Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni Recipe

Heat the 3 tbsp olive oil in a large pan. Fry the 8 cloves garlic for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in the 3 tbsp caster sugar, 2 tbsp red wine vinegar, 3 chopped tomatoes, and some seasoning. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened. Stir in the basil, then divide this sauce between 2 or more shallow ovenproof dishes.

In a separate bowl, beat the 2 mascarpone with 3 tbsp milk until smooth. Season it and set aside.

Wilt the 1 kg spinach by placing it in a large colander and pouring a kettle of boiling water over it. You might need to do this in batches. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much excess water as you can.

Roughly chop the wilted spinach and combine it in a large bowl with 100g Parmesan and 3 ricotta. Season generously with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.

Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Using a piping bag (or a plastic food bag with a corner snipped off), squeeze the spinach and ricotta filling into the cannelloni tubes.

Arrange the filled tubes side by side over the tomato sauce in your ovenproof dishes. Spoon the mascarpone sauce evenly over the cannelloni, then top with the remaining 85g Parmesan and 2 mozzarella.

At this point, you can freeze the cannelloni uncooked, or bake it immediately. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the top is golden and bubbling. Let it stand for 5 minutes out of the oven before serving.