Cheats Spinach and Ricotta Canneloni
I didn't fancy trying my luck finding gluten free cannelloni tubes, so instead I bought some gluten free lasagna sheets and created this 'cheats' version. It worked better than I could've imagined!
The pasta stuffed with ricotta and spinach is so tangy and delicious, swimming in a rich tomato sauce. It's such a homely dinner and great for when you have friends coming round. No one would notice that it's gluten free or complain that it's vegetarian!
Ingredients
(serves 3)
For the Cannelloni
300g ricotta cheese
150g spinach
9 gluten free lasagna sheets (I used waitrose)
Salt and black pepper to taste
For the rich tomato sauce
1 red onion
1 large or 2 small carrots
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp tomato puree
8 sundried tomatoes, finely chopped (or 1 tbsp sundried tomato paste)
2 400g cans chopped tomatoes
Generous splash of red wine (optional)
1 tsp dried basil
Salt and black pepper to taste
chunk of cheddar
Method
First, make the sauce. Roughly chop the onion and carrot, and crush the garlic. Add a tablespoon of oil to a saucepan and cook the onion, carrot and crushed garlic until the onion has started to soften.
Add in the tomato puree and sundried tomatoes, stir, and cook for 2 minutes.
Add in the cans of chopped tomato, the vegetable stock, wine (if using), basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Bring to the boil and then leave to simmer for at least 20 minutes while you make the cannelloni.
Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees C.
Roughly chop the spinach. In a bowl, mix the spinach, ricotta cheese and a generous amount of black pepper together to make the filling.
Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Place the lasagna sheets into the water one at a time - criss cross the sheets so they don't stick together. Cook until soft and roll-able, which should take around 5 minutes.
Take one lasagna sheet out at a time and lay flat. Spoon 2 heaped tablespoons of the filling onto one of the thinner ends of the lasagna sheet (see pictures below).
Roll the lasagna sheet up with the filling in the middle to make a short, fat tube (again, see pictures below).
Pour 3/4 of the rich tomato sauce into an oven dish. Place the rolled up cannelloni into the sauce, then spoon the rest of the tomato sauce over the top. Grate the cheddar on top.
Place the dish in the oven and cook for 25 minutes.
Enjoy!
Georgia x
