Pumpkin and Red Radicchio Cannelloni

I can provide you with a recipe to make delicious pumpkin and red radicchio cannelloni with an Italian twist that will make the dish rich and flavorful. Here are the ingredients and the method.

Ingredients

• 12 cannelloni (or egg pasta for lasagne rolls)
• 600 g of cleaned pumpkin
• 200 g of red radicchio
• 1 small onion
• 250 g of ricotta cheese
• 100 g of grated Parmigiano cheese
• 100 g of smoked scamorza cheese (optional)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Nutmeg to taste
• Butter for the baking dish
• Béchamel sauce (about 500 ml, made with 50 g of flour, 50 g of butter, 500 ml of milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg)

Preparation

1. Start by cooking the cubed pumpkin in the oven at 180 °C for about 20 minutes or until it is soft. You can also cook it in a pan with a bit of water if you prefer.
2. In the meantime, finely chop the onion and radicchio. Sauté the onion in a pan with a drizzle of oil until it becomes transparent, then add the radicchio cut into strips and let it wilt for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Mash the cooked pumpkin in a bowl and mix with the ricotta, half of the Parmigiano, a pinch of nutmeg and, if you want to add a savory touch, smoked scamorza cheese diced. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
4. Combine the sautéed radicchio with the pumpkin mixture and mix well.
5. Prepare the béchamel sauce by melting butter in a saucepan, add the flour and stir until it forms a smooth mixture. Gradually pour in the warm milk, continuing to stir to prevent lumps. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg and bring to a boil until it thickens.
6. Pre-heat the oven to 180 °C.
7. If using ready-made cannelloni, fill them with the pumpkin and radicchio mixture, otherwise lay out an egg pasta sheet, place some filling on one side and roll the pasta to form the cannelloni.
8. Butter a baking dish, pour some béchamel sauce on the bottom, then arrange the cannelloni and cover them with the rest of the béchamel.
9. Sprinkle the surface with the remaining Parmigiano and a few flakes of butter.
10. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the cannelloni are golden brown and the surface is gratinated.

Once cooked, let the cannelloni rest for a few minutes before serving.

Curiosity

Cannelloni are a typically Italian pasta shape, especially beloved for their ability to hold a variety of fillings. The combination of pumpkin and radicchio offers a perfect sweet-bitter contrast that is very characteristic of autumn and winter cuisine in Northern Italy, particularly in Veneto where red radicchio from Treviso is the star of many traditional dishes.