Pumpkin rotolo with persian fetta, spinach and burnt sage butter
Serves: 4-6

Preheat an oven to 200°C. Place the pumpkin on baking tray, coat with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then and bake for 20-30 minutes until the pumpkin is very soft and caramelised. Leave the pumpkin to cool in the tray until needed.

Pasta- Place the flour on a board or in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and crack the eggs into it. Beat the eggs with a fork until smooth. Using the tips of your fingers, mix the eggs with the flour, incorporating a little at a time, until everything is combined. Knead the dough together until not sticky and rest for an hour in the fridge. Cut the pasta in small pieces and flatten with the palm of your hand. Using a pasta machine feed each piece of dough through the widest setting of the pasta machine four or five times, folding the dough in half lengthways each time you feed it through the rollers. Continue feeding the pasta through the machine, reducing the setting one notch at a time. Roll the pasta until its 1-2 mm thick. Lay the rolled pasta sheets on a clean bench and cover with a damp tea towel until ready to assemble.

To assemble the rotolo– Lay the pasta sheets side by side, overlapping slightly, to form a 30 cm x 60 cm rectangle. Scatter the pumpkin, pinenuts and Persian feta over the pasta sheet leaving a 5cm border.  With longest side facing you, carefully roll the pasta to enclose the filling. Wrap the rotolo in cling film and secure by twisting the ends. Place in a deep roasting pan, cover with boiling with water and simmer on the stove for about 12 minutes or until the pasta is ‘al dente’. Remove to a chopping board and stand for 10 minutes. Gently unwrap the rotolo then cut into 8 even portions.

Melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat and cook for 5 minutes until golden brown, do not allow to burn.  Add the sage leaves and stir until crisp. Take the pan off the heat, add lemon zest and set aside. Place the rotolo in a ceramic baking dish and bake in an oven at 180°C for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Heat some oil in a pan and wilt the baby spinach then set aside.

To serve- Place some baby spinach on the bottom of a serving plate. Add 3 pieces of the rotolo per person and pour over the warm burnt butter sauce. Garnish with the crisp sage leaves and freshly grated parmesan.