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Cannelloni tubes are stuffed with a rich and cheesy ricotta filling, topped with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese, and baked until bubbly!
Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: The classic trio of savory cheese, tender pasta, and bright tomato sauce makes this Italian comfort dish a favorite.
- Skill Level: Using no-boil pasta means all you have to do is mix the filling, stuff the dry cannelloni tubes, and bake!
- Time-Saving Tip: Marinara sauce from a jar and oven-ready pasta make this an easy weeknight dish.
- Serving Suggestions: Serve with sides, same as you would for lasagna. Homemade garlic bread and a crisp green salad are ideal options.
Ingredient Tips for Cannelloni
- Cannelloni: Cannelloni are long, smooth pasta tubes that are perfect for stuffing. I use oven-ready pasta to skip the boiling step. If you can’t find them, use oven-ready manicotti or jumbo shells.
- Cheese Filling: Ricotta, spinach, eggs, cheese, and Italian seasoning make up the rich and flavorful filling. Frozen and thawed kale can be used in place of spinach.
- Sauce: Save time and use your favorite store-bought marinara or make your own and freeze some for later!
- Variations: Make it meaty and add ground beef, chicken, or sausage. Kick up the heat with a pinch or two of red pepper flakes in the filling. For a veggie boost, stir in shredded zucchini or carrot into the filling.
How to Make Cannelloni
- Combine: Stir filling ingredients together (full recipe below) and load into a piping bag or a freezer plastic bag with the corner cut off.
- Fill: Pipe ricotta mixture into cannelloni tubes and place them on a layer of marinara in a baking dish.
- Bake: Top cannelloni with remaining marinara, cover, and bake.
- Finish: Add cheese, cover, and finish baking. Let the cannelloni rest for 5 minutes before serving.
How to Prep, Freeze & Reheat!
Cheese cannelloni is a great dish to make ahead! Assemble, cover, and freeze for up to one month, or bake, cool, cover, and freeze the same way (be sure to use a freezer-safe baking dish or foil pan).
Thaw in the fridge and bake following the recipe directions. Store leftover cheese cannelloni covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat portions in the microwave.
Go-to Cheesy Pasta Dishes
Did you try this Cheese Cannelloni recipe? Leave a comment and rating below!
Cheese Cannelloni
Equipment
- Piping Bag or plastic bag
Ingredients
- 12 cannelloni oven ready
- 2 ½ cups marinara sauce divided
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Filling
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 package frozen chopped spinach defrosted and squeezed dry
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a small bowl, mix ricotta, spinach, eggs, ½ cup mozzarella, Parmesan, and Italian seasoning. Place into a piping bag or large zippered bag and set aside.
- Add ⅓ cup water to the marinara sauce and place ½ cup sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 pan.
- Snip off the corner of the zipper bag if using and fill each cannelloni placing in the pan. Top with remaining marinara sauce.
- Cover and bake 40 minutes. Add mozzarella cheese and bake, uncovered, an additional 15-20 minutes.
Notes
- Fresh lasagna sheets can be used in place of cannelloni tubes. Cut the sheets to size, roll the filling inside, and place seam-side down in the baking dish. Reduce cook time to 40 minutes total, adding cheese in the last 15-20 minutes of baking time.
- To make ahead, assemble in a baking dish, wrap tightly in foil and plastic, and freeze for up to 1 month.
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days, or freeze in an airtight container for 3-6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or reheat in the oven or microwave from frozen, with a cover.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Entree, Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine American, Italian© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Absaloutly delicious. Easy to follow instructions and easy to cook, I cooked 10 minutes uncovered to brown the cheese top.
Arthur, so glad you enjoyed it! Great tip on browning the cheese at the end.
This is a perfect for a birthday next month for a friend who is
a vegetarian, but I don’t understand oven ready
If not found on the pasta aisle, then where does
one find shells that are oven ready?
Thank you!!
Hi Rosalee, you may need to ask your local grocery store where they stock oven ready lasagna noodles as mine as with the other pasta in the pasta aisle. They may also be in the international food aisle or with the baking.
Please create an easy seafood cannelloni recipe (with no boil tubes). I really need to impress myself (and my friends, of course!) Perhaps a tomato base one and also a creamy one? Both? Your recipes are genius. I know you can do this!
That’s a delicious idea. We will keep it in mind!
Is it possible to make this without egg?
It is possible to omit the egg but it might change the texture or flavor slightly.
I made this on 18 Jun 2023, as written with two caveats, first, I used my homemade butter tomato sauce so I did use more sauce than what the recipe states. Second, I simply increased the cheese in the filling. Filled 18 tubes. This is incredibly easy to prepare! I used a piping bag, no tip, just the collar in place, worked perfectly! The Thai family was drooling when they seen me putting this together, and they loved this dish when served. This dish was the first time they have had this, and now it will be often. Thank you Holly for once again, and other excellent recipe and excellent tasting dish.
I am so glad you loved this recipe Lee!
Your recipes on this site look so delicious I can’t wait to try a few of them!
Making this within the next 2 days Looks Yummy
Let us know how it turns out!
This is just up my family’s alley!