baked butternut squash cannelloni

**makes 6 servings

Ingredients

1 butternut squash cubed
1 onion
cannelloni pasta tubes ( about half pkg )
1 pkg frozen chopped spinach ( thawed + drained well )
1 1/2 C tomato pasta sauce of your choice
1 garlic clove minced
1/4 C chopped walnuts
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper
1 tsp crushed chilli flakes
1/2 C button mushrooms
salt + pepper to taste
parsley for garnish

I am a pasta lover so this recipe is right up my alley. Baked cannelloni with a tasty cheese-like spinach filling smothered in a spicy tomato sauce is sure to satisfy that comfort food craving.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the cubed squash. Boil 20 minutes or until the squash is soft. Drain, mash, add salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

Chop the mushrooms, onions, and red bell peppers into a small dice. Remember this is going to be stuffed into the cannelloni tubes so you want it to be fairly small. Set aside 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper for garnish. Add to a skillet with 1 tsp olive oil, minced garlic and chill flakes and sauté for 5 minutes.

Combine the squash mixture, chopped walnuts, sautéed veg and thawed spinach mixture in a bowl. Set Aside.

You will need a medium sized casserole dish. ( I used a rectangle so the tubes fit better but use what you have ) Spread 1/2 cup of tomato sauce on the bottom of the casserole, making sure to cover the entire surface.

Pre-heat your oven to 350F. Spoon the squash mixture into the cannelloni tubes, and place into the casserole dish. Top with remaining tomato sauce and 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper. Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove, and let rest for 10 minutes. Top with fresh chopped parsley and serve while hot.