MARCO’S SPINACH & RICOTTA CANNELLONI

Light the oven, after 20 minutes push the fire to the back of the oven. Then wait for another 30-45 minutes for the temperature to go down to 250C.

While your waiting for the oven to be at the right temperature…

Put the spinach and a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over a low heat on the hob. Season and leave to for 10 minutes before draining excess water and setting aside.

In another pan, while your spinach is cooking. cook your plum tomatoes with the fresh basil and seasoning, leave simmering until you need to use it.

Meanwhile, start your bechamel. Melt the butter in a pan, then add all the flour, stir continuously, lower the heat and continue to stir until the sauce thickens into a smooth sauce, as it starts to thicken add nutmeg and seasoning– don’t let it get too thick, better to be a bit more runny than usual to soak into the cannelloni.
Stir Ricotta and parmesan into the spinach and combine well to make a nice paste.

Then spoon a layer of béchamel into the bottom of your oven dish. Then slowly start to spoon the ricotta mixture into the cannelloni tubes and lay them the dish on top of the béchamel. Pour the tomato sauce over the cannelloni, then top with another layer of béchamel and then top with grated parmesan. Place in the oven, put your door on, with the vent open and cook for 35 to 40 minutes, turning every 15 minutes or so. Remove from the oven and let stand for a few minutes before serving with the grated parmesan and a salad.