Ohhh yes 😍 Spinach and Ricotta Lasagna or Cannelloni—rich, creamy, and comforting, packed with gooey cheese and tender pasta. A perfect vegetarian classic that feels indulgent without being heavy.
🍝 Spinach & Ricotta Lasagna (or Cannelloni)
Serves 6–8
Ingredients
Filling
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups fresh spinach (or 1 10-oz package frozen, thawed & drained)
- ½ tsp nutmeg (optional)
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Pasta & Sauce
- 9–12 lasagna noodles (or 8–10 cannelloni tubes, cooked if required)
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions – Lasagna Version
1️⃣ Preheat oven
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C)
- Grease 9×13 baking dish
2️⃣ Make filling
- Sauté spinach lightly if fresh, drain excess moisture
- Mix spinach with ricotta, egg, garlic, nutmeg, Parmesan, salt & pepper
3️⃣ Assemble
- Spread a thin layer of marinara on the bottom
- Layer noodles, then half the ricotta-spinach mixture, then some mozzarella
- Repeat layers, ending with noodles, sauce, and remaining mozzarella
4️⃣ Bake
- Cover with foil
- Bake 35–40 minutes
- Remove foil last 10 minutes for golden cheese
5️⃣ Serve
- Let rest 5–10 minutes before slicing
Instructions – Cannelloni Version
1️⃣ Fill tubes
- Stuff cooked cannelloni tubes with ricotta-spinach mixture
2️⃣ Assemble
- Spread marinara in baking dish
- Arrange filled tubes in dish
- Top with remaining sauce and mozzarella
3️⃣ Bake
- Cover and bake 30–35 minutes
- Remove foil 5 minutes before end to brown cheese
🔥 Pro Tips
- Squeeze spinach thoroughly to avoid watery filling
- Use a mix of mozzarella & fontina for extra creaminess
- Let lasagna rest before cutting to hold layers
- For extra flavor, add sautéed mushrooms or caramelized onions
Variations
🧄 Garlic & Herb – add roasted garlic & Italian herbs to ricotta
🥬 Kale substitution – swap half or all of spinach with kale
🍄 Mushroom spinach – fold sautéed mushrooms into filling
🧀 Cheese lover – layer in extra Parmesan or provolone
If you want, I can give you a super creamy, restaurant-style spinach ricotta cannelloni recipe that’s rich enough to rival Italian trattorias 😋🍝🧀
Do you want me to do that?
