Easy Spinach & 🌱 Ricotta Cannelloni One-Pot No-Baking No-Stuffing

Let’s get cooking! Or check out the science to see why I picked the ingredients I did for this recipe and the NCDs they fight.

Recipe Overview

🔪 The Recipe:	Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni
⏲️ Estimated Time:	About 30 minutes from scratch.
🍽️ Servings:	Around 3 servings
💵 Cost to make:	$5.03 USD / $7.00 CAD ($1.68 USD/person)
🕹️ Difficulty:	Moderately Easy

As usual, all the recipes are allergy-friendly and Top 8 Allergy-Free, but this one is also Top 9 Allergy-Free if you omit the tahini and sesame seeds, but it does make it better and more “classic” and tastier with them both—feel free to use other seed or nut butter or seeds as substitutions.
no dairy, no eggs, no wheat, no nuts, no tree nuts, no shellfish, no seafood, no soy, no corn, no salt added, no oil added, no sugar added, no coconut, no sesame.
Using only minimally processed or proven safe foods from scratch.

Have questions or a request to update a recipe for a specific allergy or food restriction? Contact me and I’d love to help!

Why I Had To Make a WFPB Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni

I loved those microwave cannelloni dinners growing up! They were a special treat for a rushed dinner or an exhausted parent and they were very addictive. You probably know the one? With a thin piece of (probably toxic) plastic film attached to the black plastic container that gets warped slightly from the heat of the sauce as it reaches molten lava temperature.

This version copies all the “junk food” flavors and textures of the microwave cannelloni, but using healthy ingredients and has no plastic container or cooking film!

I also hate stuffing the tube shells for cannelloni! So this roll-up method is a great time saver, but also a mess and frustration saver!

As usual, I want this meal also accessible for those with low income or with limited cooking space and appliances (RV, Van lifers, digital nomads, compact homes, etc.) so making it require no baking, as well as using only a single pot for everything, were both must-haves for me.

Even if you’ve never had a microwave-dinner cannelloni before, or even know what a cannelloni is, you’ll still love this healthy alternative!

NOTE: Check out the new ingredients section—this is where you can see the science-backed research for each ingredient. This section is still growing and is a living document so check back often for some of the healthiest and disease-fighting ingredients, all backed with the latest medical and scientific research that I’ve found on each ingredient and how it fights disease.

Also, check out the research if you haven’t for science-backed data on diet and disease.

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How to Make WFPB Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni – Quick Video 📺

“As a lover of classic comfort and junk foods I was excited to try the WFPB Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni. I can confidently say it exceeded my expectations! This dish beautifully captures the nostalgic flavors I remember while being entirely plant-based and wholesome.

Every bite is a delightful reminder of those microwave versions I used to enjoy, but this is so much better! It’s rich, satisfying, and incredibly comforting—all without the plastic and ultra-processed additives. If you’re looking for a healthy yet indulgent meal, this cannelloni is a must-try!”

– Chef Rob (me)

(If you’ve made this recipe then I’d love to use your testimonial here! Please email me or leave your comments below.)

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⭐Full Easy Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni Recipe⭐

Easy Spinach & 🌱 Ricotta Cannelloni

Chef Rob

Simple homemade wfpb cannelloni that you can roll-up, instead of stuff. From scratch in 30 minutes or less.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Comfort Food, Junk Food, Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 3 people

Equipment

• 1 Pot
• 1 Spice / Coffee Grinder (a blender or food processor will also work)

Ingredients

  

LENTIL RICOTTA

• ¼ cup lentils (or omit and use tofu or cooked beans etc.)
• 1 tbsp oats (omit if using tofu)
• ¼ tbsp onion powder
• 1 cup spinach chopped, fresh or frozen
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• ½ cup water

OAT MOZZA (optional)

• 2 tbsp oats (you could also use split peas, seeds, nuts, etc.)
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• ⅛ tsp garlic granulated
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• ¼ cup water or more as needed
• 2 tbsp (cassava flour, tapioca starch, sticky rice flour etc.) (optional, only if you must have stretchy mozza)

TOMATO SAUCE

• 2 tbsp onion any color (onion powder of 1 tsp will work as a substitute)
• 1 cup tomatoes diced, fresh or canned
• 1 cup tomato paste or tomato puree
• 2 tbsp basil fresh or 1 tbsp dried
• ½ tsp oregano dried
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)
• 2 cups water

CANNELLONI PASTA

• follow the fast & easy wheat free pasta (Fettuccine) dough recipe below until step 4. or use store bought cannelloni if you prefer.

Instructions

 

• Grind up your Lentil Ricotta dry ingredients (lentils, oats, and onion powder) then add the powder and the lemon juice, vinegar, and water to a pot on medium heat, stirring often, until most of the liquid is reduced, or about 5 minutes. (If too much liquid is reduced you can add a bit of heavy oat milk (3 tbsp ground oats with ½ cup water). If you’re using fresh chopped spinach then add it now to wilt and cook it right in to the Lentil Ricotta.

  Remove the Lentil Ricotta from the pot and place it in a dish in the fridge or freezer to set (about 5 minutes in the freezer, 10 in the fridge;remember the thinner it’s spread the faster and firmer it will set).

  *a note about the video: I added tahini to the first batch but it makes it too dense so I would omit it.
  
• Grind up the oats for the Oat Mozza and add all of the Oat Mozza ingredients to the same post on medium-low heat. Stir and cook until it thickens and is no longer wet to the touch—like a lightly tacky soft putty (figure 2B). Reserve the Oat Mozza for later.
  
• TIP: Making a cross mark (figure 3A) will keep your dough more square and less round, try it!

  Store-bought pasta tip: if using pasta tubes then skip this step (3) and go to the next step (4).

  Grind up your dough ingredients (½ cup oats, 2 tbsp chia seeds) and mix with ¼ cup water until a dough forms, kneed it in your hands (like squishing a stress ball) for about a minute then start rolling it out (I used a water bottle, but a soup can or similar will also work if you don’t have a rolling pin.) Then cut your sheet of (20mm 8 inches wide; 40mm long) dough vertically.
  
• Store-bought pasta tip: stuff the dried pasta shells with the filling for this step and everything else is the same.

  Take about a teaspoon of the Oat Mozza and mix it with about 2-3 tbsp of the Lentil Ricotta and mix and shape them into a log then place the log at one end of a pasta sheet . Next, roll the sheet over so the filling is inside of the roll, and then cut the dough (figure 4B) continue this process until all the filling and the dough is all used up. You should get about 6 cannelloni.
  
• Add onions and water to a pot (we boil the onions in this instance to get the microwave-dinner flair, but feel free to sautee them for more flavor) cook them for a minute or two then add all the other Tomato Sauce ingredients to the pot, and bring it to a low boil on high heat.

  Hint: For more authentic flavor add some fresh garlic
  
• Reduce the heat to a medium-low and add your cannelloni, sinking each one below the sauce so it’s fully covered in sauce.
  
• Store-bought pasta tip: cook the pasta in the sauce for as long as it says, it might take a bit longer to fully soften the pasta tubes than the fresh gluten-free pasta.

  When all the cannelloni are added, and covered in sauce, you’ll want to cover the pot with a lid and cook for 5-10 minutes (at the most).

  Serve with fresh basil and cheezy not parm powder.
  

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⭐Pasta Dough Recipe⭐

10 Minute Dirt-cheap Pappardelle or Fettuccine from Scratch

Chef Rob

In as little as 10 minutes you could be eating homemade Pappardelle, fettuccine, or even cannelloni or lasagna.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 9 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 minute min

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Course Comfort Food, Dinner, Main Course, Pasta, Side Dish

Cuisine Chinese, Italian

Servings 1 people

Calories 269 kcal

Equipment

• 1 Spice / Coffee Grinder
• 1 Rolling Pin (or soup can, water bottle, hard round fruit, wax paper & books, etc.)

Ingredients

  

Pasta Dough

• ½ cup oats
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• ¼ cup water

Instructions

 

• Grind the oats and chia seeds into a fine flower. Add to a bowl then add your wet water.
  
• Using a spoon or your hand start mixing the dough until a ball forms. Knead and work the ball in your hands until it becomes fairly smooth and has an eleasti texture.
  
• Use your rolling pin and roll out a long thin sheet of dough. About 2mm, or 1/16th of and inch, thick, and about 40cm (16 inches) long and 20cm (8 inches) wide.
  
• Flour your dough so it's not sticky. Now for pappardelle, e will loosly rolling it up into a spiral/tube. (*For other pasta or doughs you want to stop here and go back to those instructions.)
  
• Now slice 2.5cm (1 inch) sections all the way across the rolled up sheet of dough (we do this so we get straighter noodles).

  Now unroll each little noodle spiral so it's ready to cook.
  
• Place the noodles in a large pot of rapidly boiling water until the noodles rise to the surface. Quickly blanch the noodles by straining them and then dunking or rinsing them in ice-cold water. Toss them with your desired sauce and enjoy.
  

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⭐Cheesy Not Parm Powder Recipe⭐

Cheesy Not Parm Powder

Chef Rob

This “cheese” powder is great on salads or pasta as a Parmesan substitute, or directly in cheese like sauces to create that thick gooey lip-smacking goodness that you get in a heavy cheesey sauce.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 minute min

Total Time 1 minute min

Course Garnish, Topping

Cuisine American, Canadian, Italian

Servings 1 people

Equipment

• 1 Spice / Coffee Grinder

Ingredients

  

• 1 tbsp raw hulled pumpkin seeds raw hulled sunflower seeds work too
• 1 tbsp raw flax seeds
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast optional
• ⅛ tsp onion powder optional

Instructions

 

• Add all ingredients to a spice/coffee grinder or blender/food-processor, or pestle and mortar and grind into a semi-fine powder (I leave it a bit coarse as the pumpkin seed bits add a similar granular texture and bit of a good parmigiano reggiano.)

  Use or store for later.
  

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Nutrition Facts Table – WFPB Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About the Easy Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni

1. Can I use a blender?

Yes. You can use a blender, food processor, hand blender, or even a pestle and mortar to make this recipe. While a spice grinder was designed for this purpose, using a blender makes it accessible for those with lower incomes or those living in nomadic, RV, or other limited cooking spaces.

2. Can I buy pasta tubes?

Yes, you can buy store-bought pasta tubes or shells and stuff them yourself. If you want a gluten-free option, just ensure the pasta you purchase is labeled as gluten-free.

3. What can I use as a substitute for lentil ricotta?

If you don’t want to use lentils, you could also use any type of cooked white bean or legumes, such as chickpeas or shelled edamame (a soy product). Alternatively, firm crumbled tofu works well too.

4. Can I freeze leftovers?

Yes, you can freeze any leftovers! Just make sure to store them in an airtight container. They will last for at least 5 days in the fridge at 4°C (39°F) or equivalent.

5. Is this recipe suitable for meal prep?

Definitely! This cannelloni is great for meal prep. You can prepare it ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze it for later.

6. Can I add other vegetables?

Yes! Feel free to customize the dish by adding other vegetables like mushrooms, zucchini, or bell peppers to enhance the flavor and nutrition.

7. How can I adjust the spice level?

To adjust the spice level, you can add fresh or powdered garlic, along with more basil or oregano. Adding black pepper or chili flakes can also give it a nice kick!

💡 Pro Tips for Easy Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni

• Sift Your Lentils: to get a smoother and creamier lentil ricotta try sifting your lentils after grinding then re-grinding and re-sifting until there’s nothing left to sift/grind. This will give you a very smooth ricotta. See the video on Lentil Feta for how this is done
• Score Your Dough: before rolling out your dough ball, score a plus (+) symbol on it. This technique helps the dough roll out more square or rectangular rather than round, making it easier to get cannelloni all the same size.
• Use a Rolling Pin: for an even thickness, use a rolling pin to roll out your dough. An alternative could be to use a water bottle or even a soup can in a pinch. This ensures that your pasta cooks uniformly and maintains the right texture.
• Enhance Your Ricotta: when preparing your plant-based ricotta, consider adding fresh herbs like basil or oregano, or even a splash of lemon juice for extra flavor. This will elevate the taste of your filling.
• Boil The Onions: I know this seems strange, but if you want that “microwave dinner” junk food cannelloni then this is the way. If you want more flavor and depth then sautee your onions and any other veggies you want to add.

🧂If you absolutely must add salt then try to add it to taste, to the top of the food, and in small amounts and only after tasting it first. The same goes for other “less healthy” additions, but the idea should be to try to limit and eventually remove adding them, over time, when you are ready.

After a few weeks of not eating a SAD diet your tastebuds reset and you’ll notice the natural sodium in foods, check out the great article, and subscribe to, Michael Corthell on Substack.

Conclusion

No matter if you’re enjoying it for dinner or meal prepping for the week, the WFPB Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni is a dish that promises satisfaction and comfort. This healthy twist on a beloved classic allows you to indulge without the unhealthy consequences, bringing back those familiar flavors with a nourishing, plant-based approach. Relish each bite as you enjoy a wholesome meal that supports your well-being and satisfies your cravings!

The Science – Sources

Please tell me how it turned out! Did you: try it, like it, hate it, change it, or do something else unexpected???

If I’ve made any mistakes, or something doesn’t make sense, or if you want more/less details, please let me know in the comments.

Stay healthy and nourished!

Chef Robert Leigh.

Easy Spinach & 🌱 Ricotta Cannelloni One-Pot No-Baking No-Stuffing

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