CULINARY COMFORT

Comfort food should be easy, like this cheesy mushroom and kale pasta bake. You can swap the sage leaf topping for pumpkin and sunflower seeds, and grated parmesan

MUSHROOM AND KALE RICOTTA PASTA BAKE SERVES: 4 INGREDIENTS

375g wholegrain penne pasta

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 small brown onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed Small bunch of sage leaves 300g small mixed mushrooms 1 bunch Tuscan kale, stems removed, thinly sliced 350g fresh ricotta

185ml (3/4 cup) milk

●2 eggs

1 lemon, rind finely grated, juiced ●60g (3/4 cup) finely grated parmesan

Fried sage leaves, to serve

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan forced. Grease a large baking dish with olive oil.

2. Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain.

3. Meanwhile, heat 1 1/2 tbsp oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, until softened. Increase the heat to high and add the sage and mushrooms to the pan. Season. Cook, stirring, for 5-6 minutes or until mushrooms are browned. Transfer to a bowl. Add the remaining 2 tsp oil and kale to the pan and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, until wilted.

4. Combine the ricotta, milk, eggs, lemon rind and juice in a bowl (the mixture may curdle slightly). Season. Add the ricotta mixture, kale and threequarters of the mushroom mixture to the pasta. Stir to combine. Transfer to baking dish. Top with the remaining mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with parmesan. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Top with fried sage leaves.