Sweet potato gnudi, lemony cavolo nero, crispy sage and parmesan

Method

• step 1

  Put the sweet potato into a pan of lightly salted boiling water and simmer for 12 minutes or until very tender to the point of a knife. Drain well and allow to steam in the colander for a few minutes, then mash until smooth in a large bowl.

• step 2

  Mix the ricotta with the zest of 1 of the lemons, then tip into the mashed sweet potato along with 40g semolina, the parmesan and plenty of salt.

• step 3

  Line a baking tray with the remaining semolina, then form the ricotta mixture into gnudi the size of golf balls using wet hands. Roll each ball in the semolina to coat, then nestle them in the semolina and chill in the tray overnight.

• step 4

  When ready to cook, pour a thin layer of oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the sage leaves and fry for a minute or so until golden and fragrant. Transfer the sage to a plate then add a splash more oil to the pan, the cavolo nero, lemon juice and plenty of salt. Fry for 1-2 minutes or until wilted, then keep warm in a low oven.

• step 5

  Add a few more splashes of oil to the pan and carefully add the gnudi. Fry for a few minutes on each side, in batches, until golden. Keep warm in a low oven while you fry the rest.

• step 6

  To serve, pile up the lemony cavolo nero, gnudi and crispy sage leaves. Grate over more parmesan, sprinkle over the remaining lemon zest, a pinch of salt and drizzle more oil to finish.