Cannelloni and Manicotti are a comforting, simple, and elegant Italian recipe everyone loves.
They are tender pasta tubes filled with a perfect blend of ricotta and spinach, covered with marinara sauce, and topped with melty mozzarella cheese.
This vegetarian casserole recipe is perfect for celebrations, holidays, or cozy family dinners.
What is cannelloni (manicotti)?
Cannelloni is an iconic baked pasta dish often filled with spinach and ricotta or ragù.
You can also use Manicotti for this recipe. They are similarly shaped pasta from the United States.
Like vegetable lasagna, eggplant parmigiana, and gnocchi alla sorrentina, baked cannelloni and Manicotti are the perfect Italian casserole dishes for feeding a crowd of diverse eaters, from omnivores to vegetarians.
Our recipe is deeply satisfying. It oozes with rich marinara sauce, savory parmesan, and melty mozzarella cheese.
And the spinach ricotta filling is so good, light, and zesty. It’s divine!
The recipe is easy to put together. We used ready-to-bake dried cannelloni pasta that doesn’t need to be boiled.
First, make the tomato sauce and the filling. Then, stuff the cannelloni or manicotti tubes, arrange them in a casserole dish, cover them with sauce, and bake for 30 minutes.
If you are on a gluten-free diet, you can use gluten-free pasta shells. For lactose-free, use lactose-free ricotta and mozzarella. Italian parmesan should be naturally lactose-free.
How to make cannelloni (manicotti)
Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
1. Prepare the ingredients
TOMATO SAUCE: You’ll need extra virgin olive oil, onion, garlic, tomato puree or passata, salt, black pepper, and fresh basil.
FILLING: You’ll need frozen or fresh spinach, whole-milk ricotta, grated parmesan, nutmeg, salt, black pepper, and lemon zest.
OTHER INGREDIENTS: No-boil (ready-to-bake cannelloni or manicotti pasta, fresh mozzarella, more parmesan, and basil leaves.
2. Make the tomato sauce
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Add chopped onion and sauté on medium-low heat for 4 minutes.
Add minced garlic and sauté one more minute. Stir often.
Pour the tomato puree, rinse the bottle with water, and add that to the pan.
Season with salt and pepper and simmer on medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
Stir in chopped basil, then taste and adjust for salt.
Tip: The sauce shouldn’t be too thick, as extra moisture is required to cook the dried cannelloni pasta.
3. Make the spinach ricotta filling
Thaw the frozen spinach in the microwave for 2 minutes at max power. Let them cool down slightly, then squeeze out some, not all, of their water over your sink.
In a food processor, add the spinach, ricotta, grated parmesan, lemon zest, grated nutmeg, salt, and black pepper.
Pulse a few times without overmixing, then combine the ingredients with a spatula.
Tip: You can also add all ingredients to a bowl and blend with an immersion blender or chop the spinach with a knife on a cutting board before mixing them with the other ingredients.
4. Fill the cannelloni
Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C.
The easiest way to fill cannelloni tubes is with a pastry piping bag or sac à poche.
- Arrange your piping bag into a tall container (like a mason jar), folding the top part over. With a spatula, fill it with the filling (you might have to work in batches).
- Spread a layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of your baking dish. We recommend a 9 x 13 baking dish. Remove the piping bag from the tall container, twist the empty part to seal it, and grab it tight with your dominant hand.
- Fill the cannelloni tubes from both sides until full.
- Arrange each tube on the baking dish on a single layer without overlapping.
Tip: Read the package of your manicotti shells or cannelloni pasta. Some brands ask you to cook the pasta in water first. We advise reading the label at the store and buying no-boil (ready-to-bake) cannelloni.
5. Cover with tomato and cheese
Cover the cannelloni tubes with the remaining tomato sauce. It will look like a lot of sauce, but trust us, you want this dish saucy!
Add chopped mozzarella and grated parmesan on top.
6. Bake
Cover with foil and bake in the center of the oven at 350°F or 180°C for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for 10 -15 more minutes uncovered. In the last 5 minutes, you can use the grill to brown the cheese.
Tip: Each brand of cannelloni and Manicotti cooks slightly differently. To check for doneness, insert a paring knife into the tubes. If it slides in easily, the pasta is cooked.
Serving suggestions
Let the cannelloni cool and set for 10 minutes before cutting it into 6 – 8 pieces.
Top with plenty of fresh basil and enjoy.
You can serve cannelloni as a first dish after an appetizer or as a main course.
To accompany it, we recommend a kale salad, cauliflower mashed potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts, baked butternut squash, pear salad, roasted carrots, green bean salad, roasted eggplant, Roman-style artichokes, or roasted vegetables.
For more side dish ideas, check out our compilation of our best vegetable side dishes.
Substitutions
CANNELLONI: We recommend using no-boil, ready-to-bake cannelloni pasta, which you can fill before cooking. You can find that written on the package. If you live in the US or Canada, you can substitute Manicotti for Cannelloni.
Manicotti is the US cousin of Italian cannelloni, and while it is slightly different in size and shape (it’s thicker, pointy, egg-free, and with ridges), you can use it almost the same way. It’s possible, however, that Manicotti requires boiling first; double-check that on the label.
You can substitute jumbo pasta shells or conchiglioni for cannelloni, stuff them, and cook them the same way.
TOMATO PUREE OR PASSATA: Italian-imported tomato puree (USA-Canada) or tomato passata (Europe-UK-Australia) is often packaged in a glass bottle. It’s thick, rich, and more flavorful than canned tomatoes, and we recommend it for this recipe.
You can substitute crushed canned tomatoes for tomato puree, but in this case, you might need to add a teaspoon of sugar to balance the acidity. You can also use whole canned peeled tomatoes or San Marzano. In this case, you must blend the sauce before using it.
FROZEN SPINACH: You can substitute fresh spinach. In this case, cook the spinach in a pan first with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt for 5 minutes or until it wilts and releases most of its water.
Let it cool down slightly before mixing it with the ricotta. You can also substitute chard or kale for spinach. Boil them first in lightly salted water; ensure they are very tender before you use them for the filling.
FRESH MOZZARELLA: We love using fresh fiordilatte mozzarella, chopped into small pieces, because it adds moisture, tastes better and melts better than shredded mozzarella. However, you can substitute shredded mozzarella for fresh.
RICOTTA: We recommend whole-milk ricotta for a richer flavor and creamier texture.
VEGAN?: To make the recipe vegan, you can use non-dairy ricotta, parmesan, and meltable non-dairy cheese as the topping. Also, you can use manicotti instead of cannelloni, as they are often made without eggs.
Storage
Make ahead: Cannelloni is excellent for meal prep. If you make them ahead and refrigerate or freeze them, you’ll need to add an extra 1/2 cup of water to the tomato sauce because the pasta will absorb some as it sits in the fridge/freezer.
Refrigerator: You can make cannelloni up to 24 hours ahead and keep it in the fridge wrapped in plastic before baking as instructed.
Freezer: Wrap the casserole in plastic and freeze it before cooking. They keep for three months. Bake from frozen in a preheated oven at 350°F or 180°C, covered in foil for 40 minutes, and uncovered for 10 minutes.
Similar recipes
ITALIAN RECIPES: Vegetable lasagna, pasta alla norma, minestrone, mushroom risotto, spaghetti aglio olio, penne arrabbiata, eggplant parmigiana, no-knead focaccia, pizza dough, pasta e fagioli, fregola pasta, casarecce pasta, pesto pasta.
HOLIDAY RECIPES: Stuffed butternut squash, vegetarian lasagna, lentil loaf, mushroom Wellington, baked ziti, cauliflower mac and cheese, apple crisp, sweet potato casserole, vegetarian stuffing.
Cannelloni (Manicotti)
Equipment
- Baking dish 9 x 13 inches / 20 x 30 cm
- Piping bag with smooth large nozzle
Ingredients
TOMATO SAUCE
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic pressed
- 49 ounces tomato puree we use 2 glass bottles of Mutti tomato puree (passata) 24.5 ounces / 700 grams each.
- 2 cups water
- ¾ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 10 fresh basil leaves + more for garnishing
FILLING
- 1 pound frozen spinach or 32 ounces / 1kg fresh spinach
- 1 pound ricotta whole-milk
- 1 cup parmesan finely grated
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest grated
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg grated
- ½ teaspoon salt + black pepper to taste
OTHER INGREDIENTS
- 20 dried cannelloni tubes (8.8 ounces / 250 grams pack) or manicotti (see notes)
- 8 ounces mozzarella fresh, chopped into small dice
- ½ cup grated parmesan
Instructions
TOMATO SAUCE
- Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet. Add 1 large onion (chopped) and sauté on medium-low heat for 4 minutes.Add 3 cloves garlic (minced) and sauté one more minute. Stir often.Pour 49 ounces tomato puree, rinse the bottles with 2 cups water, and add that to the pan.Season with ¾ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper and simmer on medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.Add in 10 fresh basil leaves (chopped), then taste and adjust for salt.
FILLING
- Thaw 1 pound frozen spinach in the microwave for 2 minutes at max power.Let cool down slightly, then squeeze out some, not all, of their water.In a food processor, add the spinach, 1 pound ricotta, 1 cup parmesan, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon salt, and 2 twists black pepper.Pulse a few times without overmixing, then combine the ingredients with a spatula.
FILL THE CANNELLONI
- Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C.Arrange your piping bag into a tall container (like a mason jar), folding the top part over the container. With a spatula, fill it with the ricotta filling (you might have to work in batches).Spread a layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of your baking dish.Remove the piping bag from the tall container, twist the empty part to seal it, and grab it tight with your dominant hand.Fill about 20 dried cannelloni tubes from both sides until completely stuffed.Arrange tubes on the baking dish on a single layer.
BAKE
- Cover cannelloni tubes with the remaining tomato sauce.Top with 8 ounces mozzarella (chopped) and ½ cup grated parmesan.
- Cover with foil and bake in the center of the oven at 350°F or 180°C for 30 minutes.Remove the foil and bake for 10 -15 more minutes uncovered. In the last 5 minutes, you can use the grill to brown the cheese.
- Let the cannelloni cool and set for 10 minutes before cutting it into 6 – 8 pieces.Garnish with plenty of fresh basil and enjoy.
Notes
You can substitute crushed canned tomatoes for tomato puree, but in this case, you might need to add a teaspoon of sugar to balance the acidity. You can also use whole canned peeled tomatoes or San Marzano. In this case, you must blend the sauce before using it. Frozen spinach: You can substitute fresh spinach. In this case, cook the spinach in a pan first with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt for 5 minutes or until it wilts and releases most of its water. Let it cool down slightly before mixing it with the ricotta. You can also substitute chard or kale for spinach. Boil them first in lightly salted water; ensure they are very tender before you use them for the filling. Fresh mozzarella: We love using fresh fiordilatte mozzarella, chopped into small pieces, because it adds moisture, tastes better and melts better than shredded mozzarella. However, you can substitute shredded mozzarella for fresh. Ricotta: We recommend whole-milk ricotta for a richer flavor and creamier texture. Vegan: To make the recipe vegan, you can use non-dairy ricotta, parmesan, and meltable non-dairy cheese as the topping. Also, you can use manicotti instead of cannelloni, as they are often made without eggs. STORAGE Make ahead: Cannelloni is excellent for meal prep. If you make them ahead and refrigerate or freeze them, you’ll need to add an extra 1/2 cup of water to the tomato sauce because the pasta will absorb some as it sits in the fridge/freezer. Refrigerator: You can make cannelloni up to 24 hours ahead and keep it in the fridge wrapped in plastic before baking as instructed. Freezer: Wrap the casserole in plastic and freeze it before cooking. They keep for three months. Bake from frozen in a preheated oven at 350°F or 180°C, covered in foil for 40 minutes, and uncovered for 10 minutes.
