Gluten Free Cannelloni

5 from 1 vote

These gluten free cannelloni are an impressive pasta dish that is worth the effort. Gluten free cannelloni tubes are filled with a creamy ricotta and spinach mixture, then arranged in a dish with tomato sauce and mozzarella, and baked for the perfect cheesy bite with crispy edges.

Prep Time20

Cook Time35

Total Time55

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 490kcal

Author: Olivia Parsons

Ingredients

1 package gluten free cannelloni or manicotti pasta 225g
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ white onion diced
3 cups spinach chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
15 oz ricotta 425g
1 egg
½ cup parmesan cheese
1 lemon
6 leaves fresh basil
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon red chili flakes
½ teaspoon salt
1 jar tomato sauce about 2 cups
1½ cups mozzarella cheese
Fresh parsley

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
If your pasta box instructs you to, boil the pasta in salted water for as long as it states. Some brands may claim to be "oven ready", in which case you don't have to boil them, but you may choose to boil for 2 minutes just to make them slightly pliable. Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water to stop cooking.
Simultaneously, add the olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion for 3 minutes before adding the garlic and spinach. Cook until the spinach is wilted and the onion is softened. Remove to a medium size bowl and let cool for 5 minutes.
To the sauté mix, add to the ricotta, egg, parmesan, zest of the lemon, torn basil leaves, Italian seasoning, chili flakes, and salt. Mix with a spatula until combined. Transfer the filling mix to a piping bag or a ziplock bag and cut the end.
Spread half a jar of tomato sauce across the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish.
Pipe the filling all the way through each gluten free cannelloni shell. Place the filled tube in the baking dish on top of the tomato sauce. Repeat until all cannelloni are filled.
Top the cannelloni with more tomato sauce, then a layer of mozzarella cheese. Cover with tin foil and bake for 20 minutes covered, then 10 minutes uncovered. Broil on high for 3-5 minutes at the end to brown the cheese.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Sprinkle with parsley, fresh basil leaves, and more red chili flakes if you like. Be careful, the pasta will be hot!

Notes

Cannelloni vs Manicotti: These two pasta shapes are often used interchangeably. Cannelloni are the smooth tubes and manicotti are the ridged tubes. This recipe will work with a gluten free version of either pasta. Try Granoro Gluten Free Cannelloni or Jovial Foods Gluten Free Manicotti. You could also boil gluten free lasagna sheets until pliable, and wrap them around the filling.
Make ahead: You can prepare and fill the cannelloni ahead of time. Prepare the recipe from step 2 until the end of step 6. Cover the baking dish with foil and place in the fridge for up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, top with sauce and mozzarella then bake.
Storage: Let leftover cannelloni cool completely before covering and storing in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave with some extra tomato sauce until warm.
Freezing: I do not recommend freezing cooked cannelloni, as the gluten free pasta is very delicate and may fall apart when re-heated.

Nutrition facts are an estimate.

Nutrition