Pumpkin alfredo with ricotta-stuffed manicotti

Pasta, manicotti	7 ounces
Oil, olive	1 teaspoon
Ricotta	1 cup
Mozzarella, shredded	¼ cup
Egg, lightly beaten	1 large
Basil, minced	3 leaves
Sage, minced	3 leaves + 3 leaves
Garlic, minced	1 clove + 2 cloves
Salt	¼ teaspoon +
Pepper, red, crushed	Pinch
Butter, unsalted	2 tablespoons
Shallot, minced	1
Pumpkin puree	¾ cup
Crème fraîche	2 tablespoons
Parmesan	¼ cup +
Nutmeg, freshly ground	Pinch
Pepper, freshly ground

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. 
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 
3. Add the pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. 
4. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water; set aside. 
5. Drain the pasta, and toss with oil; set aside. 
6. In a small bowl, whisk together the ricotta, mozzarella, egg, basil, 3 sage leaves, garlic, salt, and red pepper. 
7. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, stirring constantly, until it begins to foam and brown speckles begin to appear. 
8. Keep stirring until the foam subsides, and the color turns to a medium brown. 
9. Add the shallots and 2 garlic cloves, and turn down the heat to medium-low. 
10. Cook until the shallots have softened, about 1 minute. 
11. Stir in the pumpkin, 3 sage leaves, crème fraîche, parmesan, and ½-to-¾ cup of the reserved pasta water. 
12. Stuff each manicotti with spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture, and arrange in a 13-inch-by-9-inch casserole dish. 
13. Pour the sauce around and over the pasta, and cover with a sheet of foil. 
14. Bake for 15, remove the foil and sprinkle with more parmesan, then bake for 5 minutes more.

Boneless leg of lamb with tomato-olive relish

Lamb, boneless leg with a thin layer of fat	2 ½ to 3 pounds
Wine, dry red	½ cup
Oil, olive	¼ cup
Garlic, smashed	5 cloves
Fennel seeds, crushed	1 teaspoon
Salt, kosher	½ teaspoon
Pepper, freshly ground	½ teaspoon
Tomatoes, grape-sized, halved lengthwise, cut into thin slivers, but not seeded	1 cup
Olives, kalamata, cut lengthwise into thin slivers	½ cup
Basil, fresh, minced	3 tablespoons
Rosemary, fresh, minced	2 teaspoons
Fennel seeds, crushed	1 ½ teaspoons
Pepper, red flakes	¼ teaspoon

1. Place the lamb in a resealable plastic bag. 
2. In a small bowl, stir together the wine, oil, garlic, fennel seeds, salt, and pepper; pour over the lamb, seal the bag, and refrigerate for 3 to 8 hours, turning occasionally. 
3. In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, olives, basil, rosemary, fennel seeds, and pepper flakes; side aside at room temperature for up to 3 hours. 
4. Preheat the oven to 400°F; arrange a rack in the center of the oven. 
5. Remove the lamb from the marinade, and pat dry with paper towels. 
6. Over medium-high heat, warm enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of a large, heavy, ovenproof roasting pan. 
7. Add the lamb, and brown on all sides, for 6 to 8 minutes. 
8. Place the lamb in the oven, and roast until a thermometer registers 130°F when inserted into the thickest part of the meat, for 35 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the roast. 
9. Remove the lamb to a carving board and tent loosely with foil; let rest for 15 minutes. 
10. Slice the meat ½-inch thick, and arrange the slices overlapping on a platter; serve with the tomato-olive relish. 

Recipe mildly adapted from Sunday Roasts by Betty Rosbottom.

Kale & sausage lasagna with pumpkin béchamel

Butter	4 tablespoons
Flour	6 tablespoons
Milk, hot	4 cups
Salt	¼ teaspoon
Pepper, white, freshly ground	¼ teaspoon
Nutmeg, freshly ground	Pinch
Pumpkin, pureed	2 cups
Lasagna noodles	15
Oil, olive	2 tablespoons
Sausage, sweet Italian, chopped	1 ½ pounds
Kale, stems removed, chopped	8 cups
Garlic, minced	8 cloves
Red pepper, crushed	¼ teaspoon
Ricotta	1 pound
Eggs	2 large
Sage, fresh, finely chopped	2 tablespoons
Mozzarella, shredded or sliced	2 cups
Parmesan, finely shredded	¼ cup

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. 
2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then stir in the flour with a wooden spoon to make a smooth, somewhat loose paste.
3. Continue stirring until the butter and flour foam together for 2 minutes without coloring more than a buttery yellow; remove from heat. 
4. When the bubbling stops, pour in the hot milk all at once, whisking vigorously to blend thoroughly. 
5. Continue whisking slowly over moderately high heat, scraping along the bottom and sides of the pan, until the sauce comes to a simmer; simmer 2 to 3 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. 
6. Stir in the salt, white pepper, nutmeg, and pumpkin. 
7. Simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. 
8. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta, and cook for 6 minutes; drain, and set aside. 
9. In a cast-iron skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. 
10. Add the sausage and cook through, until all the pink is gone, stirring occasionally; drain all but 2 tablespoons of the fat. 
11. Add the kale and garlic, stirring to coat; cook until wilted, add the red pepper, then set aside. 
12. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, eggs, and sage; set aside. 
13. To assemble, spoon 1 cup of béchamel to the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch pan; cover by layering 4 to 5 noodles lengthwise. 
14. Spread half of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, followed by half of the kale-sausage mixture, cover with 1-cup mozzarella, and then pour 1-cup béchamel over the cheese. 
15. Add another layer of noodles, remaining ricotta mixture, kale-sausage mixture, and mozzarella. 
16. Top with the last layer of noodles, pour the remaining béchamel over the top, and then sprinkle with parmesan evenly. 
17. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
18. Let rest 15 minutes before serving. 

Recipe from Food52.com.