Get Premium access to all the latest content online
Subscribe and view full print editions online... Subscribe
Pumpkin and spinach cannelloni with cheesy mustard béchamel
Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 16 cannelloni tubes
- 10 sage leaves
- 1tsp olive oil
For the filing
- 650g butternut squash, trimmed top and bottom
- 2tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 200g spinach leaves
- 155g ricotta
- 35g Gruyère cheese, grated
- 100g Italian hardcheese, grated
- 2tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 small egg
- 3 sage leaves, finely chopped
For the béchamel
- 600ml whole milk, plus extra, as needed
- 1 sage leaf
- 1 small onion, cut into 8 pieces
- 40g butter, cut into cubes
- 40g plain flour
- 3tbsp double cream
- 4tsp Dijon mustard
- 100g Italian hard cheese, freshly grated
- 50g Gruyère cheese, finely grated
Method
Preheat the oven 190C/170C F/Gas 5. Cut the squash with the skin on into 10 wedges, discarding the seeds. Lay the wedges on a baking tray and rub the flesh with the oil. Roast for around 50 minutes, or until tender. When cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh from the skin on to a board and mash with a vegetable masher. Spoon into a bowl.
Meanwhile, wash the spinach in cold water and put into a pan with only the water that clings to its leaves. Cover and cook over a medium heat for 3 minutes until wilted. Drain and chop very finely (no need to squeeze dry). Add to the squash along with the ricotta, Gruyère, Italian hard cheese, mustard, egg and chopped sage. Combine well and season to taste.
Spoon the mixture into a piping bag and snip off the end to just slightly smaller than the cannelloni opening. Fill each tube with the mixture. Alternatively, you use a teaspoon to do this.
To make the béchamel, put the milk, sage and onion into a pan and heat gently to just below boiling. Remove from the heat and set aside to infuse for 20 minutes, before straining. Discard the onion and sage.
In a pan, melt the butter over a low heat and stir in the flour until you get a paste. Add the milk, a little at a time, until you have a smooth sauce. Stir in the cream and cook, stirring continuously, for another minute. Add the mustard and 50g of the Italian hard cheese and stir until smooth. It’s important that the béchamel is quite loose, so add a little more milk, if needed.
Preheat the oven 180C/ 160C F/Gas 4. Put a third of the béchamel in the bottom of a large rectangular baking dish. Lay the stuffed cannelloni on top in two rows. Pour over the rest of the sauce and cover with foil. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil, scatter with the rest of the Italian hard cheese and Gruyère. Coat the sage leaves in the oil and arrange over the top. Increase the heat to 200C/180C F/Gas 6. Bake for a further 15-20 minutes until the top of the cannelloni is bubbling and golden, with nice crispy brown bits.
This recipe featured in the March/April 2021 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe, click here.
Advertisement