Creamy Ricotta Spinach and Chicken Cannelloni
Jun 08, 2018, Updated Jul 03, 2024
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Cannelloni pasta tubes packed with a cheesy ricotta and chicken filling, and topped with a creamy and delicious tomato sauce. Simple, super easy to make, and SO tasty!
Cheesy chicken stuffed cannelloni baked to a creamy and tender perfection. A classic recipe made EASY. These lovely bundles of joy will melt in your mouth!
This cannelloni is a quick recipe that comes together with some fresh spinach, chicken, and ricotta cheese, all topped with an easy creamy sauce.
The sauce on its own is Half & Half, seasonings, and parmesan. The addition of all the cheese in this cannelloni makes the flavors pop even more. Besides, one serving of milk, cheese or yogurt provides 8 grams of protein and 9 essential nutrients.
The flavors of cheese and milk and yogurt run pretty deep on this blog, including one of my all time favorite recipes, Spinach Artichoke Chicken.
We’re also celebrating June Dairy Month, so you’re free to eat up all the cheese and milk that your heart desires! 😉
Just in those two States, dairy farm families raise more than 274,000 dairy cows on about 2,500 dairy farms. In an average year, Ohio and West Virginia dairy cows produce approximately 5.6 billion pounds, or about 656 million gallons of milk.
To get the full benefits of milk, according to the USDA, adults should consume three servings of dairy – milk, cheese, or yogurt – each day. A serving size is 1 cup of milk or yogurt, and 2-ounces of cheese.
My point is that you need this Creamy Ricotta Spinach and Chicken Cannelloni in your life. Especially in June! The cows will appreciate it.
HOW TO PREPARE CANNELLONI
Bonus tip about this recipe? You don’t have to precook the pasta! Say whaaaat?! *raising the roof*
Edit: Some commenters have said that their tubes needed to be precooked because they were still crunchy after baking. I suggest to precook the cannelloni tubes in boiling water for 5 minutes before filling with the chicken mixture.
- The cannelloni tubes are filled with a warm mixture of chicken (use cooked leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken), cheese, and fresh spinach.
- The prepared cannelloni are then transferred to a baking dish and arranged over some pasta sauce. Use your favorite pasta sauce, homemade or store bought.
- For a finishing touch, the cannelloni are topped with a combination of Half & Half and cheese, a liquid that the cannelloni will cook in while baking.
20-ish minutes later, din din is served! The entire recipe should not take longer than 40 to 45 minutes, from start to finish. The dish is easy to make, kid friendly and makes for some great leftovers.
The ricotta gives a deliciously creamy texture and the sauce results in a beautiful golden crust. Just go make it, dinner-makers!
MORE CHEESY PASTA RECIPES:
- Creamy Chicken Asparagus Shells and Cheese
- White Cheddar Shells and Cheese with Shrimp and Peas
- Skillet Baked Gluten Free Pasta with Ground Turkey and Tomatoes
- Spinach and Artichoke Pasta Alfredo Casserole
ENJOY!
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Creamy Ricotta Spinach and Chicken Cannelloni
Ingredients
- 12 cannelloni tubes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion,, diced
- 2 cloves garlic,, minced
- 3 cooked chicken breasts,, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup part-skim Ricotta cheese
- 1 bag (8 to 10 ounces) baby spinach
- salt and fresh ground pepper,, to taste
- 1 cup pasta sauce
- 1 1/2 cups half & half
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- salt and fresh ground pepper,, to taste
Instructions
- Cook cannelloni tubes for 5 minutes in boiling water; rinse and set aside to cool for a few minutes, or just until cool enough to handle.
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add onions and saute for 2 minutes; stir in garlic and chicken and continue to cook for 4 minutes.
- Add milk and simmer for 2 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Stir in ricotta cheese until well blended.
- Add spinach and cook for 2 minutes, or until wilted.
- Remove from heat and let stand a few minutes, or until cool enough to handle.
- Spoon pasta sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish and set aside.
- Using a spoon, your hands, or even a piping bag, stuff the prepared chicken mixture into cannelloni tubes.
- Arrange the cannelloni in a single layer on the bottom of the previously prepared baking dish. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine half & half, parmesan, basil, oregano, nutmeg, salt, and pepper; whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Pour the half & half mixture over the cannelloni.
- Bake in the oven for 18 to 20 minutes, or until top is golden brown and the cream is reduced.
- Remove from oven and let stand 3 minutes, or until sauce has slightly thickened.
- Spoon the sauce over the cannelloni and serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Can I freeze this recipe?
Hi!
Technically, yes, you can freeze this. That said, I usually avoid freezing cream-based dishes since the sauce will change in texture when reheated – cream sauces can sometimes separate or get a grainy texture. If you decide to freeze them, I recommend letting the dish cool completely, wrapping it tightly, and freezing it unbaked. When you’re ready to serve, thaw it in the fridge overnight, then bake as directed, adding a little extra liquid, like milk, if needed to refresh it.
Followed this exactly it says 1.5 cup half and half. Way too watery. No idea what to do now. I can’t stuff shells ,this is like water. Was that a typo ? Nothing I can do now 🙁
Hi!
I hope I can help here. The half-and-half is not used for the stuffing. The sauce with the half-and-half is poured over the cannelloni before baking them.
Made this for dinner last night! I couldn’t find the right noodles so I did jumbo shells and it was a hit with the whole family including a 6 yr old and 8 yr old!
I’m so glad the recipe was a hit with your family, and it’s always a huge win when the kids love it, too! 😄
Great recipe! I made a couple changes just based on personal preference 🙂
– Substituted 1lb ground chicken
– Subbed jumbo shells for cannelloni (less drama!) – cooked al dente
– I cooked the chicken, set it aside to cool, then cooked the onion, spin, and garlic adding it to the chicken. Once cooled, I mixed in the ricotta and scooped the mixture into the cooled shells
– I had a cup of tomato sauce leftover so I mixed that w/ the half and half before pouring over the shells (more flavor!)
– Finally, I zested an entire lemon over everything before popping in the oven 🙂
It was flavorful, easy, and my husband LOVED it! Thank you for the inspiration!
I am very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I followed this recipe exactly as written, however I couldn’t find cannelloni, so I substituted in Barilla oven-ready thin lasagne (no piping or stuffing required). I boiled the lasagne noodles 4-5 minutes, rinsed gently, then I spread the ricotta chicken mixture over the pasta sheets and rolled them up beautifully. I did top this recipe with mozzarella cheese. This recipe was delicious and my kids loved it! The next time I make this I’ll probably double the red sauce and make a little more of the white sauce, as we’re a family who likes a lot of sauce. Cheers!
That sounds like a fantastic adaptation! It’s great to hear that the substitution worked out well and that your family enjoyed it. Doubling the sauce next time sounds like a delicious plan for sauce lovers. Cheers to many more successful and tasty meals! Thank YOU! 🙂
I made this for supper and it was delicious. I used manicotti shells. I did not have spinach so substituted chopped red pepper. I also added Parmesan cheese to the filling along with salt and pepper. I made a bechamel sauce adding extra Parmesan and a little extra sprinkle of parmesan cheese at the end then browning under broiler. Finished with sprinkling of fresh basil. I loved that not having all the ingredients that I could use substitutes. Thank you for the recipe.
I layer the bottom of the baking dish with the pasta sauce and I made corkscrew pasta and made one layer on the bottom of the dish. Then I topped all of it with the ricotta cheese mixture and chicken. I did S&P and Italian seasoning. I added mushrooms and topped the dish with breadcrumbs and mozzarella cheese. I used all the ingredients in the recipe except the correct noodles. It was terrific.