ROASTED PUMPKIN:

• 1 small sugar pie pumpkin (peeled, seeds scraped out & diced into 1/2-inch pieces)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

BECHAMEL SAUCE:

• 5 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups 2% low fat milk
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly grated is best!)

FILLING:

• 2 cups (packed) chopped fresh spinach
• 16 ounces low fat ricotta cheese
• 16 ounces ball mozzarella cheese, chopped into 1/4-inch cubes
• 8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

NOODLES:

• 2 8-ounce boxes manicotti noodles, prepared to al dente, and set aside to cool

TOPPING:

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh sage

ROAST THE PUMPKIN:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, toss the pumpkin (about 4 cups) with the olive oil and maple syrup. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Spread the coated pumpkin cubes onto the tray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes; toss and then roast for 10 more minutes (until slightly tender). Let cool.

PREPARE THE SAUCE:

• In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat until melted. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Over medium heat, cook until the mixture turns a golden sandy color, about 6 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a separate pan until just about to boil. Add the hot milk to the butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth. Bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly, then remove from heat. Season with salt and nutmeg, and set aside until ready to use.

PREPARE THE FILLING:

• In a large bowl, mix all of the filling ingredients together. Stir in the cooled, roasted pumpkin cubes.

ASSEMBLE THE MANICOTTI:

• Spray a 13x9-inch pan with nonstick spray. Stuff the noodles with filling using small cocktail fork or spoon (or see *Recipe Notes below).
• Spoon a layer of sauce on bottom of pan, then lay stuffed manicotti noodles side by side on top of sauce. Cover with remainder of sauce. Sprinkle with fresh sage.
• Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.

• *Another idea for filling the noodles… put filling ingredients in a couple of quart-sized bags. Snip the corner, rubber band the top of the bag and squeeze into the cooked noodles.
• *All of the noodles might not fit into a 9x13-inch pan. You may need an additional 8x8-inch pan to make room.