Free Form Cheese and Pumpkin Cannelloni

Cook Time 1 hour

Servings 4

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic 

400g can crushed tomatoes

8 fresh lasagna sheets (about 350g)

500g buffalo ricotta

350g stracciatella

¾ cup grated parmesan (half for mixture and half for top)

1 bunch of English spinach, washed really well

½ butternut pumpkin, peeled cubed and roasted until tender then roughly mashed

Zest of 1 lemon

Good pinch nutmeg 

Salt and pepper

Mixed lettuce leaves, to serve

Method

Heat half the oil in a saucepan and add half the garlic, once it starts to sizzle add the tomatoes, half of the can filled with water and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Place the lid on and cook for 10-15 minutes until reduced by ⅓. Remove from the heat for later.

In a pan heat some more oil and add the garlic and spinach, fry for a minute to wilt the spinach.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Combine the ricotta, stracciatella and half of the parmesan, with the nutmeg, salt and pepper, and lemon zest.

Lay the sheets on a bench with the shorter end facing you. Working with one sheet at a time, spread over the pumpkin and spinach leaving a 2 cm border. Top with the ricotta mixture and roll up with the seam side down.

Add ¼ of the tomato sauce to an oiled baking dish. Arrange cannelloni in the sauce. Drizzle over the remaining sauce, sprinkle over parmesan and loosely cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes.

Portion onto plates, and serve with a green salad on the side.