I want an easy pasta bake
Pasta, tomatoes and cheese - it’s a winning combination that will always satisfy.
Ilove this time of year when the nights turn cool and it becomes entirely justified to crave some cheesy, baked pasta comfort food.
Both of these are vegetarian – one with a simple but very pleasing cheese and tomato combination, and the other with a spinach, feta and basil mixture. Each dish can be prepared and served as one, or divided between smaller dishes.
Feel free to serve them simply as described or add your own twist with a garnish of basil leaves, chilli flakes, crunchy pine nuts or pan-fried breadcrumbs. The only other thing you need is a bitter green salad dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and a good glass of red. Light the fire and indulge!
Cheesy stuffed conchiglione shells
Serves: 4
FOOD
Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 40 minutes
400g ricotta 1 cup grated mozzarella 1 cup grated parmesan 1 egg
teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 24 conchiglioni shells (250g, available at specialty food shops) 400g tin cherry tomatoes 400g tin crushed and sieved tomatoes
cup dry white wine 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 teaspoon sugar
teaspoon chilli flakes
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Put ricotta, mozzarella, cup parmesan, and egg in a bowl, and stir to combine. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Pour cherry tomatoes and sieved tomatoes into a 23cm x 32cm baking dish. Stir in wine, garlic, sugar and chilli flakes, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Spoon ricotta mixture into shells, and layer it onto the tomato mixture. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan.
Cover with tinfoil and bake for 25 minutes, then remove foil and cook a further 15 minutes until golden and bubbling. Serve with a small green bitter salad.
Spinach, basil & ricotta cannelloni
Serves: 4-6 Prep time: 35 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes
400g squeezed dry defrosted spinach, (I used 700g free-flow frozen spinach to achieve this) 350g ricotta 120g feta, crumbled 3 egg yolks 2 cloves garlic, crushed
cup basil leaves 2x 400g tins crushed and sieved tomatoes 2 teaspoons caster sugar
teaspoon chilli flakes 1 clove garlic, crushed
cup vegetable stock 22 cannelloni tubes (350g)
cup grated mozzarella 120g buffalo mozzarella, torn into chunks
cup finely chopped parsley
Squeeze spinach really well to remove excess water. Put the spinach in a food processor with ricotta, feta, egg yolks, garlic and basil. Season well with salt and pepper and whiz to combine.
Preheat oven to 180C. Spoon filling into a piping bag or a plastic bag with one corner nipped off and pipe into cannelloni cases. Place either in layers or one single layer in baking dish.
Put tomatoes, sugar, chilli flakes, garlic and stock into a large jug.
Season well with salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Pour over cannelloni tubes and top with grated and buffalo mozzarella.
Bake for 30 minutes, then rest for 5 minutes before serving, sprinkled in parsley.
Recipes, food styling and photography by Sarah Tuck