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Cottage Cheese Cannelloni

Cottage Cheese Cannelloni

This Spinach and Ricotta (or Cottage Cheese) Cannelloni is a delightful twist on a classic Italian dish, featuring a creamy rose sauce that's perfect for a cozy dinner. With cottage cheese being all the rage, you'll love how it blends with spinach for a rich, satisfying filling. Paired with a luscious rose sauce and topped with melty mozzarella, this dish is both comforting and indulgent!
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4
Calories 470 kcal

Ingredients
  

Rose Sauce:

  • ½ tbsp olive oil
  • 2-3 garlic cloves minced
  • 500-600 g passata
  • 4 basil leaves
  • 100 g light cream

Spinach & Cottage Cheese Filling:

  • 250 g frozen spinach
  • 400 g cottage cheese or ricotta
  • ½ tsp garlic
  • 40 g parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Cannelloni:

  • 16-18 cannelloni tubes
  • 100 g mozzarella

Instructions
 

Prepare the Rose Sauce:

  • In a saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil and minced garlic. Sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
  • Add passata and basil leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Stir in the cream and season with salt and pepper. Remove any large chunks of basil. Keep warm.

Prepare the Spinach & Cottage Cheese Filling:

  • If using frozen spinach, microwave for 3 minutes. Squeeze out excess liquid using a colander.
  • In a bowl, combine the spinach with cottage cheese, garlic, parmesan cheese, egg, salt, and pepper. Mix well.

Assemble the Cannelloni:

  • Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F).
  • Spread 1/3 of the rose sauce on the bottom of a lasagna dish.
  • Transfer the filling to a piping bag (or a ziplock bag with the corner cut off). Pipe the filling into each cannelloni tube.
  • Lay the filled tubes in the dish. Cover with the remaining rose sauce and sprinkle mozzarella on top.

Bake:

  • Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes to prevent burning.
  • Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and slightly golden.

Serve:

  • Garnish with extra parmesan and basil if desired. Serve hot and enjoy!

Notes

  • I used Five Brothers Traditional Cooking Sauce (Passata), Philadelphia 60% less fat cooking cream, and Perfect Italiano Parmesan & Mozzarella cheese.
  • If using fresh spinach, you'll need approximately 500g, wilted down with a little oil.
  • Ricotta can be used as a substitute for cottage cheese.
Keyword Cannelloni, Spinach, Cottage Cheese, Rose Sauce, Italian