Spinach and pumpkin rotolo bake
Spinach and pumpkin always make for a divine combination, and this Italian inspired rotolo bake is just as delicious as it is beautiful. Smooth pumpkin puree and creamy spinach ricotta filling is spiralled with lasagne sheets to create these captivating pinwheels, nestled amongst a rich tomato sauce.
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 120g baby or standard spinach, roughly chopped
- 250g ricotta
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 400g fresh lasagne sheets
- 2 cups cooked pumpkin or butternut, mashed
- 500g tomato pasta sauce
- Fresh basil, crispy sage leaves and parmesan, to garnish
Method
- Bring a frying pan to a medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Saute the spinach for 1-2 minutes or until wilted, then transfer to a mixing bowl. Leave to cool for 5 minutes.
- To the spinach, add the ricotta, dried oregano, parmesan cheese and egg. Stir well to combine, then season with salt and pepper.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Place the lasagne sheets in the boiling water for 1-2 minutes or until just soft, then place onto a lined tray. Keep covered with a damp tea towel.
- Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celsius. One sheet at a time, spread a layer of mashed pumpkin over ⅔ of the pasta sheet lengthways; leaving ⅓ of the sheet exposed at the top.
- Top the pumpkin with a layer of ricotta mixture, then brush the top of the pasta sheet with water. Roll the pasta away from yourself, then place the sealed side down. Repeat with the remaining filling and pasta sheets.
- Pour the pasta sauce into a baking dish. Cut each rotolo log into 4 pieces, then nestle into the pasta sauce. Cover with a tightly fitting lid or foil, and place into the oven to bake for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, remove the lid and cook for a final 10 minutes. Garnish the baked rotolo with fresh parmesan, fresh basil and crispy sage leaves if desired, then serve immediately and enjoy.