‍

‍

• Chop the onion and the remaining garlic clove.
• In a pan, heat up the olive oil and add the onion. Let it fry on medium heat until it becomes translucent. That should take about 5 minutes or so. Add the garlic and let it sit for another minute.
• Pour the canned tomatoes into the pan and let them simmer for a couple of minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper. If the brand you are using has a really acidic taste, add a tsp or so sugar to neutralize the acidity.
• Choose the tray in which you will bake your spinach and ricotta cannelloni. You can even go with two smaller dishes and leave one in the fridge to bake the next day.
• Sprinkle some sauce on the bottom of the tray. Gently, place your cannelloni and top them with the sauce.

‍

‍

• Add the remaining sauce on top of the cannelloni. Grate the mozzarella cheese and bake them in the preheated oven at 180°C (350 F) for 25-30 minutes.

‍

‍

• When ready, take them out of the oven and let them sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before serving. Top them with fresh basil and enjoy.

Even though the cannelloni pasta shape can be traced back to the 18th century, they received their name only in the 20th century. When it comes to the cannelloni fillings, the most typical are the spinach and ricotta mixture or beef ragu.

* You can use the same filling and fill out store-bought dry cannelloni. However, the baking time should be longer. Let them bake for 35-40 minutes or so.

** You can reduce or increase the amount of fresh chili any way you want.

*** Don't forget to tag us on Instagram when making this dish.