Pumpkin rotolo with sage butter sauce

1.Preheat oven to 200°C. Place pumpkin and garlic on two oven trays; drizzle with oil, season. Roast 30 minutes or until golden and tender. When cool enough to handle, squeeze garlic from skins; discard skins.

2.Meanwhile, boil, steam or microwave spinach until wilted; drain. Cool. Using your hands, squeeze excess water from spinach; chop coarsely.

3.Place pumpkin, spinach, ricotta, parmesan and egg in a large bowl; stir, mashing pumpkin pieces slightly, until combined. Season to taste.

4.Place two pasta sheets, one above the other with the long sides slightly overlapping, on a 45cm square piece of muslin. Spoon one-quarter of the pumpkin mixture along the long side in front of you, to form a smooth log (this ensures the centre of rotolo is plump). Spread another quarter of the pumpkin mixture over the rest of the pasta, leaving a 3cm border at the opposite long side. Using the muslin as a guide, and starting from the long side closest to you, carefully roll up the rotolo to enclose the filling. Wrap rotolo in the muslin, tie a knot at each end and secure with kitchen string at 5cm intervals. Don’t tie too tightly as rotolo will expand slightly during cooking. Repeat with remaining pasta sheets, pumpkin mixture and another square of muslin.

5.Bring a deep, large flameproof baking dish or fish kettle of salted water to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Carefully lower rolls into water; simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes or until pasta is cooked (rolls will feel firmer). Remove rolls from water; stand 2 minutes.

6.Meanwhile, heat butter in a medium frying pan over medium-high heat; cook 2 minutes or until golden brown. Add sage; cook 30 seconds or until crisp. Remove from heat.

7.Unwrap rotolo; discard muslin. Trim ends, then cut each rotolo into six thick slices. Divide slices among plates; serve drizzled with sage butter sauce.