THE CANNY COOK: Baked ricotta and pesto conchiglioni

When I first learned that Italians carefully match their pastas to different sauces – some 25 years ago – I was awestruck. It’s such a simple notion – to consider how ingredients work best together – and one I think we lose sight of in our fast-paced world.

It makes sense that fresh, light sauces, such as vongole or aglio e olio, call for thin strands to carry their delicate flavours. Pesto, meanwhile, likes a twisty shape, so it can nestle into all the nooks and crannies. And, of course, the Italians scoff at our spaghetti bolognese, preferring to serve rich, meaty ragùs with fresh egg tagliatelle or pappardelle, whose broad ribbons give the sauce plenty to cling to.

Conchiglioni (pronounced kon-kee-lyo-nee… I’d always mistakenly used a soft ‘ch’ in the second syllable) are part of the pasta-shell family. Smaller conchiglie are very versatile, suited to any chunky sauce that can sit inside their shells, while conchiglioni are the largest variety and are perfect for stuffing. Most commonly this is done with a simple spinach and ricotta mixture, seasoned with a grating of nutmeg. Here I’ve used a tub of fresh pesto, which involves less prep than wilting spinach and adds a boost of herby flavour.

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan. Add 2 crushed garlic cloves and ½ tsp salt and fry for a minute, then add the chopped tomatoes. Half fill one of the cans with water and add to the pan. Simmer for 10 minutes until you have a thick sauce.

Meanwhile, put the conchiglioni in a large heatproof bowl and cover completely with just-boiled water from the kettle. Leave for 5 minutes to soften a little, then drain and cool for 5 minutes.

In a bowl, mix the ricotta with the fresh pesto and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Fill the pasta shells with the ricotta mixture and arrange in a medium baking dish. Pour over the tomato sauce, then grate over some parmesan or tear over mozzarella (or use whatever cheese you have at home).

Bake for 25-30 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the pasta is tender. Serve with a green salad.