Pumpkin or Hamburger Filling:
2 c. canned pumpkin OR browned hamburger meat
1/2 of an onion
1 clove garlic
1/2 c. shredded zucchini
1/2 c. Ricotta cheese
2 Tbsp. Garlic Olive Oil (or try Tuscan or Basil Olive Oil)
1/2 tsp. Hickory Smoked Pepper (or fresh ground pepper)
Pasta and Sauce:
1 pkg. Pacherri pasta (or Cannelloni)
1 - 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
6 oz. tomato paste
1/2 of an onion
1 clove garlic
2 Tbsp. Tuscan Herb Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. dried oregano
2 Tbsp. dried basil
Other:
Mozzarella or Parmesan for topping
Roasted Pumpkin Seed Oil for finishing
Instructions:
In a large frying pan, saute onion, garlic, and zucchini in Garlic Olive Oil until soft. Add pumpkin or hamburger, Ricotta cheese, and pepper. Transfer to a mixing bowl to cool. As mixture cools, saute onions and garlic in Tuscan Herb Olive Oil until soft (you can use the same frying pan as before). Add tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, and basil, and simmer until partially reduced and sauce flavor has intensified.
As sauce is simmering, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook pasta approximately 6 minutes, until it's softened, but still holds its shape without ripping while handling. Drain pasta and rinse with cool water so you can handle it.
Stuff pasta with pumpkin or hamburger mixture. Place pasta in a single layer in baking dish. When mixture is used up or one layer of pasta is covering your dish, top with extra sauce, cover with lid or foil, and bake at 350F for 40 minutes.
Check casserole to make sure pasta is tender - if pasta seems to be absorbing too much sauce and still not very tender, add a bit of water or milk to add more moisture.
Top with cheese and bake uncovered for another 10-15 minutes. Serve with a drizzle of Pumpkin Seed Oil for flavor.
*Submitted by: Sara Dacombe, Landmark MB
