I find it easier to roll the lasagne sheets around the goat cheese filling, rather than stuff the filling into cannelloni pasta tubes, but feel free to use either. The ricotta cheese lightens, the goat cheese adds tang, and the herbs bring a freshness to both the filling and the sauce on top.

Ingredients
Feeds 4. Takes 60 mins.


8 dried lasagne sheets
350g fresh ricotta
100g soft, fresh goat cheese
2tbsp finely chopped parsley
2tsp finely snipped chives
½tsp salt
½tsp pepper
½tsp ground nutmeg
10 sprigs of thyme
2tbsp finely grated parmesan

FOR THE SAUCE

400g can tomatoes
1tsp sugar
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1tbsp olive oil
1tbsp chopped parsley
1tbsp chopped thyme leaves

Heat the oven to 180C/Gas mark 4. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Blanch the lasagne sheets at a rolling boil until pliable — about six minutes, depending on the brand. Drain and lay out on a dry kitchen towel.

Mash the ricotta, goat cheese, parsley, chives, salt, pepper and nutmeg together in a bowl. Place one sheet of lasagne on a cutting board, spoon some of the mixture on top, and roll into a cylinder. Place in a lightly greased baking dish, and repeat with remaining lasagne sheets and cheese mixture, so that the cannelloni tubes lie side by side.

To make the sauce, whizz the tomatoes and their juice with the sugar, salt, pepper and olive oil in a blender, add the chopped parsley and thyme, and pour over the top of the pasta until completely covered. Scatter with parmesan and whole thyme sprigs and bake for 30 minutes until bubbling hot. Serve immediately, scattered with remaining herbs.

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