Kūmara cannelloni

SERVES 6 INGREDIENTS

3 medium orange kūmara, unpeeled 500g fresh ricotta

1 egg, beaten lightly

2 spring onions, sliced thinly

¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley,

finely chopped

¼ cup fresh chives, finely chopped 2 Tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped

1 cup finely grated parmesan

(see Notes)

1 cup grated pecorino cheese (see Notes) 100g sourdough bread, crust removed,

torn into small pieces

¼ cup pine nuts

½ tsp ground nutmeg

1½ Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup shaved parmesan, extra

2 Tbsp fresh thyme sprigs, extra

CHEESE SAUCE

1 cup cream

¾ cup coarsely grated cheddar

Preheat oven to 200°C. Place one of the kūmara on an oven tray. Bake for 30 minutes or until tender; cool. Reduce oven to 160°C.

Meanwhile, peel remaining kūmara. Using a mandoline or V-slicer, cut sweet potatoes lengthways into 3mm thin slices. Trim slices to 5.5cm x 12cm rectangles; you will need 36 rectangles.

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Season. Add half the kūmara slices; boil for 1½ minutes or until softened. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon; place on a tray to cool. Repeat with remaining kūmara slices.

When cool enough to handle, remove skin from baked kūmara and roughly chop the flesh; add to a food processor with ricotta and process until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in egg, spring onion, parsley, chives, thyme and half the cheeses. Season.

Oil a 22cm x 26cm roasting pan. Place a heaped tablespoon of filling at the short end of a softened kūmara slice; roll to enclose filling. Place, seam-side down, in pan. Repeat with remaining filling and kūmara slices, placing cannelloni in pan in a single layer.

Combine sourdough, pine nuts and nutmeg in a medium bowl with 1 tablespoon of oil and remaining cheeses; sprinkle over the kūmara cannelloni.

Bake for 15 minutes or until top is golden and crunchy.

Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce.

Stir ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat, without boiling, for 4 minutes or until cheddar melts and sauce thickens slightly. Season to taste.

Serve kūmara cannelloni topped with cheese sauce, extra parmesan and extra thyme; drizzle with remaining oil.