Baked shells

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When one of my best friends had her baby last year, this is what I meal prepped to take over. It ticks so many boxes - easy to prepare (albeit there are a few steps involved), comforting, contains a good mix of veg but also still feels very much like a cheesy and luxurious pasta bake. This is the type of meal that can feel very special on a weeknight because it gives weekend energy.

I like to mix up the greens depending on what I have at home - if I’m staying true to the classic form of this recipe then the filling looks like a mix of spinach and ricotta, or if I made it how I did the other day when I took these photos, I do a 60/40 combination of kale and spinach. It’s a great way to use up wilting greens that may otherwise have gone to waste.

The best part about this recipe is that it can be prepped ahead and stored assembled in the fridge and ready to go. When the time is right, simply bake until golden and bubbling.

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Baked Shells

Serves4

Ingredients 

For the filling

• Approx 400g spinach (or kale and spinach mix) - should yield 200g once blanched

• 500g smooth ricotta

• Salt and pepper

For the pomodoro sauce

• 4-5 tablespoons of good quality extra virgin olive oil

• 2-3 garlic cloves, whole and lightly smashed

• A couple of sprigs of fresh basil, leaves removed, stalks reserved

• 2x 400g cans whole and peeled San Marzano tomatoes

• Salt to taste

You’ll also need

• Approx 350g conchiglione, these are the large pasta shells readily available at most supermarkets

• 60g low hydration mozzarella (the kind you can grate), for baking

Method

For the filling/stuffed shells

1. Start by bringing a large pot of water to boil - season generously with salt.

2. Blanch the spinach/greens for a minute before placing into a bowl of iced water.

3. Squeeze as much excess water out from the greens and place into a food processor, along with the ricotta and a generous pinch of salt and black pepper - blitz until combined and set aside in the fridge until ready to use.

4. In the same pot of water you used to blanch the greens - cook the pasta a few minutes less than packet instructions - you don’t want to overcook this.

5. Drain the pasta and lay the shells out on a clean tea towel to cool.

For the pomodoro sauce

1. Meanwhile, make the pomodoro sauce. In a skillet (if you don’t have a skillet or pan that’s suitable for stovetop and oven cooking, you can cook the pomodoro in something else and transfer to a baking dish later on), heat the olive oil and throw in the garlic cloves and the basil stalks (because why waste them?) - gently allow them to infuse the oil.

2. Once fragrant, add the San Marzano tomatoes - being careful as they’ll splutter aggressively once they make contact with the hot oil. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cover partially.

3. When the tomatoes have fallen in on themselves (about 30 minutes), season the sauce to taste with salt. If your tomatoes are tart, you can also add a sprinkle of sugar to help balance.

4. Add whole basil leaves to the sauce and let both their scent and flavour gently perfume the tomatoes. Set aside until ready to assemble.

Assembly and baking

1. Preheat your oven to 200c (180c fan forced).

2. Place the filling into a piping bag if you have one, or simply use a tablespoon, then fill each shell until it has a little pot-belly of filling.

3. Line the shells atop of the pomodoro sauce in your oven-safe dish or skillet until you can’t fit any more - making sure they are all nestled in nicely.

4. Top with grated mozzarella, cover and bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for a further 10 minutes until golden and bubbling.