After our amazing NYE dinner, I thought I would never eat again! Steaks, chicken, fish, potatoes, salads, crab dips, wine, champagne, need I go on? Hubby and I were extremely satisfied and extremely full. We came home around 2 a.m. and we both crashed; carb overload. But, the next morning I felt hungrier than ever! I think it was the wine that was still spinning in my head – it needed to be soaked up quickly! And thus I began to stuff my cannelloni.
I am not too crazy about pasta, but my husband can have pasta for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and all in-between. When we started dating, somewhere in the beginning stages I had made an elegant pasta dish (this was before I knew that he loved pasta) with some sun-dried tomatoes and bechamel sauce – the guy was in food heaven! He says that’s when he knew he was going to marry me. It’s true what they say – a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. 
So to start off the New Year with a favorite, and because he had to work on New Year’s day (I felt bad for him), I went ahead and made one of his fave pasta dishes; Cannelloni Stuffed with Ricotta and Feta Cheese.
You will need:
- 1 package (10 – 12 pieces) of Cannelloni
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon EVOO
- 1/2 pound fresh spinach
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tub (5 oz.) Ricotta Cheese
- 1/2 cup Feta Cheese, crumbled
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1 package (10 oz.) of cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 1/2 – 2 cups of Tomato Sauce
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425.
- Cook the cannelloni, a few pieces at a time, according to package instructions. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.
- Heat EVOO and butter in a pot over medium heat then stir in the garlic, and cook for about 2 minutes.
- Add spinach and sauté, stirring, until just wilted, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.
- Bring the quartered cherry tomatoes into the pot and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
- Add in the ricotta cheese and the feta cheese. Cook together for 2 minutes before you add in the spinach.
- Salt and pepper to taste, blend well, and remove from heat.
- Stuff the mixture into the cannelloni by using either a small spoon or a piping bag.
- Lay the cannelloni shells down inside of a baking dish or a clay baker.
- Top with the tomato sauce and sprinkle with the shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Bake in oven for 45-50 minutes or until pasta is cooked and cheese is golden on top.
- Allow it to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
These look delish! I love that you included lots of veggies with the cheese! It would be a great way to sneak more of ‘em into my house full of testosterone marinated carnivores! Thank you!
If I could have it my way, there would be a whole lot more veggies than that, but the meal wasn’t for me.
Wow, that looks fantastic. I’ve been blessed with a daughter who loves spinach so I’ll have to give this a go!
Oooh I love spinach, too! When I was little my parents would tell me that I’d be as strong as Popeye if I ate my spinach – I believed them! Still do!
Yum!!! We had pizza- I just couldn’t cook!
I completely understand! I was ‘out of service’ for the rest of the day.
Looks awesome – I never seem to be able to stuff them very well with a spoon. I’ll be giving your recipe a go soon as I have so much extra cheese my drawer hardly opens.
These look so good I could eat the screen, can you set an extra plate I will be right over
Oh thank you, Claudia – I will pull up a seat for you at my dinner table any time!
What a beautiful pasta! It sounds so easy and yummy…I’m a pasta freak, and I also won the heart of my husband through food – his favorite is meatloaf and chicken fried steak!
This is such a delicious dish! I have been curious about the Spanish/Italian connection and found a Catalan cannelloni recipe … white sauce and meat filling … so delicious. Maybe you want to amke it for your guy some time as a change….
My husband is crazy about tomato sauce – he uses half of a jar (we make our own) on a bowl of spaghetti! I change it up a bit once in a while with white sauces, so I definitely need to check out that recipe – thank you!
healthy delicious dish
Thanks, TO!
that looks really delicious. i love spinach so this is a great addition to my to-do list for 2011
Yum, yum..I love any kind of pasta dishes, and you did amazing job on this one!!!:) Wonderful photos..so tempting!:)
Thank you, Sandra! I have gotten good at these pasta dishes because that is all my husband orders. If it’s not that, it’s something from back home – domashno… you know how it is!
Oh, this looks wonderful!!! Lovely dish!
I love this mixture (I would – I stuffed my New Year’s ravioli with it) and definnitely appreciate the additions of all those lovely vegetables – adding more tang and depth to the dish.
Looks great! ‘Twas the season for eating
Found you through Amy’s blog. Lovely.
I don’t eat a ton of pasta either, but THIS I could make an exception for! It’s just gorgeous. Happy 2011!
Oh Kate! Spinach and ricotta is my favourite combination for pastsa!!! This makes me want to change my menu plan for the week!
I love cannelloni! Yours look so good! You just gave me a big craving
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oh my god, it’s midnight and I’m reading this and thinking it sounds so good and suddenly I’m hungry and want to go cook this. (but I won’t – I’ll bookmark it and go to bed!)
I am a pasta freak, too. This sounds like a fabulous meal. I especially like the pan you baked it in. It looks so homey.
Kate, your making me hungry. Your husband has good taste
I have a huge container of ricotta and I’ve been wanting to make something with it before it goes bad. Thanks for the idea and recipe! Happy 2011!!
I love your Cannelloni!! They look so perfect!!! Mmm – I can feel the ytaste
I would have to agree with you that this is the best, and yummiest, way to soak up the new year’s celebration
So yummy!
Your cannelloni look extra delicious!
I cook such foods when my daughter and I are home alone for our boys dislake excesive cheese and white sauce
I can see why this would be one of his favorites. It looks delicious! Like you, I’m not the biggest fan of pasta but my husband adores it! I may have to surprise him with this soon! Thank you for sharing with me. I hope you are having a lovely start to the first week of 2011!
These look fabulous and pretty simple as well. Definitely on my menu list in the upcoming weeks!
This looks amazingly delicious!!!
This looks delicious. I like to make ricotta and home and this would be a great way to use it up. I had to laugh about your husband- with mine, it was the quiche. He suspected he was in love with me before he had it, but after the quiche, he knew for sure.
Homemade ricotta is delish! My grandma makes it at home, too, and of course there’s nothing better than homemade.
Lovely, wonderful and delicious Cannelloni. Does it get any better than that.
I love stuffed cannelloni or manicotti and usually use just cheese and spinach, I have to try your version too. thanks for sharing and also for sending me a friend invitation via Food Buzz
I can’t have them with just cheese or just meat … I have to add a veggie. And spinach is the best fit.
This looks beautiful and delicious! I love the bright red and green (and the fact that it’s a cheesy pasta dish)
Yum!
Mmmm those look dangerous but absolutely delicious! I love any kind of stuffed pasta!
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