Baked Conchiglioni with Aromatic Sausage, Sage and Creamy Pumpkin

• small pumpkin1

  peeled, seeds removed, flesh cut into cubes

• olive oil↗2 ч. л. tsp
• sage

  leaves gathered and coarsely chopped

• quality sausages↗8
• ground nutmeg↗

  about ¼ of a whole nut

• conchiglioni↗350 g

  see below

• butter↗50 g
• all-purpose flour↗50 g
• milk↗850 ml
• Parmesan↗50 g

  grated, plus extra for topping

• fontina100 g

  grated, or 125 g mozzarella, sliced

• truffle oil

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Place the pumpkin cubes in a microwave‑safe bowl, add 1 tbsp water and cook on high power for 10 minutes, or until tender. While the pumpkin cooks, heat olive oil in a pan, add the sage leaves and sauté for 1 minute. Remove the casings from the sausages, break them into small balls the size of unshelled hazelnuts, add to the pan and fry until golden. Add half of the pumpkin, set aside. Mash the remaining pumpkin with the leftover liquid, add ground nutmeg and a generous amount of spices.

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 220 °C (200 °C for convection, gas 7). Cook the conchiglioni according to the package instructions. While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and stir to a smooth paste. Cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly, then gradually whisk in the milk until the sauce is smooth. Add the mashed pumpkin, grated Parmesan and a generous amount of spices. Stir in 3–4 tbsp of the sauce to the sausage mixture to moisten it slightly.

3. 3

   Spread the remaining pumpkin sauce on the bottom of a large shallow baking dish. Drain the cooked conchiglioni, leaving a little water in the pot so they don’t stick. Remove any broken pasta pieces and scatter them over the sauce. Place the shells on top, pressing them into the sauce so only their tops protrude. Fill each shell with the sausage mixture. Sprinkle with grated fontina or mozzarella, add a bit more Parmesan and, if desired, drizzle with truffle oil. Bake for 30 minutes until the top is golden.