Mushroom and spinach cannelloni recipe

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb 2 oz (500 g) mixed mushrooms, such as shiitake, cremini, and button, roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 8 oz (225 g) baby spinach, roughly chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 14 oz can tomatoes, drained and juice discarded
• 2 tbsp pesto
• 2½ oz (75 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 12 cannelloni tubes, boiled

• 5 tbsp butter
• 5 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3 cups hot milk
• 1⁄2 cup heavy cream
• 2 heaped tbsp pesto

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the mushrooms, and fry over high heat for 2 minutes or until just cooked. Add the garlic and spinach and toss together until the spinach is just wilted. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside to cool.
2. To make the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan, whisk in the flour, and cook for 1 minute. Whisking all the time, gradually blend in the hot milk and the cream and bring to a boil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, remove from the heat, and stir in the pesto.
3. Put the tomatoes into a mixing bowl, add the cooled mushroom mixture, the pesto, and one-third of the Parmesan. Stir to combine.
4. Preheat the oven to 400˚F (200˚C). Meanwhile, fill the cannelloni tubes with the mushroom and spinach filling, dividing it equally among them.
5. Spoon one-third of the sauce into the base of the ovenproof dish and arrange the filled cannelloni on top in neat rows. Pour the remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle with the rest of the Parmesan.
6. Bake for 30–35 minutes (45 minutes for 12) or until golden brown and bubbling.