Amazing 30-Min Creamy Ricotta Spinach Chicken Cannelloni

If you’re looking for that perfect weeknight hug in a casserole dish, stop scrolling right now! There is nothing that beats a baked pasta dish when you need serious comfort, and let me tell you about my obsession: the Creamy Ricotta Spinach Chicken Cannelloni. It sounds fancy, I know, but trust me, this dish delivers incredible richness and deep flavor without demanding you spend all day in the kitchen.

When I first made this, my husband actually stopped halfway through his first serving and asked what secret ingredient I used—that’s the magic of it. The texture is just unbeatable; the filling stays tender, and that creamy sauce just coats everything perfectly. It’s become our go-to for busy Sundays because it feels indulgent but really comes together so fast. You’re going to absolutely love how easy it is to achieve this level of satisfaction!

Why This Creamy Ricotta Spinach Chicken Cannelloni Recipe Works (E-E-A-T)

This recipe is a winner because we nail the balance between rich and substantial. It’s not just cheese heaped in pasta; we’re building flavor layers! The cannelloni tubes keep their shape beautifully under the weight of the filling, and because we pre-cook them just right, they never turn to mush when baked. It’s that combination of savory chicken, earthy spinach, and decadent cream that makes people always ask for the recipe.

I learned the hard way that cutting corners here means a sad, watery casserole. My real key is using the right ratio for the sauce, which makes all the difference.

The Secret to the Perfect Creamy Ricotta Spinach Chicken Cannelloni Sauce

You absolutely must use heavy cream here, don’t even think about milk! The mix of heavy cream and broth creates this sauce that clings to every ridge of the pasta instead of just sinking to the bottom of the dish. If you want a sauce recipe for other projects, check out this guide on creamy perfection. This balance gives you that gorgeous bubbly top without any separation.

Achieving the Best Filling for Creamy Ricotta Spinach Chicken Cannelloni

The biggest make-or-break moment for the filling in your Creamy Ricotta Spinach Chicken Cannelloni is the spinach. You have to squeeze every last drop of water out of it. Seriously, wring it out like a sponge! If you skip that, your filling will weep into the sauce while baking. Also, don’t forget the egg; it’s the unlikely binding agent that stops your filling from crumbling when you cut into those beautiful baked tubes.

Ingredients for Your Creamy Ricotta Spinach Chicken Cannelloni

Picking out the groceries is half the fun, right? Getting these ingredients right ensures that every bite of your Creamy Ricotta Spinach Chicken Cannelloni sings. I’ve listed everything here, but pay close attention to the details on the spinach and the cheeses—that’s where the texture magic happens!

For assembling the main elements of this dreamy dinner, you’ll need:

• 12 cannelloni tubes (We need those perfect sturdy shells!)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (Just a splash to get things started)
• 1 pound ground chicken (Turkey works too, see later notes!)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion (Keeps things savory)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (Use more if you’re feeling brave, I do!)
• 10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (This step is non-negotiable, remember?)
• 15 ounces ricotta cheese (Full fat is best for that ultimate creaminess)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (Get the good stuff; it melts better)
• 1 large egg (Our little binder)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (This surprises everyone—it just deepens the savory notes!)
• Salt and black pepper to taste (Be generous with the pepper!)

And for that luscious topping and sauce that makes this recipe famous:

• 2 cups heavy cream (The star of the sauce, obviously)
• 1 cup chicken broth (Adds depth so it’s not just heavy cream)
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (For that perfect golden blanket on top)

If you are looking for other amazing cheesy bakes that pair wonderfully with this baked pasta, you should check out my recipe for cheesy chicken broccoli rice casserole. It’s all about that comforting, bubbly top layer!

Step-by-Step Instructions for Creamy Ricotta Spinach Chicken Cannelloni

Okay, this is where the fun starts! Don’t let the stuffing part scare you; we’re going to break this down so you get perfect results without breaking your back. This whole assembly moves surprisingly fast, especially if you get your oven preheating while you’re tackling the filling. If you love these baked pasta methods, you have to see how I handle my delicious chicken alfredo bake—it has similar vibes!

Preparing the Pasta and Oven for Creamy Ricotta Spinach Chicken Cannelloni

First things first: get that oven warmed up to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, or 190 Celsius. While it’s heating, find your 9×13 baking dish and grease it up lightly; we want easy removal later! Now for the cannelloni tubes. Cook those according to the package, but stop them just shy of fully soft—we want them *al dente*. When you drain them, lay them out on a tray or cutting board spread apart so they don’t stick together while you build the rest of the dish. Make sure they are thoroughly drained!

Cooking the Chicken Base and Assembling the Filling

Grab a skillet over medium heat and get your tablespoon of olive oil hot. Toss in the chopped onion and let it soften up for about five minutes—you want it sweet, not brown. Next, add the minced garlic and cook for just one minute until you can really smell it. Now, add your ground chicken. Break it up with your spoon until it’s completely browned. Drain off *any* fat resting in the pan—we want savory, not greasy! In a big bowl, you’re going to combine that cooked chicken mix, your incredibly dry spinach, the ricotta, Parmesan, the egg, that tiny pinch of nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mix it until it’s totally uniform. It should look thick and rich!

Stuffing and Baking the Creamy Ricotta Spinach Chicken Cannelloni

This is the only slightly fiddly part, but it’s worth it! Carefully stuff those cannelloni tubes with your chicken and cheese mixture. You can use a small spoon or even a piping bag if you have one—it makes loading them up much cleaner. Nestle those stuffed tubes snugly in a single layer in your prepared dish. Next, whisk your heavy cream and chicken broth together, and pour that gorgeous liquid evenly over the top of the cannelloni. It should look like they are swimming just a little bit. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese all over everything. Pop it in the preheated oven for just 25 to 30 minutes, or until that sauce is bubbly hot and the cheese on top is golden brown. Pure magic in the form of Creamy Ricotta Spinach Chicken Cannelloni!

Tips for Success When Making Creamy Ricotta Spinach Chicken Cannelloni

I’ve made this dish so many times that I’ve picked up a few little tricks to make sure it comes out looking and tasting like it’s straight out of a fancy Italian restaurant. These aren’t in the main instructions, but they honestly elevate the whole thing. Remember, when you’re aiming for that perfect Creamy Ricotta Spinach Chicken Cannelloni, the little things count!

First, forget trying to spoon the filling into the cannelloni tubes unless you have the patience of a saint. Seriously, grab a piping bag—or just put a big freezer bag inside a drinking glass, spoon the filling into the bag, snip off the corner, and pipe it in. It’s cleaner, faster, and you get a much more evenly filled tube, which means even cooking.

Second tip is about the sauce distribution. When you pour your heavy cream and broth mixture over the stuffed pasta, make sure it gets between the cracks! Tilt your baking dish gently to let that liquid seep down the sides of the cannelloni. If the tubes aren’t touching the sauce on the bottom, they can dry out during the 30-minute bake.

My final, very important piece of advice? Let it rest! Once it comes out of the oven bubbly and golden, don’t attack it immediately with a serving spoon. Tent it loosely with foil and let it sit on the counter for about 10 minutes. This lets the sauce settle down and thicken up just slightly, which prevents the whole casserole from going runny when you serve it. It makes for much prettier plates!

If you like incorporating wine into your creamy chicken dishes, I highly recommend looking at my recipe for creamy chicken pasta with white wine—it gives you an idea of how much flavor depth you can add!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for Creamy Ricotta Spinach Chicken Cannelloni

I know everyone’s pantry looks a little different, and maybe you’re staring at ground turkey instead of chicken—don’t panic! Flexibility is key in the kitchen, but there are a few spots in this Creamy Ricotta Spinach Chicken Cannelloni where I really need you to stick to the plan for the best outcome.

The main substitution that works like a charm? You can absolutely use ground turkey instead of ground chicken if that’s what you have on hand. They perform almost identically once they’re mixed up with all that savory ricotta and spinach. If you go that route, just make sure you brown the turkey properly and drain any liquid that escapes during cooking, just like chicken.

Now, let’s talk about that tiny amount of nutmeg. Seriously, a quarter teaspoon? Why bother, right? But trust me, it’s crucial! Nutmeg acts like a secret weapon in creamy dairy sauces and cheese fillings. It doesn’t make the dish taste like spice cake; it simply amplifies the richness of the ricotta and Parmesan. It takes the heavy flavor profile from “good” to “wow, what is that amazing undertone?”

Also, the spinach absolutely must be squeezed dry. I can’t stress this enough for any baked pasta, especially your Creamy Ricotta Spinach Chicken Cannelloni! Watery spinach equals a soupy mess underneath the cheesy crust. If you’re looking for other ways to pack veggies into a hearty comfort meal, you might want to look at my recipe for hearty chicken orzo soup; sometimes you want the creaminess baked in, and sometimes you want it warm in a bowl!

Serving Suggestions for Creamy Ricotta Spinach Chicken Cannelloni

When you serve something this rich, this decadent—a true plate of comfort—you need sides that offer a little contrast, right? We want something bright, something crisp, to cut through all that creamy goodness without fighting the deep, savory flavor of the chicken and spinach.

Honestly, my absolute favorite pairing for any big baked pasta night is a really simple, sharp salad.

The Perfect Crisp Salad

Don’t overthink the salad! A simple mix of peppery arugula and crisp romaine hearts is perfect. Use a bright, acidic vinaigrette—maybe a lemon-Dijon dressing. The tanginess cleanses your palate after every bite of that rich cheese and cream sauce. It’s important to keep the salad dressing light, too; we don’t want heavy oils competing with our main event.

Crusty Bread is Essential

You simply cannot let that cheesy sauce go uncovered! You need something sturdy to mop up every last bit from the edges of your serving dish. Forget soft dinner rolls; you need crusty, chewy bread. If you have the time, making homemade breadsticks is fantastic, or you can grab a good loaf of Italian bread from the bakery.

If you want to go all-in on dipping, you have to check out my recipe for delicious garlic breadsticks. They are garlicky, buttery, and absolutely perfect for soaking up every drop of that baked sauce. If you serve this dish without something absorbent on the side, I’ll think you don’t love yourself!

Vegetable Balance

If you need a warm side, keep it simple and green. Steamed asparagus tossed with just a tiny drizzle of olive oil and salt works wonderfully. Or maybe some lightly roasted green beans. The goal is always to provide a little lightness and color to your plate so it doesn’t feel too heavy overall. Keep the vegetable preparation minimal so the pasta remains the star.

Storage and Reheating Instructions for Leftover Creamy Ricotta Spinach Chicken Cannelloni

The best part about baked pasta? The leftovers are somehow even better the next day! When you’re enjoying your delicious Creamy Ricotta Spinach Chicken Cannelloni, make sure you save some because reheating it is super easy. Trust me, the flavor actually deepens overnight as those spices mingle with the cream sauce.

For storage, you really need to keep things sealed up tight. Once the casserole has cooled down enough—don’t put piping hot food straight into the fridge, please—cover that dish tightly with foil or plastic wrap. If the piece isn’t sitting in its original baking dish, scoop individual portions into an airtight container. I find this keeps the best texture, especially for the tubes on the edges.

Reheating Individual Portions

If you’re just warming up a plate or two for lunch the next day, the microwave is my quick-and-dirty choice. Just pop a serving onto a microwave-safe plate, cover it loosely with a paper towel (this prevents spattering), and heat in short bursts. Start with 60 seconds, stir if you can, and then continue in 30-second increments until it’s steaming hot all the way through. Keep an eye on it, though; microwaves can sometimes make the edges of the pasta a little tough if you overheat them.

Baking Leftover Creamy Ricotta Spinach Chicken Cannelloni

If you saved a larger section or the whole pan, the oven is definitely the way to go for the absolute best texture that replicates “just baked.” Put your leftovers back into an oven-safe dish, and here’s the trick to keeping it creamy: add a splash of extra chicken broth or a dollop of heavy cream right over the top before you bake it again. This replaces any moisture that evaporated during the first bake or cooling process!

Cover that dish tightly with foil—you want to trap the steam in there to keep everything supple. Pop it into a 350-degree oven for about 15 to 20 minutes. If you want that golden crust back at the end, pull the foil off for the last five minutes. It brings back that perfect bubbling top to your Creamy Ricotta Spinach Chicken Cannelloni without drying out the filling inside!

Frequently Asked Questions About Creamy Ricotta Spinach Chicken Cannelloni

I know you’ve got questions! When I first tried adapting pasta shapes for different dishes, I felt like I needed a whole manual. Here are the things I get asked most often about making this glorious baked pasta dish!

Can I use different pasta shapes instead of cannelloni tubes?

That’s a great question! The beauty of cannelloni is that it’s designed to be stuffed and baked, holding its shape so well. If you can’t find the tubes, though, you can definitely use manicotti shells! Sometimes they are easier to stuff, which is a nice break. Alternatively, you could make this into a layered casserole using lasagna noodles, but then it becomes a baked ziti/lasagna hybrid, not quite the classic texture of the stuffed tubes, you know?

Can this be made ahead of time? I hate assembling dinner before guests arrive!

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! I often assemble the entire dish—stuff the noodles, pour the sauce, top with mozzarella—but I stop before baking. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. When you’re ready to serve, just pull it out about 30 minutes before putting it in the oven to let it take the chill off. Then, you might need to add 5 to 10 extra minutes to the baking time. It’s a lifesaver!

What happens if I use fresh spinach instead of frozen?

Fresh is always lovely, but you still have to wilt it down first, just like you would with frozen spinach that you’ve thawed. You’ll likely need a much larger volume of fresh spinach to equal 10 ounces when cooked down. The process is: sauté it quickly until it shrinks, then you MUST drain it and squeeze out all that excess water just as vigorously as you would the thawed frozen stuff. Otherwise, you’ll end up with runny ricotta filling!

Why is nutmeg included in the filling? It seems unusual for a chicken dish.

That tiny pinch of nutmeg is my little secret weapon against boring baked pasta! It really enhances the creamy dairy flavors of the ricotta and Parmesan without making the whole thing taste sweet. It just adds complexity and warmth, pairing really nicely with the savory chicken and earthiness of the spinach. You won’t taste “nutmeg,” you’ll just taste “delicious.” Thinking about other cheesy bakes? You might like my recipe for a crustless ricotta spinach quiche, which also uses a hint of spice to boost the cheese!

Estimated Nutritional Snapshot for Creamy Ricotta Spinach Chicken Cannelloni

It’s smart to know what you’re eating, even when it’s pure comfort food heaven! Now, since we are talking heavy cream, ricotta, and cheese, this isn’t exactly a light salad, but wow, is it worth it. Please remember that these numbers are just an estimate based on the ingredients I use, especially if you decide to use whole milk dairy or different cuts of chicken. This estimate breaks down the nutrition for a standard serving size of 3 tubes.

Here is a rough idea of what one serving looks like:

• Calories: About 650 calories
• Protein: A whopping 42 grams! Great muscle fuel.
• Fat: Around 40 grams (don’t skip the heavy cream, it’s essential for texture!)
• Carbohydrates: Around 35 grams, mostly coming from the pasta itself.

It’s certainly rich in protein, which keeps you full until breakfast the next day!

Share Your Creamy Ricotta Spinach Chicken Cannelloni Experience

Seriously, I want to hear from you once you’ve made this! This Creamy Ricotta Spinach Chicken Cannelloni recipe is proof that incredible comfort food doesn’t need to be complicated. Did the kids devour it? Did you sneak a second helping for lunch the next day? Let me know everything!

If you made it, please take a second to rate it with five stars right below this post—it helps other hungry home cooks find this recipe. And if you tweaked the spices or tried stuffing them differently, drop a comment below. I love seeing how everyone adapts family favorites. If you’re looking for more baked dinner inspiration, I have a fantastic spinach ricotta brunch bake that utilizes similar creamy components!

Estimated Nutritional Snapshot for Creamy Ricotta Spinach Chicken Cannelloni

It’s smart to know what you’re eating, even when it’s pure comfort food heaven! Now, since we are talking heavy cream, ricotta, and cheese, this isn’t exactly a light salad, but wow, is it worth it. Please remember that these numbers are just an estimate based on the ingredients I use, especially if you decide to use whole milk dairy or different cuts of chicken. This estimate breaks down the nutrition for a standard serving size of 3 tubes.

Here is a rough idea of what one serving looks like:

• Calories: About 650 calories
• Protein: A whopping 42 grams! Great muscle fuel.
• Fat: Around 40 grams (don’t skip the heavy cream, it’s essential for texture!)
• Carbohydrates: Around 35 grams, mostly coming from the pasta itself.

It’s certainly rich in protein, which keeps you full until breakfast the next day!

Share Your Creamy Ricotta Spinach Chicken Cannelloni Experience

Seriously, I want to hear from you once you’ve made this! This Creamy Ricotta Spinach Chicken Cannelloni recipe is proof that incredible comfort food doesn’t need to be complicated. Did the kids devour it? Did you sneak a second helping for lunch the next day? Let me know everything!

If you made it, please take a second to rate it with five stars right below this post—it helps other hungry home cooks find this recipe. And if you tweaked the spices or tried stuffing them differently, drop a comment below. I love seeing how everyone adapts family favorites. If you’re looking for more baked dinner inspiration, I have a fantastic spinach ricotta brunch bake that utilizes similar creamy components!

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