
Keep a few portions of this vegetarian classic in the freezer and you'll never be stuck for a satisfying supper
Nutrition and extra info
- Freezable
- Vegetarian
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal711
- fat47g
- saturates27g
- carbs44g
- sugars15g
- fibre5g
- protein30g
- salt1.59g
Ingredients
For the tomato sauce
- 3 tbsp olive oil
Olive oil
ol-iv oylProbably the most widely-used oil in cooking, olive oil is pressed from fresh olives. It's…
- 8 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 tbsp caster sugar
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 4 x 400g cans chopped chopped tomatoes
- small bunch basil leaves
For the topping
- 2 x 250g tubs mascarpone
- 3 tbsp milk
Milk
mill-kOne of the most widely used ingredients, milk is often referred to as a complete food. While cow…
- 85g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), grated
Parmesan
parm-ee-zanParmesan is a straw-coloured hard cheese with a natural yellow rind and rich, fruity flavour. It…
- 2 x 125g balls mozzarella, sliced
For the filling
- 1kg spinach
Spinach
spin-atchUsed in almost every cuisine across the world, spinach is an enormously popular green vegetable…
- 100g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), grated
Parmesan
parm-ee-zanParmesan is a straw-coloured hard cheese with a natural yellow rind and rich, fruity flavour. It…
- 3 x 250g tubs ricotta
Ricotta
ree-cot-aRicotta is an Italian cheese made from whey and traditionally a by-product of…
- large pinch grated nutmeg
Nutmeg
nut-megOne of the most useful of spices for both sweet and savoury…
- 400g dried cannelloni
Method
First make the tomato sauce. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the garlic for 1 min. Add the sugar, vinegar, tomatoes and some seasoning and simmer for 20 mins, stirring occasionally, until thick. Add the basil and divide the sauce between 2 or more shallow ovenproof dishes (see Tips for freezing, below). Set aside. Make a sauce by beating the mascarpone with the milk until smooth, season, then set aside.
Put the spinach in a large colander and pour over a kettle of boiling water to wilt it (you may need to do this in batches). When cool enough to handle squeeze out the excess water. Roughly chop the spinach and mix in a large bowl with 100g Parmesan and ricotta. Season well with salt, pepper and the nutmeg.
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Using a piping bag or plastic food bag with the corner snipped off, squeeze the filling into the cannelloni tubes. Lay the tubes, side by side, on top of the tomato sauce and spoon over the mascarpone sauce. Top with Parmesan and mozzarella. You can now freeze the cannelloni, uncooked, or you can cook it first and then freeze. Bake for 30-35 mins until golden and bubbling. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 mins before serving.
Comments, questions and tips
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