Honeycomb Cannelloni
Honeycomb Cannelloni
With Roasted Butternut Squash & Caramelised Onions
Vegetarian or Vegan
Serves 6
Warming, comforting autumn flavours come together in this beautiful and rustic main course. A different take on the classic cannelloni, with the squash and caramelised onions offering sweet and savoury notes, along with a creamy, moreish ricotta filling, crispy topping and lovely aromas of basil and rosemary. The honeycomb pattern allows for a larger quantity and makes for an impressive presentation, while at the same time being easier to put together. Delicious!
Ingredients
For the filling
butternut squash, peeled & finely diced
1tsp olive oil
1tbsp butter of choice (we use Naturli)
1tbsp rapeseed oil
4 large white onions, thinly sliced**
1tbsp coconut sugar
1tbsp soy sauce
750g ricotta cheese of choice*
100g freshly grated Parmesan cheese of choice*
1 organic free range pasture raised egg* (optional)
3tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
Salt & pepper to taste
For the white sauce
80g butter*
50g plain flour
170ml white wine
340ml single cream (we use Oatly)*
1tsp vegetable bouillon powder
30g freshly grated Parmesan cheese of choice*
Salt & pepper to taste
A few sprigs fresh rosemary
More Parmesan cheese for sprinkling*
500g cannelloni pasta
500ml prepared vegetable stock
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C. Place the diced butternut squash on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Drizzle a little olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the squash is tender. Remove from the oven, but keep the oven on.
In a large frying pan, heat the oil and the butter. Gently sauté the onions over a low heat, covered. Stir frequently. When they begin to brown, add the sugar and soy sauce and continue to sauté for 20-30 minutes, until they caramelise. Place half of them on a plate and chop them finely, using a knife and fork. Set aside. (Place any extra in a lidded jar, cool and refrigerate).
In a large bowl, add the ricotta, egg and basil and mix well. Stir in the butternut squash and caramelised onions. Adjust seasoning as required.
For the sauce, place the cream and the wine in a saucepan and gently heat until just before boiling point. Alternatively, you can heat in a microwave. Pour in a large jug and set aside. Melt the butter in the same saucepan and whisk in the flour. Begin pouring the wine/cream mixture, a little at a time, whisking continuously, until all the liquid is absorbed and you have a smooth creamy sauce. Add the bouillon powder and the Parmesan cheese and turn off the heat. Continue to whisk until the cheese has melted and season with salt and pepper.
To parboil the cannelloni, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Line a large baking tray with a tea towel and set aside. Add the cannelloni to the pan, a few at a time and simmer for two minutes until al dente. Remove using a slotted spoon and lay flat on the tea towel. Don’t be tempted to overcrowd the pan because they do tend to stick to one another while boiling.
In a deep ovenproof dish, add a ladleful of the sauce and spread to cover the base. Stand the cannelloni upright, close to each other until the dish is filled. It’s ok if the cannelloni are taller than your dish. Pour the vegetable stock into the dish around the cannelloni. Spoon the filling in batches in a medium freezer bag, twist the ends and snip off one corner. Pipe the filling generously into each cannelloni. Pour the remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle abundantly with Parmesan cheese. Dot the rosemary sprigs all around the top, cover with baking parchment or foil and place in the lower half of the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the cover and continue to cook for a further 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool for a while, serve and enjoy!
Notes
**When we make caramelised onions, we always make extra to keep. Store in a lidded jar in the fridge for up to a week. They are so versatile and can be used in numerous recipes, sandwiches etc. Four onions will make a double batch. Just halve the ingredients if you are making just enough for the cannelloni.
If you do not have cannelloni pasta, you can use lasagne pasta for this recipe.
In this case you will have to lay them flat on a baking dish. Parboil the lasagne sheets until al dente, then place them on a clean tea towel. Spoon a couple of tablespoons of the filling in each sheet and roll to create a cannelloni shape. Place them seam down, adjoining on a baking tray and proceed with the recipe as above.
