Mushroom and ricotta cannelloni is a delicious and comforting dish that combines earthy mushrooms, creamy ricotta cheese, and flavorful tomato sauce. This classic Italian pasta dish is simple, comforting, and belly-warming. Perfect for a cozy night in or for serving at a dinner party. Tubes of pasta filled with the combination of savory mushrooms and rich ricotta cheese creates a scrumptious meal that is sure to please even the pickiest of eaters.
Jump to:
Mushroom and Herbed Ricotta Cannelloni
Cannelloni is a type of cylindrical pasta generally served baked with a filling and covered in sauce.
It can be found in the pasta aisle of most well-stocked grocery aisles.
Originating from Italy, it usually comes stuffed with meat or cheese such as ricotta, is topped off with a rice tomato sauce and parmesan and then baked to gooey perfection.
This version uses a combination of mushrooms and herbed ricotta, for a savory filling that will be sure to knock your socks off in terms of flavor.
Ingredients
For this recipe, you are going to need:
- premade cannelloni shells: these can be found in the pasta aisle of well-stocked grocery stores. Alternatively, you can make your own using fresh pasta, or you can boil lasagna sheets and roll the ricotta mixture in them to make cannelloni shells;
- marinara sauce or a rich passata: buy a good quality sauce, you will be able to taste the difference. You can also use a homemade version like this fresh heirloom tomato sauce;
- extra virgin olive oil: choose a good quality olive oil if you can;
- fresh garlic;
- white button mushrooms: you can use any other mushroom variety you prefer, this goes especially well with Swiss brown mushrooms, however, they can be a bit more expensive;
- fresh parsley and thyme: fresh is best, but you can get away with dried herbs in a pinch;
- fresh ricotta cheese: this is a soft cheese that can usually be found in the cheese section beside cottage cheese and cream cheese;
- Parmigiano Reggiano cheese: this will need to be grated, try to avoid buying the pre-grated cheese, as that can have an almost chalky texture to it due to the preservatives included. To save money, you can swap this for regular parmesan cheese.
Assembling and Baking Your Cannelloni
To make the mushroom and ricotta cannelloni, start by sautéing chopped mushrooms in olive oil until they are browned and tender and most of the liquid has evaporated from the pan.
In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, and fresh herbs.
Spread a layer of the marinara sauce on the bottom of a baking dish or a skillet like I use in these photos.
Spoon the mushroom mixture into the cooked cannelloni shells, and place the filled cannelloni into the baking dish on top of the marinara sauce.
Pour more marinara sauce over the top of the cannelloni and sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake in the oven until heated through and bubbly.
Serving Suggestions and Side Dishes
Serve your mushroom and ricotta cannelloni with a side salad or some crusty bread for a complete meal that will satisfy even the pickiest eaters.
I like to pop some extra grated parmesan on the table for the cheese lovers.
This dish is sure to become a favorite in your household!
Happy Eating
xx
Recipe
Mushroom and Herbed Ricotta Cannelloni
Clicking any equipment link above will earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Ingredients
- 1 box cannelloni shells or homemade if you have the time
- 2 cups marinara sauce of choice or 1 jar
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups white button mushrooms chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped
- 1 ½ cups fresh ricotta cheese
- 1 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese grated and divided into two
- 2 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F
- Cook pasta according to the directions on the box. If you are using fresh pasta, it does not need to be pre-cooked
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over a medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until it becomes aromatic, but has not browned. Add in the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper. Cook until browned
- While the mushrooms are cooking, mix the ricotta with the chopped parsley and thyme. Once the mushrooms are browned add them to the ricotta mixture, along with half of the parmigiano. Season with salt and pepper and stir well to combine
- Stuff the cannelloni tubes with the mixture (see notes for a tip)
- In the same skillet you used for cooking the mushrooms, add half of the marinara sauce and the water. Arrange the cannelloni on top of the sauce, and then top that with the remaining sauce and the rest of the parmigiano
- Cover with aluminium foil and pop into the oven for 30 minutes
Nutrition
Victoria Gimbel says
I just made this recipe and it was delicious. I added some red wine to the mushrooms after browning, and mixed in some shredded mozzarella cheese to the ricotta.
Donna1 says
Yum, I love the idea of adding the red wine to the mushrooms, it would add such a depth of flavor that would pair perfectly with the tomato based sauce!! So good 🙂
Sasha @ Eat Love Eat says
This looks like amazing comfort food!
Donna1 says
Thanks Sasha 🙂
Amanda Mason says
This looks and sounds so fantastic! I love a good pasta dish! I'll be trying this one!
Donna1 says
Yay 🙂