Pumpkin Cannelloni

Cannelloni is a type of lasagna that is cylindrical, usually served with a baked filling and topped with an Italian cuisine sauce. The popular toppings include ricotta, spinach, and ground beef. The cylindrical shells are mostly covered in tomato sauce. Also, it is a typical Catalan cuisine also known as canelons. Traditionally, they are eaten on Saint Stephen’s Day.

The first references to macheroni ripieni date back to 1770 but the word cannelloni appeared at the beginning of the 20th century. The American version of cannelloni is known as Manicotti. Also, it can be used to refer to the baking dish. The quirky difference may be that cannelloni is made of sheets of pasta wrapped around the filling, whereas manicotti is machine-extruded cylinders having one end close and the other for filling.

Best Pumpkin Cannelloni Recipes

Pumpkin, Spinach, and Ricotta Cannelloni

Pumpkin, Spinach, and Ricotta Cannelloni

Ingredients:

  • Olive Oil Spray
  • Pumpkin – 750g, Peeled, Cut Into 2cm Pieces
  • Red Onion – 1 Large, Halved, Cut into Thin Wedges
  • Thyme Leaves – 2 Tsp, Fresh
  • Spinach – 250g, Frozen, Chopped, Excess Liquid Removed
  • Ricotta – 300g, Low-Fat
  • Tomato Puree – 400ml Can, No-Added-Salt
  • Basil – 1 Tbsp, Chopped, Fresh
  • Garlic – 2 Cloves, Crushed
  • Lasagna Sheets – 4, Fresh
  • Mixed Salad Leaves – To Serve

Procedure:

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C and lightly spray a shallow 6-cup baking dish with olive oil.
  2. Line a baking sheet with non-stick baking paper and arrange the pumpkin and onion in a single layer. Now spray it lightly with olive oil spray and sprinkle thyme and pepper. Bake it for 40 minutes until the pumpkin is tender and golden brown.
  3. Place the pumpkin mixture in a bowl and coarsely mash it using a fork. Add pepper, spinach, and ricotta to it and mix well.
  4. In a medium bowl, combine the garlic, basil, and tomato puree.
  5. Cut each lasagna sheet in half. Spoon the pumpkin mixture into the center of the sheet. Fold the sheet to enclose the fillings. Now spread tomato sauce on the bottom of the prepared dish. The arrangement of cannelloni should be in a single layer.
  6. The remaining tomato mixture goes over the cannelloni. Sprinkle remaining ricotta and pepper. Bake it for 30 minutes until it starts bubbling. 
  7. After baking, let it stand for 5 minutes and serve with mixed salad leaves. Try garden fresh tomato basil salad with pumpkin, spinach, and ricotta cannelloni. 

Cannelloni with Spinach, Pumpkin, and Nutmeg

Cannelloni with Spinach, Pumpkin, and Nutmeg

Ingredients:

Cannelloni:

  • Cannelloni tubes – 250g
  • Emmental – 100g, grated 
  • Pumpkin seeds – 125g, toasted

Fillings:

  • Pumpkin – 700g, peeled, diced
  • Vegetable oil – 1 dash
  • Salt – 3 pinches
  • Black pepper – 2 pinches
  • Spinach – 500g 
  • Low fat cream cheese – 40g
  • Ground nutmeg – 2 pinches

White Sauce:

  • Onion – 1/2, peeled
  • Garlic – 1 clove
  • Cloves – 6
  • Skimmed milk – 600ml
  • Salt – 1/2 tsp
  • Bay leaves – 2 
  • Unsalted butter – 25g
  • Plain flour – 3 tbsp

Tomato Sauce:

  • Vegetable oil – 1 dash
  • Onion – 1/2, finely diced
  • Garlic – 2 cloves, minced
  • Balsamic vinegar – 2 tbsp
  • Passata – 500g, sieved
  • Tomato puree – 4 tbsp
  • Caster sugar – 1 tbsp 
  • Thyme – 1/4 bunch, fresh
  • Salt – 1/2 tsp
  • Pepper – 1/2 tsp

Procedure:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/thermostat 4.
  2. For the pumpkin filling, toss the pumpkin with a pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl. Add vegetable oil to the mixture and transfer it to a baking dish. Bake it for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.
  3. Once cooked, transfer it to a bowl and use a fork or potato masher to mash and remove the lumps. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
  4. Meanwhile, make a white sauce by pricking the onion and garlic with cloves. Add the mixture to a saucepan with milk, bay leaf, and salt. Simmer it for 10 minutes until flavors have infused.
  5. In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and add flour. Mix the ingredients to make a paste. Cook for 2 minutes then slowly filter the infused milk while whisking continuously.
  6. Simmer the mixture until thick enough to easily coat the back of the spoon. The sauce should be thinner than a regular white sauce.
  7. To prepare the spinach filling, boil the salted water in a large pot. Blanch the spinach for 30 seconds and drain the excess water. Now transfer it to a colander in ice water.
  8. To remove the excess water, wait for it to cool down. Then cut it into small pieces and set it aside. In a bowl, combine the spinach with nutmeg and cream cheese.
  9. Place a medium skillet over medium heat to make tomato sauce. Add oil to it and once it is hot, add the onion and garlic to cook until they are lightly browned.
  10. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar and add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer them for 5 minutes.
  11. Prepare 2 piping bags fitted with large round nozzles. Fill 1 bag with spinach mixture and the other with pumpkin puree. Fill each tube of cannelloni with equal amounts of the mixtures.
  12. Arrange the cannelloni in a baking dish and pour over the white sauce and tomato sauce along with pumpkin seeds and Emmental cheese. Bake it for 45 to 60 minutes until the pasta is cooked through. You can try different types of pasta.
  13. Divide the cannelloni onto plates and use garlic bread or tossed green salad to serve.

Pumpkin Cannelloni with Sage

Pumpkin Cannelloni with Sage

Recommended wine pairing: Tenuta Frescobaldi di Castiglioni

Serves 8

Ingredients:
16 Cannelloni or manicotti shells
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 cups chopped onions
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried sage
15 oz. canned pumpkin
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups ricotta cheese
1/4 shredded parmesan cheese

Cream sauce:
5 tbsp butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp fresh thyme, minced

Procedure:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bring a large pot of water to boil, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Drop shells into the water one at a time, stir gently to avoid sticking. Cook shells according to package directions. Rinse the shells under cold water, separate them, and put them aside. 
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over med heat. Add onions and garlic, cook until translucent stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in pumpkin, ricotta, sage, and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. Stir until pumpkin filling is completely mixed. Put the mixture in a large piping bag and set it aside.
  3. Make the sauce by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly until you have a paste. Whisk in the milk, thyme, and cream until the sauce becomes smooth. Cook the sauce over low heat for 5 -8 minutes until it bubbles and thickens. Pour half the sauce on the bottom of a large baking pan. 
  4. Pipe the pumpkin mixture into the shells. Put each filled shell into the large baking pan. Pour the rest of the sauce over the shells. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese. Cover the pan and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the cover cook for 5-8 more minutes. 
  5. Remove the pan from the oven and rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Pumpkin Cannelloni – A Typical Catalan Cuisine

Cannelloni appeared around the 20th century and its American variant is known as Manicotti. It is Catalan cuisine and eaten on Saint Stephen’s Day. Pumpkin cannelloni is a perfect midweek meal full of cheese and vegetables. There can be a topping of ground beef, spinach, or ricotta. If you want to try a type of Italian lasagna, then pumpkin cannelloni is a perfect choice, made with almost the same cooking methods.

While hosting an event, you can make flavorful pumpkin spinach and ricotta cannelloni, cannelloni with spinach, pumpkin, and nutmeg, or pumpkin cannelloni with sage. These recipes make a perfect cannelloni dinner for gatherings. To get the best flavors of pumpkin cannelloni dishes, serve them hot just after baking.