BUTTERNUT, LEEK AND CHEESE CANNELLONI

Prep time 20 mins Cooking time 1 hour 20 mins Serves 6-8 500g butternut, peeled, cubed 3 tbsp vegetable oil 3 tbsp golden syrup 110g butter 4 leeks, sliced 2 tbsp chopped sage leaves 200g ricotta cheese Cannelloni tubes, as needed 60g cake flour 500ml milk 100ml cream 50g Gruyère cheese, grated 50g pecorino or Parmesan cheese, grated Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Place the butternut on a roasting tray. Drizzle with oil and syrup, season with salt and pepper, and roast for 40 minutes or until soft. Remove and cool. Melt 50g butter in a frying pan and sauté leeks and sage until soft but still green. Remove and combine with the butternut and ricotta and season to taste. Using a knife, carefully fill the cannelloni tubes with the mixture, and arrange them in a single layer in a baking dish. Keep some space between each. Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan over medium heat and when it’s bubbling, stir in flour. Cook for about a minute, then gradually add milk, whisking continuously to avoid any lumps, until the mixture is of a pouring consistency. Add cream and Gruyère and stir through until the cheese has melted. Season to taste and pour over the cannelloni. Sprinkle pecorino or Parmesan on top and cover the baking dish with a foil, shiny side down. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and return to the oven for five minutes or until the cheese has melted and the top is golden. Serve hot.