Pumpkin and Spinach Rotolo with Hungarian Salami is something I whipped up last night after a stressful day. The recipe is inspired by Jamie Oliver, and makes perfect sense. It’s much quicker and easier to make than lasagne, which Skater would eat every night of the week. I didn’t follow any recipe I just used what I had in the fridge, after I saw him make it last week. It’s a bit of a comfort food idea I suppose well not so much for me but Skater, although he didn’t require as much comforting as me. You see I had a heavy week, I recently divorced my hair dresser and I so needed a haircut but I was wavering , on the brink of taking him back………
I did a ring around the salons suggested to me on twitter and chose based on the friendliness and efficiency of the person at the end of the line. I am a nervous client. I am uneasy about lobbing up to any old person with a pair of scissors in their hand. Yes, I know it is just hair but a bad cut can last for at least 8 or even 12 long untidy, unhappy weeks. Eventually I chose a salon that offered me a senior stylist, rather than an “emerging stylist”. I figured that if they were game to mention that they had different grades of stylists and charge accordingly then I should take the hint and feel the comfort of knowing I had a senior, a person that had shown his or her spots (so to speak), a cutter that could Lord it over the “emerging” not yet so confident others.
So I contemplated my move and my divorce while throwing this together in the most random of ways. I would not be including this as a recipe if it didnt turn out to be a mighty fine tasting dish. But nervous energy carried me through to the next afternoon when I would be meeting my new hairdresser.
I arrived right on time. I didn’t need to sit on the waiting chairs to languish in my nervous energy, I was shown straight to the operational chair and there was my new “senior stylist ” waiting for me. He didn’t wave his arms extravagantly nor try to talk me into having my head shaved, he was quiet and almost nervous, a little like me. Later when we were halfway through, when he hadn’t cut off my hair or my ears, he had had nothing negative to say about anything and we began to chat. I don’t like to chat to a new hairdresser too much at first. I would rather them concentrate on my head rather than my words. But, it all seemed to be going relatively well when he told me it was his first week. I tried not to look completely incredulous as I stared at my own disbelieving face in the mirror. Well what the ?.
Ingredients | Unit: |
- 500 gm pumpkin peeled and chopped or a up to about 700 gm
- 100 ml olive oil 5 Table spoons
- 200 gm onion chopped, medium
- 250 gm frozen spinach
- 125 ml chicken stock ( 1/2 cup plus a little extra)
- 1 clove garlic
- 700 ml tomato passata 1 bottle
- 1 packet lasagne sheets pre- made , or about 5 sheets
- 50 gm cheddar cheese grated
- 50 gm parmesan grated
- 100 gm smoked mozzarella sliced
- 200 gm Hungarian salami I used OlivingbyHans, sliced
Instructions
- You will need an oven proof pot or casserole dish about 25cm (10in) and 9cm /3 1/2 in deep Set the oven to 180C/350F
- Chop the pumpkin toss in 2 tablespoons of oil salt and pepper and roast till soft. ( If desperate microwave til softened and then pan roast in a little oil on the stove top till golden and soft, don't tell anyone about that). Put into a bowl and mash with a fork. Mix in 1/2 the grated cheddar and stir well. Set aside
- Heat the pot you are going to bake the rotolo in. Chop the clove of garlic and add to a pot with 2 tablespoons (or more) of olive oil. Saute till fragrant then add the passata. Simmer on low while you prepare the other ingredients then season and turn off.
- Heat a frypan ( the same one) till warm and add more olive oil. Add the onion and soften. Add the spinach and saute till starting to melt. Add the stock and keep stiring till all the spinach is defrosted (you may need to add a little more stock). Set aside while you make the rolls.
- Put a pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil. The dish is better with blanched pasta. Dip each sheet of pasta into the boiling pot for several minutes before taking out with tongs and throwing into a bowl of cold water.
- Line each piece of pasta onto a board and start to fill. Line each with a piece of Salami then spread each with pumpkin, followed by a few spoons of spinach spread out and sprinkle with some parmesan. Use the ingredients sparingly so that you can make as many rolls as possible
- Roll up along the shortest side and cut in half. Put these rolls into the sauce close together and continue.
- Once the pot is full . Cover with smoked mozzarella and any of the left over parmesan and cheddar. This is not a very strict recipe because pretty much anything will taste great.
- Put the pot into the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes or till bubbling and the cheese melted.
haha but how did it come out??? the hair that is, the pasta looks divine! i am definitely bookmarking this one for my family.
Hi Anna. My haircut was OK. It’s stioll a work in progress i think. That’s probably not very positive is it?
So many delicious recipes and so little time. I have seen this recipe out and about and really need to get at it.
This looks like a wonderful dish! I will have to try it. I hope you are happy with your hair, and I can only imagine the stress of moving and a divorce must make life pretty difficult. Hang in there!
Oh my gosh! I guess senior stylist means different things to different people. 🙂 So glad it turned out anyways. 🙂 This dish does sound marvelously comforting. 🙂
Krista recently posted..Making Quiet Moments and a Chunky Salad with Feta Dressing
Haha I get worried that they will cut off to much hair because one hairdresser did once and I hated it. I’m the most boring client for my hairdresser friend Elly. I get the same thing every time 😛
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella recently posted..Frankenstein Sandwiches for Little Monsters!
How did the haircut turn out??? 😀
And this looks like the ultimate comfort food, so cheesy and delicious!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Choc Chip Uru recently posted..CCU Undercover: Candelori’s Ristorante e Bar
Actually the haircut is quite good. I’ll take another run at it then decide!
Oooh yummy! Yes please! This is going to make a great dinner this weekend. Thanks for the yummy recipe. xxx
Lucy @ Bake Play Smile recently posted..Strawberry Cupcakes – Fabulous Foodie Fridays #24
When I was a young boy, my family was invited for a special night out and Mom got her hair done. She came home furious. The hairdresser tried “something new” and Mom hated it. I can still remember her combing her hair out, vowing never to return to that salon.
Love the idea of mixing pumpkin and spinach in rotolo. This sounds like a very comforting dish, just what our weather will be demanding shortly.
ChgoJohn recently posted..Black Rice Risotto with Roast Duck and Porcini Mushrooms
Definitely comfort food for sure Tania, and a great change from lasagne too. Hope the hair cut worked out OK? I’ve had such a hard time finding a hairdresser that I’ve not had even a trim since January! Just when I find someone great, they seem to up and leave the salon and it’s back to the drawing board 🙁 xox
InTolerant Chef recently posted..Chinese Coconut Jelly
I’m glad it worked out in the end – I never stress about haircuts but my hair is so short I figure it will grow out in 4 weeks anyway. Anyway – back to the recipe 🙂 I thought this was actually more complicated than it looks – and I thought you used cannelloni dried pasta!!!! Haha – sorry for being so ignorant. I’m going to have to give this a go now 🙂
nancy@plusatesix recently posted..Leftover lemons in the kitchen? You’re half way to preserved lemons.
Where’s the photo of the hair cut? I made these a while ago and loved them although got the recipe from the channel 10 website and it had a few of the measurements wrong which didn’t end up as well as it could have.
Claire @ Claire K Creations recently posted..Banana blueberry muffins
I know what you mean. I recently had to go to a black tie function and my hairdresser couldn’t do my hair. I had to go to an ‘unknown’ and was so stressed. But he was great – and cheaper than my current hairdresser. It’ was one of the best ‘up-dos’ I’ve ever had. I wanted that look like I hadn’t been to the hairdresser and had effortlessly put up my hair with a couple of pins. Even though it was super windy when I left the salon, it stayed intact. I was elated and relieved. I’m like you in that after a stressful day, I take out my aggression in the kitchen – it’s very therapeutic. Love the rotolo xx
Hotly Spiced recently posted..Pink Champagne Cake
So did you like your haircut? That Rotolo looks fantastic 🙂
Olivia @ mademoiselleinsydney recently posted..The Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay
I had to scour the comments to see if you’d go back. I know what you mean about hair. I divorced my stylist or she divorced me and moved to Sydney. This was months ago and I’m still looking. I got my hair cut a couple of weeks ago and it looks awful. She decided I needed to go asymmetrical which would be nice on someone with straight hair. So I have short curls on one side and long kinky curls on the other. Ugh!
I made a rotolo more than a year ago according to Jamie Oliver’s instruction where you roll out the pasta and stick it together in a big sheet and then layer cheese, spinach and other things and then roll it up, tie the ends and plop it in a kettle of boiling water. Then you remove, untie, unroll and slice.
I LOVE how easy yours is and you get the same result!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef recently posted..Pavlova with Whipped Cream and Blueberries
That looks divine! I haven’t seen the last Jamie episode, will have to watch it. How was the haircut in the end?
celia recently posted..Bold Statements
Thank fully Celia , my haircut is quite good. I’ll probably be going back!
I am just in the process of looking for a new hairdresser. Love my current one but hate having schlep into town and waste a day. Love the sound and look of this rotolo.
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