Cannelloni

Cannelloni
From: taxi78cab

- 12 oz lasagna noodles, cooked to al dante and drained. I like the whole grain ones - they work well for this.
- 16 oz part-skim ricotta
- 1 egg
- couple handfuls shredded parmesan
- spices for filling: powdered onion, powdered garlic, dried thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, etc.
- 8 oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained
- tomato sauce, homemade or jarred is fine, probably 24-32 oz.

If you're making your own sauce, start it first so it has a chance to simmer a bit. I like to saute onions and garlic, add in a little red wine, then add crushed and/or diced tomatoes. Yesterday I used one big can and one regular can. Not sure on the sizes. Then let simmer for 45 min to an hour or until everything else is ready.

Boil the noodles to al dante. (Don't overcook 'cause they'll get baked too so you want them to start off kind of firm.) Drain and lay separately on a rack, foil, parchment, or waxed paper so they don't stick together. They can sit for a while while you prepare everything else.

Thaw the spinach in the microwave if necessary and drain and wring out in a towel or paper towel. Get as much excess liquid out as possible. Combine the ricotta, spinach, egg, parmesan, spices as desired (make sure to add a decent amount of salt and at least some spices here or the results will be way too bland).

When the sauce is nicely simmered (or the jarred sauce is open), spray a 13x9 pan (or two 8x8 or other small pans... I prefer to do two small pans 'cause this freezes really well so I can have it again in a couple weeks with no prep work. Plus, one little pan feeds two of us for one meal plus one person's lunch.) with Pam. Spoon about 1/2 a cup of sauce into each pan or a cup or so into the bottom of the big pan.

With your noodles laid out in front of you, spoon some of the filling into each noodle. If they're all separate and you have the room, spoon filling onto all the noodles at once so you know you have enough on each one. If you want them extra cheesy, sprinkle some grated mozzarella over each one. Then roll them each up and place them seam side down in the pan. I usually put 8-9 in each of the two pans.

Pour the remaining sauce over the top, making sure to cover each roll so they don't dry out. Sprinkle some shredded/grated mozzarella over the top.

Bake at ~350 for ~45 min to an hour or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and turning golden. If you want to freeze one pan, do so BEFORE baking. Then take it out of the freezer, cover it with aluminum foil, and put it, frozen, into a cold oven. Turn the oven on and let it heat up as the oven heats up. From the freezer it takes about 90 minutes to thaw and heat up. Then uncover it and let the top brown up for about 15 min.