With crunchy California Walnuts, creamy mascarpone and feta, and fragrant sage, this open lasagne is a modern twist on a classic.
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Ingredients (serves 4)
800g pumpkin
3tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
100g California walnuts
1 small bunch sage
1 clove garlic, minced
8 sheets of fresh pasta
200g chard
3tbsp mascarpone cheese
¼tsp nutmeg
150g feta cheese
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C
Peel the pumpkin and chop into 2cm pieces. Drizzle the bottom of a baking tray with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, toss in the pumpkin, and season generously with salt and pepper.
Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
In the meantime, add the walnuts and sage to a food processor, setting aside a few sage leaves to garnish, and blitz until roughly chopped.
Place the remaining olive oil into a medium non-stick frying pan over a low heat, add in the walnuts and garlic, and sauté until well toasted and fragrant.
Cook the pasta sheets in plenty of salted boiling water, adding in the chard towards the end of its cooking time. Drain the pasta and set aside 150ml of the water.
Take half the roasted pumpkin, place in a small saucepan over a low heat and mash with the pasta water and mascarpone cheese. Grate in the nutmeg and stir to form a sauce (adding in a splash more water if necessary). Season to taste.
Cut the cooked lasagne sheets into 3 or 4 pieces each and layer onto 4 plates with the pumpkin sauce, chard and roasted pumpkin cubes.
Fry the remaining sage leaves to garnish if you have time.
Sprinkle with the walnut mixture and crumble over the feta to serve.
Recipe courtesy of California Walnuts
