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Vegetarian Ricotta, Spinach and Pumpkin Cannelloni - An Easy-to-make, super light recipe that turns comfort food into a special meal perfect to celebrate fall season. Recipe from www.thepetitecook.com

Light Ricotta, Spinach and Pumpkin Cannelloni

Course: Vegetarian Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 2
Author: Andrea Soranidis
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Ingredients

For the filling:

  • 350 g fresh spinach leaves
  • roasted pumpkin see below
  • 1 cup/ 250g fresh ricotta
  • large pinch grated nutmeg

For the roasted pumpkin:

  • 1 lb /450 gr pumpkin flesh finely cubed
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • 1 garlic clove
  • extravirgin olive oil

For the white sauce:

  • ½ cup fresh ricotta
  • a splash of milk/water
  • a generous pinch of ground nutmeg
  • a pinch of ground ginger
  • 2 fresh sage leaves finely chopped
  • salt & white pepper

Instructions

  • Arrange pumpkin on a baking tray covered with parchment paper.
  • Drizzle a little olive oil over the top and add thyme sprigs and garlic.
  • Roast in a preheated oven to 360F/180F for about 30 min or until soft and cooked through.
  • Blanch spinach in a large pot of boiling water, then drain and transfer into a bowl with ice, to cool them down and preserve their bright green color.
  • Transfer into a bowl, add half the roasted pumpkin cubes and the rest of ingredients. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.
  • Blend the remaining pumpkin to make a smooth puree and set aside.
  • Fold the cannelloni in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water. Cook for about 1-2 min, they should be still hard. Drain and pat dry on a kitchen cloth.
  • Fill a piping bag with the ricotta, pumpkin and spinach mixture.
  • Hold each cannelloni up on your palm to avoid the filling to escape and fill with the prepared mixture.
  • To make the white sauce: simply blend ricotta with a splash of milk/water until it reaches a creamy consistency. Adjust with more liquid if necessary. Season with salt, white pepper, sage and a pinch of nutmeg.
  • Layer the bottom of a small 9inch baking dish with half the pumpkin puree, and arrange cannelloni on top.
  • Pour over the remaining pumpkin puree and top with white sauce. Season with salt and pepper and bake in the oven to 360F/180F for 15-20 min, until the pasta is cooked through and the edges are slightly crispy.
  • Serve immediately and enjoy!