Description
This Creamy Turkey & Spinach Cannelloni recipe offers a healthy, low-fat twist on the classic Italian favorite. Featuring lean ground turkey, nutrient-rich spinach, and a luscious tomato cream sauce, it’s packed with flavor and wholesome ingredients. The cannelloni tubes are stuffed with a creamy ricotta and spinach filling combined with savory turkey, then baked and broiled to golden perfection. Perfect for a comforting family meal that’s balanced and satisfying.
Ingredients
Turkey Filling
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 lb lean ground turkey
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 lb frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed to drain
- 1 cup light ricotta cheese, drained
- 1 large whole egg
- ½ cup liquid egg whites
- ¾ cup low fat mozzarella cheese
- 1 tablespoon vegetable bouillon or stock powder
- 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, freshly chopped
- 2 tablespoons basil leaves, fresh chopped
- 1 tablespoon oregano, freshly chopped
Tomato Sauce
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- ½ large red bell pepper (capsicum), chopped
- 2 cans condensed tomato soup (14.5 oz each)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable bouillon or stock powder
- 4 oz low fat cream cheese (Philadelphia cooking type)
Assembly
- 8.8 oz cannelloni or manicotti tubes (20-24 tubes)
- ¼ cup low fat mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Set your oven to 390°F (200°C) to get it ready for baking the stuffed cannelloni.
- Cook turkey mixture: Spray a pan with cooking oil and sauté the chopped onion until translucent. Add the ground turkey and garlic powder, breaking up the turkey with a wooden spoon. Cook until browned and any excess liquid has evaporated, then set aside to cool.
- Prepare the filling: In a large bowl, combine the drained spinach, light ricotta cheese, whole egg, liquid egg whites, ¾ cup mozzarella cheese, vegetable bouillon, parsley, basil, and oregano. Add the cooled turkey mixture and mix thoroughly to create a creamy filling.
- Make tomato sauce: Using the same pan, sauté the second chopped onion, minced garlic, and chopped red bell pepper until softened. Add the condensed tomato soup and vegetable bouillon powder and simmer gently on low heat until the sauce thickens slightly. Stir in the low fat cream cheese and continue heating until the sauce is smooth and heated through.
- Assemble cannelloni: Spread about half of the tomato sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9x13 inch (23x33 cm) baking dish. Carefully stuff each cannelloni tube with the turkey and spinach filling until full.
- Arrange tubes and top: Place the filled cannelloni tubes in a single layer over the sauce in the baking dish. Pour the remaining tomato sauce evenly over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese.
- Bake covered: Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes to heat through and meld the flavors.
- Broil for golden topping: Remove the foil and switch the oven to broil (grill). Broil the dish for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown on top.
- Serve: Serve the cannelloni hot with extra tomato sauce from the baking dish and garnish with fresh herbs if desired.
Notes
- Be sure to squeeze the frozen spinach well to avoid excess moisture in the filling.
- Use light or low-fat cheese options to keep the dish lower in fat while maintaining creaminess.
- You can prepare the filling and sauce a day ahead to save time on the day of baking.
- If cannelloni tubes are unavailable, manicotti tubes can be used as a substitute.
- Covering the dish while baking helps prevent the cheeses from drying out before broiling to finish.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
