US
Ingredients
Serves: 4
200g extra large conchiglione pasta
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely diced or minced
1 leek, finely diced
400g tomato passata
1 tbsp oregano
1 large handful fresh basil, roughly chopped
¼ tsp nutmeg
200g spinach, roughly chopped
250g ricotta cheese
1 lemon, zested
60g Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese, finely grated
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4.
In a large saucepan, bring salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until partly cooked (roughly 4mins less than the recommended cooking time). Drain and set aside.
Heat the oil in a small non-stick saucepan, over medium heat. Add the garlic and leek, and fry for 2-3mins, or until softened. Be careful not to let the leek brown, or it will taste bitter. Add a splash of water to the saucepan to prevent browning. Add the tomato passata, oregano, basil, and nutmeg, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook for a further 2-3mins.
Pour the tomato mixture into the base of a 26cm non-stick baking tray.
Using the same saucepan that the tomato mixture was cooked in, add the spinach and cook for 3mins, or until wilted down. Place the spinach in a sieve and press as much liquid as possible out of the spinach.
In a mixing bowl, mix the ricotta, spinach, lemon zest, and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Fill the cooked pasta shells with the ricotta mixture and place carefully into the tomato passata-filled baking dish.
Once the baking tray is filled, top the pasta with grated Parmesan, and bake for 20-25mins, or until golden.
Serve with a side salad.