Spinach Cannelloni Pie

By cacelias

The first time I made this on Christmas Eve 2007, it was an instant hit and has now become a Christmas Eve tradition. This recipe is outstanding. The tomato sauce can be made ahead of time. It takes some time to make, but it is well worth the effort.

Recipe from Diana Phillips, "Pot Pie Cookbook"

Ingredients

• Tomato Sauce:
• 1- 10 oz. package frozen, chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
• 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf Italian Parsley
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 recipe Tomato Sauce
• 1 recipe Parmesan Garlic Sauce
• 9 No-bake lasagna noodles (flat)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 6 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes or 3- 15 1/2 oz. cans chopped tomatoes
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
• Parmesan Garlic Sauce:
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 shakes Tabasco sauce
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

For the Tomato Sauce:
In a 4 quart saucepan, heat the oil and saute the onion for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, sugar,and basil and simmer the sauce, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Stir in the parsley and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning, and correct with additional salt and pepper, if desired. The sauce may be refrigerated for 2 days, or frozen for 2 months.

For the Parmesan-Garlic Sauce:
In a 3 quart saucepan, melt the butter, add the garlic and saute for 1 minute to soften the garlic. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Allow the flour to bubble, then add the milk slowly, whisking until the sauce is smooth and thick. Add the salt, Tabasco, nutmeg and cheese. Whisk until the cheese is melted. Taste and correct the seasoning, if necessary. Refrigerate the sauce until ready to finish the pie.

To make the Cannelloni filling:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the spinach and parsley. In another bowl, beat together the eggs, ricotta, 1/2 cup parmesan, salt, and pepper. Add the spinach mixture to the bowl, and stir to combine. Refrigerate for up to 8 hours before assembling the cannelloni.

To assemble the Cannelloni:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 ovenproof dish with non-stick cooking spray. Spoon 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce into the bottom of the baking dish. Cover the sauce with one layer of lasagna noodles. Spread half of the cannelloni filling over the noodles. Cover with another layer of noodles. Spread half of the parmesan garlic sauce over the noodles, and stripe the white sauce with 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce. Cover with the remaining cannelloni filling. Top with the remaining lasagna noodles. Cover the remaining parmesan sauce, and top with the remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkles with the remaining parmesan cheese, and bake the pie for 45 minutes, until the cheese is golden and the pie is bubbling. Let the pie rest for 10 minutes before serving.