I prepared this dish for my husband’s birthday and the guests loved it. This classic Italian recipe is perfect for parties and gatherings of all kind. Eaten hot or at room temperature, it will never fail to impress. Since it is not a dish I prepare often, I always make sure I have extra portions for the freezer. This way, when I do not have time to cook, my lunch or dinner is ready in no time. 😋

This recipe is for 50 cannelloni (10 people)

Ingredients

3 packs cannelloni (250g each)

5 bags spinach (250g each)

5 packs ricotta (250g each)

White sauce for lasagne (710g)

5 tomato passata (3 x 390g and 2 x 500g)

2 large whole free-range eggs

Grated parmesan (120g)

4 cloves of garlic

A little extra virgin olive oil

Black pepper

Nutmeg (half teaspoon)

Salt

Method

For the spinach

Bring to boil a large pot of water and put in the spinach.

They are ready to be drained after a couple of minutes.

Once they have cooled down (I usually pass them under cold water to gain time), little by little and repeatedly, with both hands squeeze the water out as much as possible.

Chop the spinach and put them in a bowl.

For the tomato sauce

In a saucepan with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil, fry the garlic cut in half until golden.

Add the passata and season with salt.

Add half glass of water and cook it at low-medium heat until the water has reduced a little.

Remove the garlic and put the sauce aside.

For the cannelloni

Take the bowl with the spinach and add eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg, ricotta, parmesan (a little less than half pack), white sauce (1 cup, the equivalent of 128g) and mix well. I suggest tasting it and season with more salt, nutmeg or pepper if needed.

Some people use a plastic food bag to squeeze the filling into the cannelloni, but I find it quicker when I use my hands.

One by one, fill all the cannelloni and place them into a non-stick rectangular deep roasting pan (in my pan, I can perfectly fit 24 cannelloni) where you previously added some tomato sauce at the bottom.

When done with the filling, cover the cannelloni with the tomato sauce, add the rest of the white sauce, the parmesan and cook for 30 minutes at 180° plus 5 minutes at 220° (we do not want to overcook the cannelloni).

I would not suggest doing more than one layer in each roasting pan. Overall, you should make two pans plus one small.

When out of the oven, let it rest for a few minutes before serving.