Whenever I eat out, I often choose to go for Italian cuisine as it’s full of flavour and you cannot go wrong with pizza or pasta in my opinion. You know what you’re going to get, and you know that it’s going to be good! Before following the Low FODMAP diet, and becoming increasingly lactose intolerant, I would always order a Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni. It’s warm, comforting and, most importantly, it tastes delicious.
I’ve tested this recipe a couple of times with different tweaks, and the first time I made it, it was missing the comfort and indulgence I remember. I soon realised that classic cannellonis aren’t usually topped with a roux sauce, but this, I can honestly say, is an essential addition to the recipe. The rich, cheesy topping adds an added creaminess, and it really brings the dish together. It’s exactly how I remember it.
To combat the rich and creamy flavours which would usually wreak havoc with my IBS, I take Lactojoy, a high quality lactase enzyme tablet, which allows me to enjoy this delicious, cheesy cannelloni without any unwanted symptoms. For me personally, eating too much lactose can result in stomach cramps, nausea, and in worst cases, vomiting. Fortunately, I now carry Lactojoy wherever I go so that I can enjoy dairy products on the go or at home. It’s hard enough having to avoid onion, garlic and other FODMAPS, so taking lactose off the list to avoid makes life a lot easier! I have written this post in collaboration with Lactojoy so that you too can enjoy this gluten free Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni on a Low FODMAP diet. Take a Lactojoy tablet before eating the meal to enjoy it to the full. The tablets contain lactase, which specifically target and break down lactose, a milk sugar, into short-chain sugars, glucose and galactose, which are easier to absorb and digest.
Lactojoy is easy to purchase, it’s available on Amazon or directly from the Lactojoy website. The tablets are gluten free, dairy free, vegan, histamine free and fructose free. Also they only contain the necessary ingredients (the enzyme lactase (maltodextrin), organic potato starch and a vegetable release agent (magnesium salts from fatty acids). They don’t contain any artificial sweeteners, colouring or other unnecessary ingredients.
Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni
Ingredients
- 7 Gluten free lasagne sheets
For the filling:
- 300 g Spinach
- 250 g Ricotta (LactoJoy lactase enzyme required to aid digestion of lactose)
- 1 Egg
- 75 g Parmesan
For the tomato sauce:
- 100 g Chopped tomatoes
- 100 g Tomato passata
- 1 tbsp Tomato puree
- 1 tsp Dried oregano
- 10 g Fresh basil (finely chopped)
- 1 tsp Caster sugar
- 1 tbsp Garlic-infused oil
- Salt & Pepper
For the roux sauce:
- 20 g Gluten free plain flour
- 275 ml Milk
- 20 g Butter
- 2 tbsp Parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Start by making the roux sauce. In a small saucepan add the plain flour, milk and butter. Heat gently and stir continuously until it forms thickened consistency. Add two tablespoons of parmesan, stir well and leave to one side.
- Add your dried lasagne sheets to a large dish of boiling water. Arrange them in a criss-crossed pattern to avoid them sticking together and leave to soften.
- To prepare the filling, finely chop the spinach and fry in garlic oil until cooked. Add the ricotta to a bowl, stir in the cooked spinach, parmesan and egg. Season with salt and pepper.
- To prepare the tomato sauce, add garlic-infused oil, chopped tomatoes, tomato passata, tomato puree, dried oregano, basil and caster sugar to a small saucepan and stir well. Heat gently and leave to simmer for a few minutes.
- To construct the cannelloni, put the spinach and ricotta mix into a piping bag, cut a hole and pipe a line along the centre of the longest length of the lasagne sheet. Carefully wrap the pasta and place into a large baking dish, with the fold facing down.
- Repeat this until all of the lasagne sheets and filling have been used up, and you have a row of filled cannelloni tubes.
- Pour the tomato sauce over the top of the cannelloni, ensuring the pasta is covered. Give the roux sauce a quick stir and pour this on top of the tomato sauce. Sprinkle generously with parmesan and bake for 25-30 mins.
- Remove from the oven and serve with a green salad.
I hope you find this recipe useful, it has quickly become one of my favourites, and are able to enjoy it to the full with the help of Lactojoy.
As always, let me know what you think of the recipe, I’d love to see your cannelloni creations!
Alice x
This post was written as part of a paid partnership with LactoJoy. All views are my own.
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