« Chili Rebirth | Main | Slow Cooking for Friends »

No-Boil Cannelloni

This was a quick make-ahead meal (I was able to assemble this while August slept and popped it in the oven when Todd called to say he was on his way home) and it's pretty versatile, too. I've been wanting to make cannelloni for a while, but I was planning to make my own pasta or crepes. It's just an extra couple of steps that kept me from making the dish.

So I turned to no-boil lasagne noodles, which worked pretty well in a pinch. I soaked 4 of them in hot water for 10 minutes while I thawed and squeezed dry a box of chopped spinach. Meanwhile I mixed a scant 1/2 cup ricotta with a lot of Parmesan Reggiano and shredded mozzarella and some oregano, salt, pepper and hot pepper flakes. Mixed in half the spinach (saved the rest for my tomato soup the next day), then drained and blotted the noodles. Spread 1/4 of the ricotta mixture at a short end of each noodle and rolled them up. Spread some pasta sauce (I used bolognese, which I think was a little too much but Todd liked) in the bottom of a casserole dish, then place the noodles in seam-side down, then cover them with more sauce and mozzarella. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.