Butternut Squash Spinach Cannelloni

Cannelloni stuffed with the most delicious butternut squash and spinach filling baked with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Ingredients

Full recipe with amounts can be found in the recipe card below. 

For the filling

• Butternut squash. 
• Onion.
• Garlic.
• Baby spinach. Frozen and thawed spinach can also be used. 
• Mascarpone.
• Parmesan cheese. 
• Fresh sage. 
• Olive oil.
• Nutmeg. 
• Salt and pepper. 

For the cannelloni:

• Cannelloni pasta. 
• Tomato puree/Tomato passata. Feel free to use your favorite marinara or tomato sauce instead.
• Oregano.
• Sugar.
• Salt.
• Mozzarella.
• Parmesan cheese.

What is cannelloni?

Cannelloni are cylindrical shaped pasta that are usually stuffed with a filling (usually beef or spinach and ricotta) and baked with sauce.

How to make cannelloni

1. Prepare the filling: Toss cubed butternut squash with olive oil and salt. Roast for 30 minutes until soft and starting to caramelize. While the butternut roasts, saute the onion and garlic until soft and translucent. Add the baby spinach and cook until wilted down then season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and mash with the butternut. Allow to cool to room temperature then stir in the mascarpone, grated parmesan and sage. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
2. Make the tomato sauce: Stir together the tomato passata/tomato puree, oregano, sugar and salt. Transfer half of the sauce to a suitable baking dish and spread out.
3. Fill the cannelloni: Transfer the filling to a piping bag then snip off the end and fill each cannelloni and place in the baking dish on top of the tomato sauce. Once the dish is full, top with the remaining tomato sauce and the grated mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
4. Bake: Cover the dish with foil and lace in the oven and allow to bake for 30 minutes until the pasta is cooked. Remove the foil and cook for another 15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. I topped my cannelloni with fried sage but that’s optional.

Can you freeze cannelloni?

Assemble the cannelloni in a foil or freezer- and oven-safe container then cover well with foil. Freeze for up to 3 months and bake directly from frozen until hot and bubbling. Similarly, this dish can be assembled up to 3 days in advance and kept covered in the fridge until ready to bake.

Baked pasta recipes

1. Classic baked mac and cheese
2. Creamy spinach artichoke pasta bake
3. Pizza pasta bake