Walnut & Goat Cheese Ravioli with Cavolo Nero Sauce

Step 1: Prepare the Cavolo Nero

1. Boil Water: Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to a boil.
2. Cook Cavolo Nero: Add the cavolo nero to the boiling water and cook for 1-2 minutes, until it turns bright green and soft.
3. Drain and Cool: Use tongs to lift the cavolo nero into a colander. Rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking. Squeeze out any excess water and transfer to a food processor.

Step 2: Make the Cavolo Nero Pesto

4. Blend Ingredients: In the food processor, add 75ml olive oil, 1 minced garlic clove, lemon juice, and 1 tsp salt to the cavolo nero. Blitz until it becomes a fine pesto.
5. Warm the Sauce: Season to taste, then transfer the pesto to a small pan and gently warm it over medium-low heat.

Step 3: Prepare the Goat’s Cheese Paste

6. Clean the Food Processor: Rinse out the food processor to avoid mixing flavors.
7. Blend Goat’s Cheese: Add 140g walnuts, a handful of chopped sage leaves, 120g crumbled goat’s cheese, a squeeze of lemon juice, and 50ml olive oil to the processor. Blitz until smooth.
8. Warm the Paste: Season to taste and warm the paste in another small pan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.

Step 4: Cook the Pasta

9. Boil Pasta Water: Bring the pan of cavolo water back to a boil, adding more water if needed.
10. Cook Lasagne Sheets: Add 8-12 lasagne sheets and simmer according to package instructions.
11. Drain and Toss: Drain the pasta, reserving about 400ml of the pasta water. Cut the sheets in half and toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.

Step 5: Assemble the Dish

12. Combine Sauces: Stir the reserved pasta water into the cavolo nero sauce, keeping it on low heat. Adjust the consistency to be pourable, like double cream.
13. Plate the Dish: Spoon a pool of the cavolo nero sauce onto each plate. Layer the lasagne sheets on top, adding spoonfuls of the goat’s cheese paste between each layer.
14. Finish and Serve: Top with the last sheet of pasta, ladle over some extra sauce, and scatter with grated pecorino or vegetarian cheese. Enjoy!