Chicken and Pumpkin Cannelloni

Preparation time: 1 hour
Total cooking time: 2 hours

Serves 6

Difficulty: Medium

500g (1lb) butternut pumpkin, with skin and seeds
30g (1oz) butter
100g (3½oz) pancetta, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
500g (1lb) chicken thigh fillets, minced
½ teaspoon garam masala
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
150g (5oz) goat's cheese
50g (1¾oz) ricotta
375g (12oz) fresh lasagne sheets
1 cup (100g/3½oz) grated Parmesan

Tomato sauce

30g (1oz) butter
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 x 425g (14oz) cans chopped tomatoes
¼ cup (7g/¼oz) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup (60ml/2 fl oz) white wine

1. Preheat the oven to hot 220°C (425°F/Gas 7). Brush the pumpkin with 10g (¼oz) of the butter and bake on a baking tray for 1 hour, or until tender. When the pumpkin has cooked and while it is still hot, remove the seeds. Scrape out the flesh and mash it with a fork. Set aside to cool.

2. Add another 10g (¼oz) of the butter to a heavy-based frying pan and cook the pancetta over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.

3. In the same pan, heat the remaining butter and the olive oil. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add the chicken in small batches and brown, making sure the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool on paper towels. Reduce the oven temperature to moderately hot 200°C (400°F/Gas 6).

4. Combine the pumpkin with the pancetta and chicken in a bowl. Mix in the garam masala, parsley, goat's cheese, ricotta and some salt and black pepper. Cut the lasagne sheets into rouht 15cm (6 inch) squares. Place 3 tablespoons of the filling at one end of each square and roll up. Repeat with the rest of the lasagne sheets and filling.

5. To make the tomato sauce, melt the butter in a heavy-based pan and add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute, then add the tomato and simmer over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the parsley and white wine, and simmer gently for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

6. Spread a little of the tomato sauce over the bottom of a 3 litre capacity ovenproof dish and arrange the cannelloni on top in a single layer. Spoon the remaining tomato sauce over the cannelloni and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is golden.

Nutrition per serving
Protein 44g; Fat 26g; Carbohydrate 55g; Dietary fibre 6.5g; Cholesterol 113mg; 2670kJ (638kcal)

Note:
You can use instant cannelloni tubes instead of the lasagne sheets. Stand the tubes on end on a chopping board and spoon in the filling.