Spinach & nutmeg cannelloni

Stuff rolled lasagne sheets with creamy spinach and ricotta and bake with tomato and mascarpone sauces for a filling vegetarian meal

Ingredients:

For the filling & topping

500g bag ready-washed spinach

250g tub ricotta

250g tub mascarpone

140g grated Parmesan (or vegetarian alternative)

1 whole nutmeg

1 large egg

250g pack (6 large sheets) fresh egg lasagne

For the tomato sauce

2 tbsp olive oil

3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

500ml carton passata

400g can chopped tomatoes

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp golden caster sugar

small pack basil, roughly chopped

Method :

Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 if you’re serving straight away. Pierce the bag of spinach and cook in the microwave following pack instructions (if you don’t have a microwave, wilt it in a pan with a dash of olive oil). Leave to cool, squeeze out as much liquid as you can, then finely chop.

Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. Heat the oil and fry the garlic until softened. Add the passata and tomatoes, vinegar and sugar, then season, cover and simmer for 10 mins, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and add the basil. Tip into the base of a large, shallow baking dish.

To make the filling, beat the ricotta and a quarter of the mascarpone with 50g of the Parmesan and the chopped spinach. Finely grate in half the nutmeg, then beat until well mixed. For the topping, beat the remaining mascarpone with the egg and another 50g of the Parmesan.

To make the cannelloni, divide the spinach filling into 6 parts, spoon a portion along the top of each lasagne sheet, then roll up into a big, fat tube. Cut in half across the middle with a sharp knife so that you have 2 smaller tubes, then arrange on top of the tomato sauce. As you put them in the dish, push them slightly so that the sauce oozes up the side of the cannelloni, as this will stop them sticking together when they are baked. Spoon the mascarpone mixture on top, making sure you cover the pasta – if it doesn’t completely cover the sauce now, it will do once it melts and bakes. Scatter over the remaining Parmesan and grate over more nutmeg. If making ahead, cover and chill – it will keep for 1 day. Bake for 30-40 mins until golden and bubbling.