Cannelloni with Ricotta and Spinach

Instructions

1. 1

   To prepare the ricotta and spinach cannelloni, start by making the pasta dough. Place the flour in a bowl, reserving some aside; add the lightly beaten egg and knead the dough with your hands until the ingredients are combined. Then, transfer the dough to a work surface and knead it further, adding the reserved flour as needed.

2. 2

   You should obtain a smooth and homogeneous dough that is firm and elastic, and shape it into a ball. Wrap it with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 1 hour in a cool, dry place to allow it to become properly elastic. While the pasta dough is resting, prepare the spinach. Pour the olive oil into a pan, add the garlic, let it brown, and then remove it. Add the spinach, which has been washed and drained.

3. 3

   Season with salt and cook covered for about 5 minutes, until wilted. Once cooked, let them cool and, in the meantime, prepare the béchamel sauce. First, heat the milk. Now, place the butter in another pan and let it melt completely. Then, add the sifted flour and mix quickly. After a couple of minutes, you will obtain a roux, remove from heat for a moment, and slowly pour in the warm milk.

4. 4

   Stir constantly and season your béchamel sauce with a pinch of salt, some pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Continue cooking over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, until it reaches the desired consistency, then transfer the béchamel sauce to a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface. At this point, the spinach will be cool, transfer it to a cutting board and chop it coarsely with a knife.

5. 5

   Place it in a large bowl, add the ricotta, mix with a fork, and add the eggs. Season with salt, pepper, add nutmeg, and mix everything together. Finally, add the grated cheese. Combine the ingredients well. At this point, transfer the mixture to a piping bag and refrigerate it until ready to use.

6. 6

   Take your ball of pasta dough, which will have rested and become properly elastic, and divide it in half. Roll out each part of the dough with a pasta machine to level, so as to obtain a sheet about 2 mm thick. If you don't have a pasta machine, you can roll out the dough by hand, using a lightly floured rolling pin.

7. 7

   Cut out rectangles measuring 9x14 cm, or in any case, taking into account the width of your baking dish. Once you have obtained your pasta rectangles, blanch them one at a time for about 1 minute in boiling, lightly salted water. Drain them and transfer them to a tray where you have placed a clean kitchen towel; it is important to spread the various rectangles perfectly without overlapping them. If you prefer, you can pass them in cold water to stop the cooking.

8. 8

   Place about 100 g of filling in the center of each pasta sheet using a piping bag. Then, roll the pasta sheet to form cylinders. Now, spread about 2 tablespoons of béchamel sauce in a baking dish measuring 20x30 cm.

9. 9

   Place the cannelloni in the baking dish and cover them with the remaining béchamel sauce, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and bake in a preheated static oven at 200° for 15 minutes. Then, turn on the grill at 230° and cook for another about 5 minutes until a golden crust forms; now you can serve your spinach cannelloni still hot!