Spinach, Pumpkin and Ricotta Rotolo
6 servings
120 minutes
Rotolo is an unusual pasta dish. It takes a little longer to make than some other pastas, but it's worth it because it's a joy to eat - a real showpiece if you want to get attention .
1
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees (gas mark 7).
2
Remove the seeds from the pumpkin, cut it into large pieces, and drizzle with a little olive oil.
- Butternut squash: 0.5 piece
- Olive oil: 30 ml
3
Grind coriander and fennel seeds with chili in a mortar with a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
- Coriander seeds: 1 teaspoon
- Fennel: 1 teaspoon
- Dried chili peppers: 4 pieces
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
4
Sprinkle the pumpkin pieces with this mixture, then place them in a heatproof dish or baking tray, covering with a damp sheet of parchment paper.
5
Place the baking tray in the oven for about 30 minutes, then remove the paper and let the pumpkin bake for another 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
6
While the pumpkin is cooking, chop the marjoram leaves and peel and finely chop the garlic.
- Marjoram: 5 g
- Garlic: 2 cloves
7
Heat a large skillet, add some olive oil, marjoram, and chopped garlic. Stir everything for 20 seconds, then add spinach.
- Olive oil: 30 ml
- Marjoram: 5 g
- Garlic: 2 cloves
- Spinach: 800 g
8
Using tongs, quickly toss the spinach, then after 1 minute add 2 tablespoons of butter and grated nutmeg and mix a bit more. Continue cooking until the moisture evaporates, then season to taste and let cool.
- Butter: 250 g
- Nutmeg: to taste
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
9
Mash the cooked pumpkin into a coarse puree.
10
Roll out the dough into rectangular sheets measuring 30x15 cm. Connect them into a long rectangle. To simplify, you can make two not very long rectangles.
11
Transfer the dough to a clean kitchen towel. Spoon a row of pumpkin along the long edge of the dough sheet.
- Butternut squash: 0.5 piece
12
Spread the spinach on the rest of the sheet, leaving the top 5 cm free for the pasta.
- Spinach: 800 g
13
Sprinkle with ricotta on top and grate parmesan on a fine grater.
- Ricotta cheese: 150 g
- Parmesan cheese: 50 g
14
Moisten the clean edge of the dough with a little water, then carefully roll the dough like a strudel.
15
Wrap the rotolo in a kitchen towel and tightly tie both ends with some twine. You can also secure the sausage shape further by wrapping a bit around the middle.
16
Now, to prepare rotolo, take a very large pot with a lid and bring salted water to a boil.
17
Place the rotolo in the pot and press it down with a plate to keep it submerged. Cook on low heat for about 25 minutes.
18
Melt the remaining butter in a small ovenproof dish at a low temperature (80 degrees). In the next 10-15 minutes, it will melt, and the whey will settle at the bottom.
- Butter: 250 g
19
Remove all the white pieces floating on top, then spoon out the clear golden butter and set it aside. Drain the whey.
20
Heat about 3 tablespoons of clarified butter in a pan. Check if the butter is hot enough by adding a sage leaf. If it fries well, add the remaining leaves and fry for about 30 seconds until they start to crisp. Then remove from heat and set aside.
- Sage: 10 g
21
When the rotolo is ready, carefully take it out of the pot, remove the string, roll it out and slice it into two slices per serving.
22
Sprinkle with a few sage leaves on top, drizzle with a small amount of sage-flavored butter, and sprinkle with grated Parmesan.
- Sage: 10 g
- Butter: 250 g
- Parmesan cheese: 50 g