THE TRAVEL ISSUE -March April 2018
September October 2017
from Giuseppe Di Gennaro, Cotto
2 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
150 g. ricotta cheese, drained
120 g. grana padano cheese, crumbled and separated in half
pinch grated nutmeg
2 Amaretto cookies, crumbled
1 egg yolk
salt and pepper to taste
18 cannelloni tubes, slightly blanched*
1/4 c. heavy cream
100 g. soft unsalted butter
Preheat the oven to 350°F. On a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, roast the butternut squash for approximately 20 minutes or until soft to the fork. Transfer to the bowl of a food processor, add the ricotta, half the grana padano, nutmeg, Amaretto cookies, egg yolk and salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.
Transfer to a piping bag (no tip required), carefully fill all the cannelloni tubes and lay them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Mix the cream with the remaining grana padano and the soft butter and pour over the cannelloni tubes. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve 3 cannelloni per person topped with the pancetta crunch (recipe follows). Serves 6
Pancetta Crunch:
2 T. unsalted butter
150 g. pancetta, cut into small cubes
1 T. fresh thyme leaves
3 T. brioche bread crumbs or other bread crumbs
Render the pancetta in a fry pan, over medium-high heat, with the butter. Add the fresh thyme and let it pop for a few moments then turn off the heat and add the bread crumbs. Let everything dry up a bit and sprinkle the top of the cannelloni with the mixture.
(* find cannelloni tubes at Spinelli’s Italian Centre Shop, Lina’s Italian Market, Scarpone’s Italian Store, and The Italian Supermarket)
