Butternut Squash Cannelloni with Sage Butter

This recipe has a lot of steps but none of them are very difficult. With a little planning, this dish can be prepared ahead and popped into the oven just before mealtime. This makes it an easy dish to serve for dinner with the family or members of your pod. Crepes can seem intimidating, but like most things a little confidence, and practice, goes a long way. Once you master your technique you'll find the quality of simple, homemade, tender crepes make an ideal canvas for savory fillings and sweet treats.

I love using an old school steamer for cooking vegetables.
It's one of those simple tools that always comes in handy.

Making the crepe batter ahead and letting it rest is one trick to accomplishing a successful  crepe.

Canned pumpkin puree can be swapped out for the butternut squash.
But an immersion blender makes quick work of pureeing the fresh squash.

A small non stick pan and a 1/4c measuring cup are the perfect tools for making crepes. 

I like to lay out my crepes and portion out the filling before rolling, wrapping and placing in my baking dish. This can be made up to day ahead and stored until baking.

Butternut Squash Cannelloni with Sage Butter

Makes about 12-14 cannelloni, depending on the size of your crepes.

Ingredients:

For the crepes:

3 eggs

1c water

1c flour

1tsp salt

oil (for the crepe pan, any flavorless oil will do)

For the filling:

1 1/2lb peeled, chopped butternut squash

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped

1/2c ricotta

1/2c grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

1/4c water

For the topping:

1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped

6 tbl butter

Directions:

1. Make the crepe batter: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all the ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for at least an hour. Batter can be made up to a day ahead. You may need to recombine the batter before cooking.

2. Steam the squash: Place a steamer basket in a stock pot filled with about 2" of water.

Bring the water to a simmer and add the squash. Place the lid on the pot. Steam for about 8-10 minutes or until your squash is tender. While the squash is steaming, sauté the garlic with olive oil in a small pan until lightly golden. 

3. Tumble the steamed squash into a large bowl. Add the sautéed garlic. Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth. Alternatively, you can puree the squash in a conventional blender or food processor.

4. Add sage and cheeses. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside.

5. Make the crepes: once your batter has cooled, heat a small non stick pan over a medium flame. Lightly oil the pan. Using a 1/4c measuring cup, pour batter into the pan. Lift the pan and swiftly swirl the batter, evenly coating the bottom of the pan. 

6. Cook for about a minute or just until the crepe is set. Using a small silicone or plastic spatula, quickly flip the crepe. Cook for about another 30 seconds or just until set. Slide the crepe on to a cooling rack. Repeat this process until you use all your batter. Once crepes are cool, they can be stacked and loosely covered until ready to use. Don't be discouraged if you first crepe is not perfect. I'm not entirely sure of the science, but for some reason the first crepe is almost always a little wonky.

7. Fill the crepes: lay cooled crepes out and place about 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of each. Fold the top and bottom of crepe in towards the filling and repeat with the sides to make a neat parcel. Place seam side down in a lightly oiled baking dish. Repeat with remaining crepes and filling. 

8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour 1/4c of water into the bottom of the baking dish and cover with foil. Bake the covered baking dish for about 20 minutes or until the filled crepes are heated through.

9. Make the topping: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the chopped sage and swirl for a few minutes, just until you begin to smell the sage. 

10. Once the crepes are finished baking remove from the oven and uncover. Drizzle the sage butter over the crepes and serve. 

Note: This dish is delicious leftover! Baked crepes last for about one week stored covered and refrigerated.