Baked Pumpkin, Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 brown onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 zucchini
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 3 twigs fresh thyme (or a tablespoon of dried thyme )
• 1 tbsp ground sweet paprika
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• 1/2 pumpkin (approx. 400gram)
• 2 cups ricotta
• 1.5 cups fresh spinach
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• salt and pepper
• 1 packet cannelloni tubes

Steps

1. In a saucepan add a generous drizzle of olive oil, 1 finely diced brown onion and 2 cloves of crushed garlic. Keep on a low heat and slowly cook until slightly golden. Stir intermittently. The idea here is to sweat the onions to release its natural sweetness.
2. Add to the saucepan 1 finely diced zucchini. Let it cook for 10 minutes then add 2 tins of diced tomatoes, 3 twigs of fresh thyme (or a tablespoon of dried thyme), 1 tablespoon of ground sweet paprika, a tablespoon of dried oregano and a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Let it cook on low for at-least 45 minutes (the longer the better).
4. Bake half a pumpkin in the oven at 150 degrees Celsius for 1.5 hours (again the longer the better to ensure the pumpkin is loaded with flavour).
5. In a mixing bowl add 2 cups of ricotta, 1.5 cups of chopped fresh spinach, 5 cups of the baked pumpkin, 1 tablespoon of cumin, a pinch of salt and pepper and a small amount of lemon rind.
6. Mix the mixture and fill into the cannelloni tubes.
7. Place a small amount of the tomato sauce on the bottom of your baking dish. Then place your filled cannelloni tubes on-top. Pour the remaining sauce (it might be less) on-top of the tubes. Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 1.5 hours at 180 degrees celsius.