Ricotta and kale cannelloni

Method

• step 1

  Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil with a little salt. Add the kale in 1 or 2 batches, depending on the size of your pan, and boil for 2 minutes until just tender. Drain well, then leave in the colander, put a bowl (or weight, or tin) that fits, on top, and push gently to press out any excess liquid from the kale. Tip the kale onto kitchen paper or a clean tea towel and pat to remove the remaining moisture. Chop it finely.

• step 2

  Put the butter and oil in a large saucepan with the onions and garlic and cook very gently until the onions are really soft. Off the heat, stir in the ricotta, then the kale with some salt, plus plenty of black pepper and most of the toasted pine nuts.

• step 3

  Whisk the mascarpone with the milk, a good grating of nutmeg, the parmesan and some salt. Spread just over half into a large ovenproof dish (around 30 x 20cm).

• step 4

  Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, add a few cannelloni tubes at a time, and boil for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally so they don’t stick. Lift the tubes out of the water, put in a colander, and cool under a little cold water until you can handle them. Use scissors to snip each tube in half, widthwise, then spoon in some of the kale filling using a teaspoon, and stand them upright, snugly together in the dish, on top of the mascarpone mixture. Keep going until all the tubes and filling are used up.

• step 5

  Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Spoon the last of the mascarpone mixture over the pasta tubes, and scatter with a few more pine nuts and parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is crisp, the sauce is bubbling and the pasta soft. Leave to rest for 10 minutes, out of the oven, before serving.