Pumpkin Manicotti with Bechamel Sauce
This Pumpkin Manicotti is a great fall comfort food dish. Pumpkin, sage and cheeses are stuffed into manicotti shells and topped with the most delicious creamy white sauce!
Servings: 14 servings (2 manicotti per serving)
Ingredients
ROASTED PUMPKIN:
- 1 small sugar pie pumpkin (peeled, seeds scraped out & diced into ½-inch pieces)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
BECHAMEL SAUCE:
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups 2% low fat milk
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly grated is best!)
FILLING:
- 2 cups (packed) chopped fresh spinach
- 16 ounces low fat ricotta cheese
- 16 ounces ball mozzarella cheese, chopped into ¼-inch cubes
- 8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
NOODLES:
- Two 8-ounce boxes manicotti noodles, prepared to al dente, and set aside to cool
TOPPING:
- ½ cup chopped fresh sage
Instructions
ROAST THE PUMPKIN:
- Preheat oven to 400℉. In a large bowl, toss the pumpkin (about 4 cups) with the olive oil and maple syrup. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Spread the coated pumpkin cubes onto the tray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes; toss and then roast for 10 more minutes (until slightly tender). Let cool.
PREPARE THE SAUCE:
- In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat until melted. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Over medium heat, cook until the mixture turns a golden sandy color, about 6 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a separate pan until just about to boil. Add the hot milk to the butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth. Bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly, then remove from heat. Season with salt and nutmeg, and set aside until ready to use.
PREPARE THE FILLING:
- In a large bowl, mix all of the filling ingredients together. Stir in the cooled, roasted pumpkin cubes.
ASSEMBLE THE MANICOTTI:
- Spray a 13x9-inch pan with nonstick spray. Stuff the noodles with filling using small cocktail fork or spoon (or see *Recipe Notes below).
- Spoon a layer of sauce on bottom of pan, then lay stuffed manicotti noodles side by side on top of sauce. Cover with remainder of sauce. Sprinkle with fresh sage.
- Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.
Notes
- *Another idea for filling the noodles… put filling ingredients in a couple of quart-sized bags. Snip the corner, rubber band the top of the bag and squeeze into the cooked noodles.
- *All of the noodles might not fit into a 9x13-inch pan. You may need an additional 8x8-inch pan to make room.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 432kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 784mg | Potassium: 432mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 3990IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 437mg | Iron: 2mg