Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni on a Budget
Ready for a taste of lasagna - without having to spend hours making lasagna?
I can't be the only one who has several packets of lasagna sheets lying around in their cupboards (despite not being able to remember ever buying them!), so this budget-friendly and easy-to-make recipe is the perfect excuse to use them up and make some space in your kitchen - while having what feels like a real treat of a dinner.
Why do you use lasagna sheets?
Sure, you could use purpose-made cannelloni for this recipe - but when lasagna sheets work just as well at a fraction of the price, you know which option I'll be going for.
Cannelloni is something my mum made as a treat dinner as a child. It wasn't until I moved out and almost had a heart attack at the price of big pasta shells, that I realised why it was such a treat dinner!
Every week I create 5 meals for £20 and I really wanted to include this recipe so I needed to adapt as I didn't have much money left to cover the ingredients.
And then it clicked... I could use fresh lasagna sheets and roll the pasta!
But Aldi didn't sell fresh sheets... so instead I decided to try and make it from packet sheets. It was a total trial and error method but luckily it paid off - and it's fast become one of my favourite meals to feed my family.
Does this budget recipe require much effort?
I mean it's always going to be easier to stick some fish fingers in the air fryer and be done with it - but this cannelloni is most definitely worth the time!
It isn't a complicated recipe but it does have a few steps so you will need about 40 minutes to make it. I have dyspraxia, and I could do it... which means you can too!
Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni Ingredients
The great thing about this recipe is that you don't need many ingredients - and those you do need should be readily available at your local supermarket.
For one thing, I'm certainly no chef - I'm just a mum trying to save some money while still feeding my family tasty and nutritious meals. But I also don't like to over-complicate things with millions of fancy ingredients that no-one actually has in their cupboards, that you'll use once and forget about.
- 8 individual lasagna sheets
- 250g frozen spinach (you can opt for fresh, but the frozen variety is typically more cost-effective)
- 250g ricotta
- 250g passata
- 1 ball mozzarella
Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni Recipe
- Put your spinach into a pot and leave to boil
- Fill a saucepan with water and leave to boil
- Slowly add your lasagna sheets and part cook (they should be soft enough to roll)
- Drain the spinach and mix with your ricotta in a bowl to create the filling
- Place your filling in the middle of a lasagna sheet and roll - repeat this several times, placing them into a dish next to one another
- Pour passata over your rolled lasagna sheets and arrange slices of mozzarella on top, covering them in line with your preferences
- Cook in the oven for 30 mins
What can you serve your Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni with?
I love serving my cannelloni alongside green beans or broccoli, but other accompaniments include chips and garlic bread. It's really down to your family's tastes and preferences - so if there's something they love, consider serving it alongside them.
Possible recipe variations you could explore
This recipe is based on what my household loves - but the following are additional ways you could tailor this recipe:
- Add diced garlic to the mixture for an additional flavour
- Consider adding other cheeses based on your preferences (parmesan would make a great topping, giving an even richer taste)
- Mix in beef mince for meat-lovers
- Add diced peppers, butternut squash, or carrots into the ricotta and spinach mixture if you want to hide more vegetables into the dish.
The final verdict
This Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni dish feels like a real treat - but it's still a budget-friendly dish to make to feed the whole family. And while cooking up a lasagna can see you stirring cheese sauce continuously for hours, this meal is relatively quick to make too - taking around 40 minutes in total from preparation to serving.
It was a real favourite of mine growing up when my mum used to make it - and now, it's a real favourite of mine to feed to my toddler too - so give it a try this weekend if you're looking for a taste of comfort.
Have you tried my Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni recipe using lasagna sheets? Let me know how you got on - and if you share it on Instagram, make sure to tag me so I can see your creation!
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