Check out this original Graziani family recipe for Cannelloni Pasta with Ricotta Cheese & Spinach!

For Stuffing:

For The Topping:

you can use fresh egg pasta, which you can make by yourself or buy, for example, fresh lasagne sheets, available at Mana foods.

For The Filling:

Clean the fresh spinach and boil in a small amount of salted water
Drain and squeeze out as much water as possible
As soon as they cool a bit, finely chop them with a knife or mincing knife
Combine in a bowl with the crumbled ricotta cheese, the nutmeg, the eggs, the pepper and the grated cheese
Mix and blend everything together
Add salt to taste
Prepare the béchamel sauce
To prepare the béchamel sauce, melt the butter into a small saucepan
Add the sifted flour
Cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly to prevent it from browning or sticking to the bottom: (this is called roux by the French)
Now remove the saucepan from the heat and add the hot milk to the roux, stirring with a wooden spoon
Then return the pan to the heat, let it simmer on a low flame until the sauce comes to a boil, then add a pinch of salt and a pinch of nutmeg
Cover the pan with a lid and let the béchamel sauce simmer, still on a low flame, for 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally

For The Pasta:

Cut the pasta sheets into rectangles, about 4-5 inches (10-12 cm) long by 3-4 inches (8-10 cm) wide, boil in salted water for 1-2 minutes
Place on a clean cloth to dry
Put a spoonful of filling in the middle of each one
Roll them up into cylinders

Final Steps:

Grease a baking pan with oil or butter, large enough to hold all the cannelloni in one layer, and spread 2-3 tablespoons of béchamel sauce on the bottom, then add in the Cannelloni
Top with more béchamel sauce
Sprinkle w/ grated parmesan cheese & bake at 390°F (200°C) for 20-25 minutes;
5 minutes before the end of baking, turn the grill on, so that the spinach and ricotta cannelloni turn golden brown on top

If you have ready-to-use cannelloni tubes:

Fill a pastry bag (fitted with a large, smooth nozzle) with the spinach and ricotta mixture and stuff the cannelloni
Arrange them one next to the other in the baking pan
Top with the remaining béchamel sauce and sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese all over
Bake the cannelloni at 390°F (200°C) for about 20-25 minutes
5 minutes before the end of baking, turn the grill on, so that the spinach and ricotta cannelloni turn golden brown on top

Cannelloni Pasta with Ricotta & Spinach Graziani Family Recipe!