Butternut Pumpkin Cannelloni
Pumpkin Cannelloni is a beloved staple in our house. This isn’t your normal spinach and ricotta cannelloni. Set atop a bed of beef mince and onions, these filled noodle tubes are baked in a deliciously rich pumpkin sauce. It’s a classic date night dish and makes plenty of leftovers that are great for weeknight dinners or prepped lunches as well.
The pumpkin sauce base is quite similar to a thick pumpkin soup and tastes delicious on its own with some crusty bread. The ricotta & spinach filled pasta tubes can be baked in Tomato Passata for a more traditional take on cannelloni.
This recipe is packed with veggies and generously serves 8. If you wish to stretch the servings further you can serve with a side salad. A layer of sauteed beef and onion has been added to this pumpkin cannelloni to boost the total protein content. The mince provides a delicious rich meaty flavour throughout. You can exclude the beef entirely for a vegetarian option. Purée the cooked onions and garlic into the pumpkin sauce instead.
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Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni in a Beefy Butternut Sauce
Set the frozen spinach aside to thaw, ideally in a strainer to remove as much liquid as possible before using later in the recipe.
Peel and Dice Butternut Pumpkin. Place pieces in a large stockpot and fill with water until just covered. Bring to a boil and then simmer until just cooked.
Roughly Dice Onion and sautee in olive oil until softened. Add the beef mince if using and season with garlic powder, salt & pepper.
Drain the pumpkin, reserving some of the cooking water. Puree the pumpkin with an immersion (stick) blender, thinning with the cooking water until you reach a thick soup consistency. If you're not using the mince - puree the seasoned onions in with the pumpkin mixture, otherwise just season the pumpkin with the stock powder.
In a medium to large bowl, combine the Ricotta, egg, drained spinach, Parmesan and dash of nutmeg.
Preheat Oven to 180°C
Spread the mince & onion mixture evenly over the base of a large ceramic lasagne dish.
If not using mince, spread 1/4 of the pumpkin mixture across the base of the dish instead.
Fill a large piping bag with the cheese mixture. Holding each tube with one open end against the palm of your hand, gently squeeze the ricotta mixture into the tube until filled.
If you don't have a piping bag you can get the mixture into the tubes with a spoon - just carefully poke the mixture in with your finger or the thin end of the spoon to ensure no major air pockets remain.
As each tube is filled, nestle it in the prepared mixture on the base of your lasagne pan, lining up the tubes in rows.
Top the filled tubes with the remaining pumpkin mixture and spread out evenly across the pan.
Top with shredded tasty cheese and bake for approx 45mins until golden and the pasta tubes are cooked through.
Ingredients
Directions
Set the frozen spinach aside to thaw, ideally in a strainer to remove as much liquid as possible before using later in the recipe.
Peel and Dice Butternut Pumpkin. Place pieces in a large stockpot and fill with water until just covered. Bring to a boil and then simmer until just cooked.
Roughly Dice Onion and sautee in olive oil until softened. Add the beef mince if using and season with garlic powder, salt & pepper.
Drain the pumpkin, reserving some of the cooking water. Puree the pumpkin with an immersion (stick) blender, thinning with the cooking water until you reach a thick soup consistency. If you're not using the mince - puree the seasoned onions in with the pumpkin mixture, otherwise just season the pumpkin with the stock powder.
In a medium to large bowl, combine the Ricotta, egg, drained spinach, Parmesan and dash of nutmeg.
Preheat Oven to 180°C
Spread the mince & onion mixture evenly over the base of a large ceramic lasagne dish.
If not using mince, spread 1/4 of the pumpkin mixture across the base of the dish instead.
Fill a large piping bag with the cheese mixture. Holding each tube with one open end against the palm of your hand, gently squeeze the ricotta mixture into the tube until filled.
If you don't have a piping bag you can get the mixture into the tubes with a spoon - just carefully poke the mixture in with your finger or the thin end of the spoon to ensure no major air pockets remain.
As each tube is filled, nestle it in the prepared mixture on the base of your lasagne pan, lining up the tubes in rows.
Top the filled tubes with the remaining pumpkin mixture and spread out evenly across the pan.
Top with shredded tasty cheese and bake for approx 45mins until golden and the pasta tubes are cooked through.
Notes
Recipe Notes
Beef Mince increases the protein content of the meal. Shredded Chicken would be a delicious alternative, but you can use any other type of mince. Drain any excess fat before adding to the finished dish.
Known in Australia as Butternut Pumpkin, this vegetable is a type of winter squash that grows on a vine. It has a sweet, nutty taste similar to a pumpkin – but has a slightly firmer texture. You can replace with pumpkin, but I wouldn’t recommend replacing with other types of squash.
Key Ingredients
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