Stuffed pasta shells with spinach, ricotta chilli and lemon. Tomato sauce underneath and lots of Parmesan on top.
Wine Suggestion: An old favourite from the Adriatic coast of Italy, Sartarelli’s Tralivio Verdicchio Superiore, which comes from their low-yielding, oldest vineyard. A bit of body and texture plus a twist of almonds and citrus; playing along very nicely with the lemon, ricotta and earthy spinach, and enough acidity to complement the tomato.
Stuffed pasta shells with chilli, spinch and lemon – serves 2
- 175g giant pasta shells
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- a pinch of dried chilli flakes
- 200g spinach, chopped
- 125g ricotta
- ½ lemon, zested
- 400g jar of tomato pasta sauce or you can use some home-made sauce if you have it
- Parmesan
Heat the oven to190C/fan 170C/gas 5.
Cook the shells in lots of salty water until al dente, then drain.
Heat the oil in a pan and gently cook the garlic and chilli for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, then stir in the ricotta and lemon zest. Season well.
Spoon the tomato sauce into the base of a large baking dish. Use a teaspoon to stuff the pasta shells with the spinach mixture, then place in the dish in a single layer. If you have any leftover mixutre you can spoon it over the top.
Sprinkle with the Parmesan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until bubbling and golden.
(Original recipe by Janine Ratcliffe in Olive Magazine, March 2019.)
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