This recipe filled exactly 10 canneloni tubes. I find 2 are enough for me, and Charl eats three, so you could do separate bowls or else all in one big bowl and eat yourself to a standstill, any leftovers freeze very well. It creates a bit of a mess with all the separate ingredients, but it is delicious and yummy and worth any effort. Homemade pasta is brilliant with this if you have a pasta machine.
Canneloni with Ricotta and spinach
Tomato sauce:
1 clove garlic
1 onion, chopped
15ml olive oil
30ml tomato paste
2 large tomatoes, skinned and chopped
1 can chopped tomatoes
salt and pepper
Fresh basil, finely sliced
Fry onion and garlic, add tomato paste, fresh tomatoes and canned tomatoes, bring to boil, cover and simmer 10 minutes, season and puree in blender. Stir in basil.
Bechamel sauce:
1 onion, quartered
5 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
300ml milk
25ml butter
30ml flour
150ml cream
salt and pepper
Place onions, peppercorns, bayy leaf and milk in a small saucepan, bring to boil, cover and leave to stand 15 minutes. Strain and use the milk to make a white sauce with the butter and flour, once thickened add cream and seasoning.
Filling:
1 packet spinach
1 clove garlic
20ml olive oil
250g ricotta cheese
3T parmesan cheese, grated
1t thyme leaves (dry is fine)
salt and pepper
1 egg - this is optional, just binds the filling a bit better
Stir fry spinach and garlic in oil till all liquid has evaporated. Allow to cool, squeeze well to remove moisture then chop finely. Mix all ingredients together and stuff canneloni tubes with filling. Using an icing bag or plastic bag with a hole cut in the corner works well. Otherwise just stuff away with your fingers.
Pour tomato sauce into dish, place canneloni tubes on top, pour bechamel sauce over, sprinkle with a few breadcrumbs and some more parmesan and bake for 20min @ 190C
mmmm yummy now to try the eggplant version!!!
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