Kale & Walnut Pasta with Crispy Butter Fried Sage

This hale & hearty pasta is a perfect blustery day supper. It’s comforting, but still feels nourishing thanks to the generous handful of greens stirred through the pasta.

For the pasta

• 25g Ivy’s Reserve salted butter
• 2 onions, finely sliced
• 100g cavolo nero, or curly kale, roughly chopped (tough stalks removed)
• 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 400g small dried pasta, such as Conchigliette or Orecchiette
• 100ml white wine
• 2 tbsp crème fraiche
• 50g toasted walnuts
• Ivy’s Reserve Vintage Cheddar, for grating
• Salt & pepper

For the crispy sage

• 40g Ivy’s reserve salted butter
• 1 handful fresh sage leaves, dried

• Start by making the pasta. Melt the butter in a deep, wide casserole or frying pan. Add the onions, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook over a medium heat, stirring regularly for 20-25 minutes until the onions begin to caramelise. Stir through the kale and garlic, add 50ml of water to help the kale steam and turn the heat down to low for 5 minutes.
• While the kale is wilting and turning bright green, put a large saucepan of water on to boil for the pasta. Bring to the boil, then tip in the pasta and cook according to packet instructions.
• To the kale mixture, add the white wine and increase the heat back up to medium. Continue to cook until the kale is completely tender, another 3 minutes or so, then stir in the crème fraiche. Drain the pasta once cooked, reserving 300ml of cooking water from the pan and tip the pasta and starchy water into the vegetable mix. Continue to stir over a medium heat until a thick glossy sauce forms that clings to the pasta. This should take about 3-4 minutes. Keep warm.
• Melt the butter for the sage in a small frying pan and when it’s sizzling, tip in the sage and stir so that the leaves don’t clump together. When the sizzle dies down after about 30 seconds lift the leaves onto a piece of kitchen paper with a slotted spoon, letting the butter fall back into the pan.
• Spoon the pasta into warm bowls, top with the crispy sage, some of the sage butter, a few toasted walnuts and a grating of Ivy’s Reserve Vintage Cheddar. Serve immediately.