Spinach And Ricotta Cannelloni
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onion, green pepper and garlic and cook gently until softened.
- Reduce the heat and add the basil, thyme, tomato puree, salt, sugar and water.
- Bring to the boil, stirring continuously, then reduce the heat again and simmer for 10 minutes to make a thick tomato sauce.
- Meanwhile rinse the spinach leaves well and remove the stalks. Place in a large saucepan (no extra water). Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat immediately, and leave on the hot plate to simmer 3-4 minutes, so that the spinach is just wilted. Turn the top leaves to the bottom of the saucepan so that all of the leaves are equally wilted. Remove from the heat and drain really well. Coarsely chop and place in a large bowl.
- Add the ricotta/cottage cheese, oreganum, salt, sugar, nutmeg and pepper to the spinach. Mix well until all the ingredients are evenly combined. Divide this mixture into 8 equal portions.
- Spray a 200x300mm casserole dish with non-stick spray.
- Pour boiling water into a baking sheet and soak the lasagne sheets for 3-5 minutes until soft and pliable. Remove from the water, place on a flat board, dab with a paper towel to remove excess water.
- Place a sausage of spinach-ricotta mixture into each lasagne sheet. Roll up tightly, to make 8 large, generously filled cannelloni tubes.
- Place the rolls into the baking dish in a single layer, seam side down.
- Pour the tomato sauce over (if too thick, add water). Gently shake the casserole dish to ensure the sauce is evenly distributed.
- Sprinkle the grated cheese over the cannelloni and bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until the top is nicely browned and the pasta tender.
- Serve with a green salad or 2 vegetables.
Information
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1tsp (5ml) canola oil
- 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
- ½ small green pepper, seeded and chopped
- 2tsp (10ml) crushed garlic
- 1tsp (5ml) dried OR 1Tbs (15ml) fresh basil
- 1tsp (5ml) dried OR 1Tbs (15ml) fresh thyme
- 1 tin (410g) tomato puree
- ½ tsp (2.5ml) salt
- ½ tsp (2.5ml) sugar
- ½ cup (125ml) water
- 2 bunches (600g) fresh spinach leaves / 2 packets prepared spinach
- 500g (2 x 250g) ricotta / low fat cottage cheese
- 1tsp (5ml) dried OR 1Tbs (15ml) fresh thyme
- ½ tsp (2.5ml) salt
- ½ tsp (2.5ml) sugar
- ¼ tsp (1.25ml) ground nutmeg
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 8 lasagne sheets
- 250ml (1 cup) grated lower fat cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onion, green pepper and garlic and cook gently until softened.
- Reduce the heat and add the basil, thyme, tomato puree, salt, sugar and water.
- Bring to the boil, stirring continuously, then reduce the heat again and simmer for 10 minutes to make a thick tomato sauce.
- Meanwhile rinse the spinach leaves well and remove the stalks. Place in a large saucepan (no extra water). Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat immediately, and leave on the hot plate to simmer 3-4 minutes, so that the spinach is just wilted. Turn the top leaves to the bottom of the saucepan so that all of the leaves are equally wilted. Remove from the heat and drain really well. Coarsely chop and place in a large bowl.
- Add the ricotta/cottage cheese, oreganum, salt, sugar, nutmeg and pepper to the spinach. Mix well until all the ingredients are evenly combined. Divide this mixture into 8 equal portions.
- Spray a 200x300mm casserole dish with non-stick spray.
- Pour boiling water into a baking sheet and soak the lasagne sheets for 3-5 minutes until soft and pliable. Remove from the water, place on a flat board, dab with a paper towel to remove excess water.
- Place a sausage of spinach-ricotta mixture into each lasagne sheet. Roll up tightly, to make 8 large, generously filled cannelloni tubes.
- Place the rolls into the baking dish in a single layer, seam side down.
- Pour the tomato sauce over (if too thick, add water). Gently shake the casserole dish to ensure the sauce is evenly distributed.
- Sprinkle the grated cheese over the cannelloni and bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until the top is nicely browned and the pasta tender.
- Serve with a green salad or 2 vegetables.
Notes
- The protein mostly comes from the ricotta cheese.
- Saturated fat content is 6g/serving = not high (good!)
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these recipes designed for everyday, practical cooking?
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