Stuffed & baked ricotta shells

These great-looking shells make a good alternative to stuffed cannelloni and look stylish in the dish

• olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves , crushed
• 1x400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 20 (about 200g) giant pasta shells
• 500g courgettes topped, tailed and grated
• ½ lemon , zested
• 100g ricotta
• 50g parmesan , grated

Difficulty and servings

Serves 2

Preparation and cooking times

Prep 10 mins
Cook 50 mins

1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan. Add ½ the garlic, cook for a minute then add tomatoes. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until thickened.
2. Cook the giant shells until almost tender. You want to slightly undercook them as you'll be baking them again later. Drain, rinse under cold water then drain completely.
3. Heat another tbsp of oil in a large frying pan, add the rest of the garlic and the courgettes. It looks like a huge amount of courgette at the start, but it really wilts down. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the courgettes have reduced and all the liquid has cooked off. Cool then stir in the ricotta and zest and half the parmesan. Season well.
4. Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Spoon the tomato sauce into the bottom of a shallow ovenproof baking dish. Stuff a spoonful of courgette mix into each shell then sit in the sauce in rows. Sprinkle over the rest of the parmesan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until bubbling and golden.