Origin: Italian Cuisine
Preparation Time: 50 min
Cooking Time: 30 min
Number of servings: 4

 

Ingredients  
16 canelloni tubes
3 cups fresh spinach leaves
400 g ricotta cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
200 g mozzarella cheese, sliced
500 ml fresh cream
800 g canned peeled tomatoes
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons oregano, fresh and chopped
1/4 nutmeg, grated
2 tablespoons butter
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled & finely sliced
1 teaspoon sugar
salt
black pepper freshly ground

 

Cooking method      
1. Preheat the oven to 180?C/350?F/gas 4.
2. Put a large saucepan on high heat and add the butter, a drizzle of olive oil, one of the sliced garlic cloves, the marjoram/oregano and the grated nutmeg.
3. When the garlic is soft, add the spinach and keep turning it over. After 5 minutes, empty the pan into a large bowl and leave to cool.
4. Place the pan back on the heat, add a little olive oil, the other sliced garlic clove and the tomatoes including the sauce from their cans.
5. Bring to the boil then turn the heat down. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and the sugar. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until you get a loose tomato sauce consistency. Take the pan off the heat and add the basil leaves.
6. By now the spinach should be cool. Squeeze any excess liquid out of it and keep that liquid aside in a bowl.
7. Finely chop the spinach and add to the liquid. Add the ricotta and a handful of Parmesan. Mix well.
8. Fill the cannelloni with this mixture using a piping bag. If you do not have one, fill the corner of a sandwich bag with the mixture, then twist the bag up and cut the corner off. Gently squeeze the filling into the cannelloni tubes so each one is filled right up.
9. Find an ovenproof dish that will fit the cannelloni in one layer. Pour the tomato sauce in it and lay the cannelloni on top.
10. Make a white sauce by mixing together the fresh cream, 2 handfuls of Parmesan and a little salt and pepper.
11. Spoon the white sauce over the cannelloni. Drizzle with olive oil, add the mozzarella pieces and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.
12. Bake for about 30 minutes until golden.