Gratinated Cannelloni with Spinach-Ricotta Filling

Ingredients

• 500 g spinach
• Salt
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 300 g ricotta
• 1 egg
• 100 g freshly grated Parmesan
• pepper (ground)
• nutmeg (freshly grated)','16 rolls cannelloni (no pre-cooking)','2 tbsp butter','2 tbsp flour','400 ml milk','salt','pepper (ground)','nutmeg (freshly grated)','1 shallot','1 tbsp olive oil','500 g chopped tomatoes (canned)','salt','pepper (ground)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash, trim and blanch the spinach in salted water. Shock in ice water, drain and squeeze dry. Chop finely. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Mix with well-drained ricotta, add the egg and half of the parmesan; season with pepper, nutmeg and salt if needed. Combine into a smooth, spreadable cream. Fill a pastry bag and stuff the cannelloni.

2. 2.

   Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F) with fan or top/bottom heat.

3. 3.

   For béchamel: melt butter in a saucepan, sprinkle flour over it and stir for 1-2 minutes. Gradually add milk while stirring; simmer 3-4 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

4. 4.

   For tomato sauce: peel and finely chop the shallot; sauté in hot oil for 1-2 minutes until translucent. Add tomatoes and simmer about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of a baking dish, arrange half the cannelloni, drizzle with béchamel. Repeat the layering and finish with béchamel. Sprinkle remaining parmesan on top and bake for about 45 minutes in the preheated oven.