CONCHIGLIONI WITH KALE AND RICOTTA IN TOMATO SAUCE

There was some beautiful fresh kale at our favourite market stall this weekend, so I bought a bunch and made a filling for some pasta shells that I’d been meaning to cook for quite a while. I also had loads of tomatoes from the garden, so fresh tomato sauce was also on the agenda. If you don’t have fresh tomatoes, use a couple of good quality tinned tomatoes instead.

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan, add the garlic and fry on a low heat till fragrant, about 1–2 minutes, then stir in the chopped tomatoes. It’s fine to leave the skins on, I like texture in my sauce. Simmer on a low heat for 30–45 minutes, just keeping an eye while the sauce bubbles in the background. Once the sauce is cooked transfer it to a baking dish approximately 18 x 26cm/7 x 10in.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil before adding salt. Blanch the kale leaves for 30 seconds, then immediately transfer them to a bowl of cold water (this will help keep the nice green colour of the leaves). Keep the pan of salted water to one side to cook the pasta in.

Press the leaves to remove as much water as you can and put them into a food processor or blender. Add garlic, almonds, lemon juice and zest and start blending the ingredients together. When the mixture is roughly chopped, add the ricotta and olive oil and blend for a further 30 seconds. Transfer to a clean bowl, then add the grated Parmesan and season to taste with sea salt flakes. Mix everything together well before transferring to a large piping bag (if you don’t have one, just leave the mixture in the bowl).

Check the cooking instructions on the packet of conchiglioni. If it suggests cooking for 16 minutes, then cook it for 12-14 minutes, making sure the pasta is al dente (remember it’s going to be baked as well, so it shouldn’t be soft). Once al dente, drain the pasta then transfer straightaway to a bowl of iced cold water to prevent the pasta from cooking any further.

Use the piping bag or a teaspoon to stuff each pasta shell with the ricotta mixture. Aim for a flat surface so smooth the top with the back of the spoon or with your finger. Place each shape into the tomato sauce until all the filling is finished. If you have any empty shells left, then simply tuck them in around the filled shapes so they don’t go to waste.

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6. Place an ovenproof dish half-filled with boiling water on the bottom shelf of the oven – this creates steam, which will crisp the top of the bake – but just be careful, you don’t want scalding steam in your face when you open the oven door! Place the conchiglioni on the upper shelf and bake for 20 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the pasta edges are golden.

Place the bake on the table along with a wedge of Parmesan and a cheese grater so that everyone can help themselves. I like to serve this with sautéed broccoli or spinach on the side.