Ingredients

• 1 large sweet potato
• ¼ cup Pinenuts
• 4.5oz - 120g Baby Spinach
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper

• For the Pasta

• 7oz – 200g (approx 2 ⅔ cups) all purpose flour
• 2 eggs (Room temperature)

• Bechamel cheese sauce

• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup cream (thickened or heavy)
• 2 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• ¼ cup plain all purpose flour
• 4 tbsp - 60g salted butter plus a little more to saute spinach.
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp Pesto (see my recipe or buy it)

Steps

• For the pasta Sheets, skip this step if buying

• Step 1

  Add the flour to a large bowl or directly on your workbench. Make a well in the centre and crack the room temperature whole eggs. Give them a beat using a fork and slowly incorporate the flour until it’s all mixed or close to it.

• Step 2

  Using your hands, start to knead the dough until completely smooth and slightly elastic. If the dough appears and little too dry, add a teaspoon of water at a time.

• Step 3

  Cover with cling film and refrigerate 30 minutes or longer.

• Step 4

  Remove from fridge and cut in two if using four eggs, otherwise leave as is. Flatten using the palm of your hand until you have two flat discs. Lightly dust one with flour. Cover the other disk with cling film until ready to use.

• Step 5

  Set your pasta machine thickness dial to 0 or to maximum wide. The two rollers should be fully open. Feed the pasta disk into the rollers as you turn the crank in a clockwise direction. Fold the pasta in half and give it a light dust. Feed it back into the machine several times until the pasta has a long rectangular shape.

• Step 6

  Cut the pasta sheet in two, dust with flour and feed through the rollers one thickness number increment at a time until you reach the desired thickness. For lasagna, you want a little thicker. On my machine I use number 5 or 6. Remember that pasta will almost double in size when cooked.

• Step 7

  For shaping the pasta, cut the sheets into 10 inch (25cm).

• Step 8

  To cook the pasta, simply bring a large amount of water to the boil, and add sufficient salt. It should almost taste like sea water, so don’t just put a pinch in or it won’t be enough. Drop the pasta into the boiling or simmering water, usually when it floats it’s close to being ready. Approx 2 minutes. Remove and drain over kitchen towels laid out flat on your bench.

• For the filling parts

• Step 1

  Peel and slice the sweet potato, throw in a mixing bowl with olive oil, black pepper and salt, toss well. Place on a sheet lined pan and roast in oven for 30 min at 350°F – 180°C
  or until brown. Remove and leave to cool.

• Step 2

  Add a little butter to a pan on high heat, once melted add the spinach, salt and pepper and cook until it collapses. Place on chopping board and give it a rough chop. Set aside

• Step 3

  Add the pinenuts to a frying pan on high heat and toss until toasted. Set aside.

• Step 4

• For the Bechamel Cheese sauce

• Step 1

  Add cold milk to a large saucepan, place on medium heat and bring to a simmer with a bay leaf, stop heat before it boils.

• Step 2

  For the roux (thickener) melt the 4 tbsp of butter in separate pot. Add flour to melted butter and mix with wooden spoon over medium heat until it becomes a sandy texture and white on the edges. Takes a few minutes.

• Step 3

  Pour the hot roux directly into the simmering milk. Turn heat to low and whisk vigorously. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes on very low heat (do not let it burn on the bottom). Season to taste with salt and pepper and add some grated nutmeg, then add 1 cup of grated Pecorino cheese. Mix well. Set aside.

• To assemble lasagna

• Step 1

  Butter your (recommended nonstick) moulds. Place one sheet of pasta and gently lower it in the mould leaving the rest to overhang. Don’t force it in or it will tear, just lower it in gently. If it does tear, no biggie, just add a piece of pasta over the tear. Add one tablespoon of bechamel, 2 or 3 slices of sweet potato, 1 tablespoon of spinach, sprinkle a few pinenuts, add one tablesppon of pesto and another tablespoon of bechamel on top, cover with grated Parmesan.
  Fold over the pasta two sides only. Add more bechamel and Pecorino. Now fold the rest and scrunch into a small mount. Top with a little more pesto, one tablespoon of bechamel, and Pecorino cheese. Bake in oven for 25 min at 350°F – 180°C or until browned on top.

Little Tips

You can use disposable aluminium cups for easy unmoulding.

When unmoulding, always rest at least 10 minutes, tip in your hand and straight on plate. Always grease with plenty of butter and ideally use non stick moulds.