Cannelloni di Magro Recipe
Cannelloni di Magro baked until golden and bubbling, with silky béchamel melting into creamy ricotta and spinach. Every forkful is rich, velvety, and deeply comforting.
Ingredients
- 8 cannelloni/ lasagne sheets – made with 1 egg and 100 g – ⅔ cup and 2 tbsp flour
- 2 bunches – 500 g – 1 lb spinach raw – to be cleaned
- 400 g – 1 ⅔ cups ricotta
- 120 g – 2 cups Parmigiano Reggiano – finely grated, divided
- salt and pepper
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1 large egg
- béchamel sauce – made with 500 ml – 2 cups milk – 50 g – 3 ½ tbsp butter, and 50 g – ⅓ cup flour
Instructions
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Clean and wash the spinach. Cook it for 2 minutes in salty boiling water. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool it down quickly, which helps retain a nice green colour. Leave it in a colander for 1 hour to drain excess water.
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Squeeze the spinach with your hands to remove as much liquid as possible, then chop it finely with a knife. Put the ricotta in a bowl and add the minced spinach, egg, 1 ½ cups – 85 g – 3 oz grated Parmigiano Reggiano, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta sheets in batches for 1 minute. Use a shallow but wide pot and cook them in a single layer to prevent them from sticking together. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a clean tea towel to cool.
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Take one sheet of cooked pasta and place ⅛ of the filling along the long side of the rectangle. Roll it up to form a cannellone. Repeat with the remaining rectangles of pasta.
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Choose a big enough oven dish to fit the cannelloni snugly. Spray it with cooking oil or brush with melted butter, then spread a layer of béchamel sauce over the base, making sure to cover the corners. Arrange the cannelloni in a single layer in the dish.
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Cover the cannelloni with the remaining béchamel sauce and sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup – 35 g – 1 oz Parmigiano Reggiano.
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Bake in a pre-heated moderate oven at 350°F – 180°C – gas mark 4 for 20 minutes, then grill at 400°F – 200°C for 5 minutes, or until lightly golden on top.
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Serve immediately.