Keto Pumpkin & Spinach Cannelloni

I’m not going to lie to you, this isn’t a fast and easy recipe. It’s cannelloni, it’s not supposed to be, right? But you’ll have to trust me on this one, it is worth every second of prep.

The sweet roasted pumpkin, paired with the tang of goat’s cheese nestled in a bed of luscious creamy cheese and basil sauce? swoon

If you want a dish that’s a crowd pleaser, try this one. And since there are very few vegetarian options, bonus points for being meat-free.

In fact, I’ll bet that your friends don’t even notice that they’re eating low carb, or vegetarian, they will be too busy taking seconds and asking you for the recipe! This is quite a rich dish, so make sure that you pair it with lots of leafy greens.

Preparation time

Hands-on:    30 minutes
Overall:     1 hour 30 minutes

Nutritional values (per serving)

Total Carbs	7.7	grams
Fiber	1.2	grams
Net Carbs	6.5	grams
Protein	17.3	grams
Fat	37.8	grams
of which Saturated	22.5	grams
Energy	427	kcal
Magnesium	36	mg (9% RDA)
Potassium	376	mg (19% EMR)

Macronutrient ratio: Calories from carbs (6%), protein (16%), fat (78%)

Ingredients (makes 8 servings)

• 2 cups diced pumpkin (232 g/ 8.2 oz)
• 3 leeks - use only the outer parts which will be about 90 g/ 3.2 oz
• 1 small head of cauliflower (265 g/ 9.4 oz)
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (30 ml)
• 8 ounces goat’s cheese, crumbled (226 g)
• 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped (30 g/ 1.1 oz)
• 8 ounces cream cheese (226 g)
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream (240 ml/ 8 fl oz)
• ½ cup fresh basil, finely chopped (8 g/ 0.3 oz)
• 1 cup finely grated Parmesan (90 g/ 3.2 oz)
• ½ tsp minced garlic (1 small clove)
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup grated cheddar cheese (57 g/ 2 oz)

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 C (360 F). Remove skin and seeds from pumpkin and cut into small cubes (around and inch/ 2 cm). Place on to roasting tray.
2. Cut cauliflower into florets and place on tray with pumpkin.
3. Scatter thyme over vegetables, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for approx. 35-45 minutes, until soft and caramelised.
4. Remove from oven and let cool. Crumble goat’s cheese into a bowl. Mash pumpkin and cauliflower roughly, you still want quite a bit of texture, just not any huge pieces.
5. Place in bowl with goat’s cheese and spinach, and mix through.
6. Cut the white ends of your leeks into lengths to suit your lasagne dish.
7. Very carefully remove the outer few layers of the leek by slicing through one side and gently unwrapping them. Although this recipe calls for three leeks, you only use a small part of each of them. Store the rest for use in another dish.
8. Cook until tender. You’ll have to watch this yourself because the times can really change. You want your leek to be pliable, but not soggy. One ready, remove the leeks from the pot and place in cold water to stop the cooking process.
9. Using a stand mixer, combine the cream cheese and the double cream until smooth. Add the basil, Parmesan, garlic and eggs and process until combined.
10. Spread about a third of your cheese sauce onto the base of your lasagne dish. Lay your leek tubes out flat and place about three tablespoons of mixture in the centre of each.
11. Roll the leek up around the filling, creating a tube and place in your dish, seam side down. Continue filling and rolling until your dish is full.
12. Pour and spread the balance of the cheese sauce over the leek tubes (feel free to scrape the bowl and eat it with a spoon!)
13. Sprinkle grated cheddar over the top and add a touch of Parmesan.
14. Bake at 180 C (360 F) for about 30 minutes, or until browned on top and hot through. Serve with a simple fresh green salad. To store, let it cool down, cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

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