Who can resist a stuffed pasta shell? In this one the joy is the balance between fresh ricotta, iron-rich kale, and a rich tomato sauce.
Wine Suggestion: We’d suggest the open, accessability of a youthful Barbaresco from Piedmont, as opposed the depth and moodiness of a Barolo. We have at hand Pico Maccario’s rendition that has a sense of fun which is sometimes lost by winemakers trying to make the next best thing … and we applaud them; wine is to be drunk and enjoyed too.
Conchiglioni stuffed with kale, spinach and ricotta – serves 4
- 250g kale, stalks removed
- 100g spinach
- 1 green chilli, roughly chopped
- handful of parsley leaves
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 250g ricotta
- 50g Parmesan, grated
- ½ nutmeg, grated
- zest of 1 lemon
- 200g conchiglioni
- 750ml slow-cooked tomato sauce
- 125g ball of mozzarella
Blanch the kale in lots of salty boiling water, then remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and straight into a bowl of iced water. Repeat with the spinach but cook for just 30 seconds.
Squeeze all the water out of the spinach and kale and put into a food processor. Add the chilli and parsley, then whizz for a few seconds. Scrape out into a bowl and add the ricotta, 30g of the Parmesan, the numeg, and lemon zest. Stir well to combine, then transfer to a piping bag.
Preheat the oven to 220C/200 Fan/Gas 7.
Bring a large pan of salty water to the boil and cook the pasta for 10 minutes – it should be a little more than al dente. Drain and leave until cool enough to handle.
Pour the tomato sauce into a medium-sized baking dish.
Pipe the kale mixture into the pasta shells and settle them snugly into the tomato sauce, pushing them down a little. Tear the mozzarella over the top and sprinkle with the rest of the Parmesan.
Bake in the hot oven for 20 minutes, then serve with a green salad.
(Original recipe from Slow by Gizzi Erskine, HQ, 2018.)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 
