Squash And Spinach Pasta Rotolo Recipes

SQUASH AND SPINACH PASTA ROTOLO

Steps:

• Place butternut squash halves on a large baking sheet flesh side up. Roast in the oven for 50 to 60 minutes at 200°C, until flesh is fork-tender, then remove from the oven.
• Meanwhile, cook the onion and thyme on a medium-low heat in olive oil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the frozen spinach, cover with a lid and allow to slowly cook for another 15 minutes, or until the liquid has evaporated, then remove from the heat.
• Discard the squash skin and mash up the flesh with a fork. Keeping them separate, season both the squash and spinach with salt, pepper and a grating of nutmeg.
• Make the sauce: fry the garlic, over medium heat, in olive oil for a couple of minutes, or until lightly golden. Pour in the puree, bring to the boil, simmer for just 3 minutes, season with salt and pepper. Transfer the sauce to an ovenproof dish.
• On a clean work surface, lay out the pasta sheets facing lengthways away from you. Working quickly so your pasta doesn't dry out, brush them with water, then evenly divide and spread the squash over the sheets.
• Sprinkle over the cooked spinach and crumble over the feta. Roll up the sheets and cut each one into 3 - 4 chunks.
• Place rotoli side by side in the tomato sauce, sprinkle with grated Parmesan and little olive oil. Cover with Alu foil and bake in the oven at 180°C for 35 - 40 minutes until golden and crisp. Remove the foil halfway through.

SPINACH & RICOTTA ROTOLO

Steps:

• Begin by making the Simple tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add the garlic clove and cook until just softened. Add the chopped tomatoes and season. Cook slowly for 25 mins, stirring now and then, until very thick. Do this a day or two ahead of assembling the rotolo, or freeze it for up to 2 months.
• Wilt the spinach in a pan over a medium heat, then leave to cool. Squeeze well to remove the excess water, then roughly chop the spinach. Season and leave to cool completely.
• Gently fry the garlic in the butter until softened, then remove from the heat and add the marjoram. Tip into a bowl and add the spinach, ricotta and Parmesan.
• Roll out the pasta (see step-by-step images). Cut the sheets into 3 or 4 pieces, each roughly 40cm long, and place them on a white tea towel. Using a little water and a pastry brush, stick the sheets together, allowing a 1cm overlap.
• Using a spatula, spread the filling over the pasta as evenly as possible, leaving a 1cm border around the edge.
• Fold over the edge of the pasta nearest to you and, using the tea towel and the weight of the pasta, roll it away from you like you would a Swiss roll.
• Brush the open edge of the pasta with a little water and press together to seal.
• Wrap the pasta roll tightly in the tea towel and tie a piece of string round it every 10cm or so (or use a butcher's knot - see step-by-step images). Tie the ends with string to secure them, leaving a long piece of string at each end to act as a handle.
• Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil (a fish kettle is ideal, but a deep roasting tin filled with water works well too) and cook the rotolo for 20 mins. Remove from the water and leave to cool. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5.
• Gently unwrap the rotolo and cut it into 3cm slices. Arrange the slices in a baking dish. Spoon over the Simple tomato sauce, sprinkle with Parmesan and drizzle with a little olive oil. Bake for 15 mins until the pasta is hot and crisping around the edges.

SPICY BUTTERNUT SQUASH PASTA WITH SPINACH

Steps:

• Bring a large covered pot of heavily salted water to a boil.
• Meanwhile, in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet with high sides and a tight-fitting lid (or a Dutch oven), heat the oil over medium-high until shimmering. Add the squash and season with salt, cumin and red-pepper flakes. Cook, stirring every minute, until squash becomes browned in spots and feels just tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400 degrees. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook, uncovered, until not quite al dente, 3 to 4 minutes less than the package instructions. (It should be a little too firm to the bite.) Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and drain. If the pasta is done before the squash, then stir in a drizzle of olive oil so that it doesn't stick together.
• When the squash is just tender, add the broth. Bring to an active simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash is soft and easily mashable, 10 to 12 minutes. Turn off the heat, then use a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon to crush about half of the butternut squash and leave the rest chunky. Season the squash to taste, keeping in mind that salty Parmesan will be added soon.
• Add the cooked pasta to the skillet along with 1 cup reserved pasta water and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, stirring vigorously to combine. Stir in the spinach one handful at a time until it shrinks down a little.
• Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan, the mozzarella and jalapeño, then place in the oven, on a sheet pan if you are worried about dripping. Cook until the top is melted and browned in spots, 12 to 15 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil, top with parsley and serve.