Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni with Crispy Edges

Ingredients

• 1 egg, beaten
• 300g spinach
• 12 cannelloni tubes
• 500g ricotta
• 60g Parmesan, grated
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 700ml tomato passata
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 125g mozzarella, sliced
• Crusty sourdough bread, to serve
• Dressed green salad, to serve
• Fresh parsley, to serve

Method

1. Wilt the spinach in a dry pan over medium heat until just collapsed, about 2 minutes. Tip into a sieve and press out the water firmly — you want it dry, otherwise the filling goes loose. Cool slightly and chop.
2. In a bowl, mix the chopped spinach with the ricotta, beaten egg, Parmesan and nutmeg until smooth and spoonable. Season generously with salt and black pepper.
3. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and grated carrot and sweat for 6–8 minutes until soft and translucent, not browned. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
4. Tip in the passata and the roasted red pepper, season, and simmer gently for 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Blitz with a stick blender until completely smooth and glossy. Taste and adjust seasoning — it should be bright, sweet and balanced.
5. Heat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C). Spread a thin layer of sauce over the base of a 20 x 30cm oven dish. Pipe or spoon the ricotta mix into each cannelloni tube and lay them snugly side by side in the sauce, so the edges will crisp.
6. Pour the remaining sauce over the tubes, leaving the very ends poking out a little. Scatter the sliced mozzarella and a little extra Parmesan across the top.
7. Bake for 30–35 minutes until the sauce is bubbling at the edges, the cheese is golden, and the cannelloni are piping hot through. The exposed pasta ends should be slightly crisp and burnished.
8. Rest for 5 minutes so the filling sets, then finish with a squeeze of lemon and a scattering of parsley.