Recipes On A Shoestring Budget- Spinach And Ricotta Cannelloni

Ingredients

• 250g frozen spinach- $2.69

• 300g tub ricotta cheese- $3.39

• 1x brown onion- $0.60
  

• 1 clove/1tsp garlic
  

• 1 tsp chilli powder
  
• 1x packet dry canelloni tube- $2.99
  

• 1x 400ml jar tomato passata- $2.00

Total cost= $11.67

Optional extras:

• 2tsp dried herbs (rosemary, thyme, italian herbs etc)

• 500g pumpkin- $3.00

Total cost= $14.67

Makes approx 6 large serves= $1.94 per serve/with pumpkin= $2.44 per serve

Method

• Preheat oven to 180C
• Cut pumpkin into large chunks (leave the skin on if it’s easier for you) and steam/boil whichever you prefer
• Finely dice the onion and fry in a Tablespoon of olive oil with garlic (fresh, minced or dried)

• When the onion is translucent add in chilli powder and any herbs you have on hand (rosemary, thyme, Italian mixed etc)

• Once the pumpkin is cooked remove from the pot and replace with frozen spinach.

• Cook spinach until defrosted and soft. Drain as much water out of the spinach by pushing against the colander with the back of a spoon

• Use a spoon to remove the cooked pumpkin flesh from the skin and place in a bowl and mash with the back of the spoon

• Add onion mixture, spinach and ricotta to the pumpkin mix

• you don’t have a piping bag for this step you can easily make your own. Use a small sandwich bag or similar and fill with spinach mixture. Cut a hole in the corner and use your makeshift piping bag to fill the cannelloni tubes

• Pour half the container of passata into the bottom of a baking dish

• Line the cannelloni, with space in between. Cover with the remaining passata sauce, you want the cannelloni to be about half covered in tomato sauce. Add a layer of aluminium foil over the top of the tray and place in the oven to bake for 30-45 minutes

• The cannelloni is ready when the pasta is soft to the touch but still holding together.

Serving

These can be eaten as a meal just as they are- I give large servings of 4 cannelloni or you can serve 2-3 cannelloni with a simple side salad.

The remaining cannelloni can be frozen and eaten at a later date.