- For Cannelloni
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 pound sugar pumpkin or other sweet winter squash such as butternut, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3/4 cup diced (1/4 inch) fennel bulb
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped shallot
- 1/4 cup water
- 4 (6- by 4-inch) fresh pasta rectangles
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- For Clam Sauce
- 2 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch strips
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced shallots
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 20 small hard-shelled clams such as littlenecks (less than 2 inches wide), scrubbed well
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- For Sage Brown Butter
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 8 fresh sage leaves
- 2 tablespoons minced shallot
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- Make filling and form cannelloni: Heat butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then saute squash and fennel with salt and pepper, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 4 minutes. Add shallot and water and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Cool vegetables, then puree in a food processor until smooth and season with salt and pepper.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Cook pasta sheets in a 4- to 6-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente, 1 to 2 minutes, then immediately transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice and cold water to cool. Drain well, then pat sheets dry on paper towels and arrange in 1 layer in a well-oiled large shallow baking pan. Spoon 1/4 cup filling along 1 short end of a rectangle, then roll up filling in pasta. Make 3 more rolls in same manner and arrange, seam sides down, in baking pan. Drizzle cannelloni with oil.
- Make clam sauce and bake cannelloni: Cook bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until fat is rendered but bacon is not yet crisp, about 5 minutes. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add clams, wine, fennel seeds, and sage and cook, covered, until clams are fully open, 6 to 10 minutes, checking every minute after 6 minutes and removing clams as they fully open. (Discard any clams that have not opened after 10 minutes.)
- While clams are cooking, bake cannelloni in middle of oven until heated through, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Make sage butter: Heat butter in a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then fry sage leaves until crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer leaves with slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Season with salt. Add shallot to butter and cook, stirring, until shallot is golden and butter is deep golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add lemon juice (butter will foam), then remove from heat. Stir in parsley and season brown butter with salt and pepper.
- To serve, put a cannelloni in center of each of 4 warm large plates. Divide clams with juices among plates and drizzle with brown butter. Top with fried sage leaves.