I’m sure you already know the cannelloni recipe, but this one will be easier than any other you have tried!

Cannelloni is a very classic recipe from the Italian cooking tradition, however there are a few ways you can make it in half the time and get a wonderful result. This is a  basic recipe but you can actually customize it following your own taste. The filling can change, you can make it gluten free, you can make it vegan, whatever diet you are following this recipe is easily adaptable.

How traditional cannelloni are made

Usually when making cannelloni you need homemade pasta or pre made dried cannelloni. The most traditional fillings for cannelloni are two: meat or ricotta and spinach.

Personally I prefer those with ricotta and spinach. I find the taste is lighter, and more delicate and you can easily change the ingredient based on what you have on hand. You can use spinach, chards, nettles, kale if you like a more distinctive and pungent flavor. You could use broccoli as well. If you want you can also skip the vegetables and make it with ricotta alone.

Using dry pasta can speed up the recipe a bit, since you can save the time you would have used to make your pasta at home. Actually I’ve done this many times. If you can find a high quality dried cannelloni, use it! My only recommendation is to use a very runny tomato sauce and white sauce. This way the dried cannelloni will cook better and the result will be perfect.

The sauce for cannelloni is often a meat sauce, cooked for long time, with pork, beef and the classic soffritto. Also the white sauce is made in the traditional way, making the roux with butter and flour, then adding the boiling milk and stirring until thickened. This is an amazing recipe, but if you are like me and have not much time to cook but still want to enjoy a good homemade pasta al forno, you have to tweak the recipe a bit to suit your need.

My easy cannelloni recipe

My recipe is for those people who want to save time, eat healthier and still feel like they’re not cheating! There are three main step in making this recipe that will make your life easier:

1. Pasta: instead of making your dough, letting it rest or having to use kitchen machines you maybe do not even have, this recipe uses a light crespella (a batter similar to crepes). You will only need to mix flour, water, eggs and cook the batter like you would do with crepes. The taste is absolutely the same, but you won’t have to wash up as much, and it will take less than 20min from start to finish to make 20 crespelle (enough for 5/6 people).
2. Tomato sauce: there are two ways to save time when preparing the tomato sauce. You can use a pressure cooker or you can whizz all the ingredients in your mixer and cook for 15minutes. However, if you are like me, you could actually also use the tomato sauce you made in advance and have ready in the freezer or fridge (check my vegan bolognese, or the meat sauce I use for lasagne).
3. White sauce: my super quick white sauce is a time saver and also reduces the fat content in the dish. You can make it with your milk of choice (no need to stick to cow’s milk) and there is no butter! No making the roux, quick and easy, simply boil the milk and add a slurry made with starch and milk.

What actually makes this recipe lighter?

• First of all there is little to no fat added in the recipe.
• The sauce is made with only vegetables
• the white sauce contains no butter
• the batter is made with whole wheat flour that adds fibers minerals.

So, do you need other reasons to make this recipe?

Vegan and Gluten free cannelloni

Making this recipe vegan or gluten free is absolutely a breeze. You just need to swap a couple of ingredients and you’re done.

HOW TO MAKE GLUTEN FREE CANNELLONI
When you make the  batter for the crespelle, simply use your gluten free flour mix or rice flour. It doesn’t get any easier right?

HOW TO MAKE VEGAN AND LACTOSE FREE CANNELLONI
Making it vegan requires a bit more ingredient swaps but not that many actually.
– Use soy or nut milk to make the white sauce
– Skip the egg in the recipe and add more water or some soy milk
– Skip the egg in the filling and add more 30gr more starch
– Use a vegan cheese or skip the cheese altogether, the white sauce will still make a nice crust on top.

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Easy cannelloni recipe

A super easy cannelloni recipe that can be made in less than 2h from start to finish. No need to make pasta, no need for fancy tools or ingredients. A simple sauce and a simple filling to make a very tasty recipe. Ideal for family gatherings and the best thing is that you can make it ahead and cook on the day.

Course Main Course, Pasta

Cuisine Italian

Keyword cannelloni recipe, easy cannelloni recipe, Italian cannelloni recipe

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

For the filling

• 400 gr ricotta
• 400 gr spinach, chards, or stinging nettle
• 1 egg
• 30 gr starch

For around 20 crespelle

• 150 gr or whole wheat flour
• 150 gr of all purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 400 ml of water

For the sauce

• 500 ml of tomato passata
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 onion
• 1 celery stalk
• salt and pepper
• 100 ml water
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For the white sauce

• 200 ml of milk
• 5 gr of starch
• 1 pinch salt
• nutmeg

To make it crunchy on top

• 50 gr mozzarella
• 50 gr parmigiano

Instructions

How to make the filling

• Wash and blanch the vegetables. Drain and then put into a large bowl.
• Add the ricotta, the egg, salt, pepper and starch and mix well until combined.
• You can use a food processor to mix the filling.

How to make crespelle

• Mix all the ingredients in a bowl or in a food processor and mix until smooth
• Use a 24cm non stick pan on medium heat to prepare the crespelle.
• Pour a ladle of the batter and spread it out to cover the pan.
  
• Cook for a minute on each side and then flip it on to a dish.

Prepare the tomato sauce

• Blend the onion, celery and carrot with some of the tomato passata.
• Put a pot on medium heat and add the olive oil, and chill flakes if you like.
• Add the blended veggie mix and then the rest of the tomato passata.
• Season with salt and pepper and add the water.
• Cook for 10/15 minutes.

How to make the white sauce

• Heat the milk and add salt and nutmeg.
• In a small bowl mix the starch with some cold milk.
• When the milk is almost boiling, add the starch slurry and mix continuously until the white sauce has thicken.

Putting it all together

• Lightly oil a baking tray. I have used a 20x8inch tray and make two layers of cannelloni, you can use a wider dish and make only one.
• Spread a ladle of tomato sauce.
• Take a crespella and spread the filling on to it then roll it.
  
• Put it into the tray and keep on until you have used all the filling and the crepes.
• If you make two layers like I did, spread some white sauce, parmigiano and tomato sauce on top of the first layer, then add the other cannelloni.
  
• When you're done with the cannelloni, top the tray with white sauce and tomato sauce, then sprinkle the mozzarella and parmigiano.
• Cook in the oven for 30/40minutes until golden brown.