Serves 4
Preparation time 20 minutes
Cooking time 30 minutes
250 g (8 oz) dried conchiglie rigate
400 g (13 oz) ricotta cheese
1 small garlic clove, crushed
125 g (4 oz) Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
20 g (¾ oz) basil, finely chopped
125 g (4 oz) baby spinach, roughly chopped
1 quantity Quickest-ever Tomato Pasta Sauce (see page 136)
150 g (5 oz) mozzarella cheese, cut into cubes
salt and black pepper
Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water according to the packet instructions until al dente. Drain, refresh in cold water, then drain again thoroughly.
Meanwhile, make the filling. Put the ricotta in a large bowl and break up with a fork. Stir in the garlic, half the Parmesan, the basil and spinach. Season generously with salt and pepper and use this mixture to stuff the pasta shells.
Spoon one quarter of the tomato sauce over the base of an ovenproof dish and arrange the pasta shells, open-side uppermost, on top. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over, then scatter with the mozzarella and the remaining Parmesan.
Bake in a preheated oven, 220°C (425°F), Gas Mark 7, for 20 minutes until golden brown.
For watercress & chickpea shells with béchamel, use 1 quantity béchamel sauce from the Spring Cannelloni recipe (see page 202) instead of the tomato sauce. Finely chop 150 g (5 oz) watercress and combine with 2 chopped spring onions and a 400 g (13 oz) can chickpeas, drained and chopped. Mix with the ricotta, parmesan and basil as above, omitting the garlic and spinach. Layer the béchamel and filled pasta shells, then top with cheese as above.