Spinach ricotta cannelloni with mushroom sauce

Spinach ricotta cannelloni with mushroom sauce, absolutely luxurious from the creamy spinach filling to the rich plump mushrooms. The Taleggio and truffle oil add a wonderful compliment to the pasta and sauce, making this a spectacular dish!

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[This post is sponsored by Mushrooms Canada]

Mushrooms, glorious mushrooms!

I never would have thought that I would say, "I would take mushrooms over any meat, any day". These days I am craving less meat and more veggies, mushrooms included in that list. They are so tasty, and very meaty in their texture. Whether in soups, polenta, risotto, pizza, or pasta, they seem to really deliver a dish to elevated levels.

Today I am excited to share a recipe that we put together for Mushrooms Canada that we called Spinach ricotta cannelloni with mushroom sauce. This one is a keeper and one I am sure everyone will love. Come let's get into the kitchen and cook up some of this goodness!

Most any mushroom will do!

I used a mixed mushroom pack that we get from our local farmers market. The array of flavors makes for one very tasty mushroom sauce. However, any one of your favorite mushroom will do. In this medley there are cremini, shitake, and oyster mushrooms. Now that we have our mushrooms let's see what else we may need.

Spinach ricotta cannelloni with mushroom sauce: the ingredient list

• oven ready cannelloni
• spinach
• ricotta
• Parmigiano
• nutmeg
• salt and pepper
• Taleggio cheese
• butter
• shallots
• paprika
• parsley, thyme, chives
• truffle oil

What you will need for utensils and cookware:

• A medium bowl
• piping bag
• 14x17 baking dish
• wooden spoon
• medium sauté pan
• a good knife for mincing and slicing

First things first!

1. Wash and cook the spinach in a saute pan with evo oil, whole garlic, and chili flakes until wilted and soft. Take off heat, take out garlic, drain, squeeze well, and puree in a small food processor.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the spinach puree and the ricotta, a pinch of nutmeg, and a little salt. Add the grated Parmigiano, and mix until smooth. Set aside.

Making the sauce

This sauce is so easy and has so much flavor. Let me show you how we rock this step:

• First we need to clean and wash our mushrooms. Once that is done, we can slice them up. Leave them a little on the thicker side so they will be nice and succulent.
• Secondly we need to mince the shallot. I first slice down the length of the shallot and after cut very fine perpendicularly to the cuts you made first. Once I get those lovely small pieces, I give them and additional chop in every direction. The end result, a lovely minced shallot that is just going to melt and deliver so much sweetness to the sauce.
• Thirdly we add some butter to the sauté pan, and turn the heat to a medium setting. Add in the shallots and give it a stir. Once the shallots have softened add in the sliced up mushroom and continue stirring until mushrooms start to caramelize on the edges.
• Fourthly we need to season and also add in the herbs of choice: parsley, thyme, and chives. A little salt and pepper goes a long way. I always say under season and taste, and add if needed. Always very difficult to recover from "too salty"! Don't forget the dash of paprika, always welcomed by me!
• Lastly we add in Taleggio. Break it up into small chunks, this way it will melt easier and create that creaminess we so want with those mushrooms. A last few drops of truffle oil and a good stir, then let it simmer for a bit then turn it off and cover.

Spinach ricotta cannelloni with mushroom sauce, time for the filling

• The best way we found was to use a pastry bag to fill the cannelloni pasta. Fill your bag with the spinach filling. I usually plug one end with my fingers and push the filling through until it is full. Continue this until all the cannelloni are done, placing them side by side in a baking dish.

Before we hit the oven!

To recap we made the filling, the mushroom sauce is done, and the cannelloni are stuffed. Finally we can pour all that lovely sauce over the cannelloni, cover with foil wrap, and place this Spinach ricotta cannelloni with mushroom sauce, into the preheated oven. Uncover the dish for the last couple of minutes of baking so we get some crispy bits happening.

You're going to love the caramelization of this Spinach ricotta cannelloni with mushroom sauce!

For me a baked pasta needs to have those crispy edges. It just adds to the texture and flavor so much. I have to say this dish looks spectacular and i just can't wait to dig in!

Not only about the flavor

We always talk about flavor, however aroma to me is the beginnings to that point where you place the food in your mouth. I love that hint of truffle, and the sweet almost earthy scent of the taleggio goes so well with the richness of the cannelloni, and also the earthiness of the mushrooms..

If there were ever a time that I was speechless, this is one of them!

My first forkful in has my eyes closing and my tongue swirling around all the lovely flavors of this dish. The pasta is nice and al dente with that slight nuttiness. The filling is so wonderfully creamy with notes of Parmigiano, spinach and that backdrop of nutmeg and pepper. I love how the sauce just takes that cannelloni to another level. The mushrooms plump and so woodsy, the Taleggio sweet, and earthy with the herbs just dancing around my palate. I love how there is a little crispy on the pasta, always welcomed for me. It is just pure scrumptiousness.

I would honestly say that this Spinach ricotta cannelloni with mushroom sauce is really a classy plate to serve for that special dinner or Sunday lunch. It presents beautifully and the aroma will sure spike some appetites. Thanks for sharing this moment and cooking with me. It is one of the things I enjoy most of all, besides sitting all done together to a lovely meal and great conversation!

Buon Appetito everyone, enjoy!

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