This is a pasta bake that perfectly celebrates the season. Filled with sweet spring zucchini, late season lemon and light ricotta the pasta shells avoid being heavy and are fresh and light. The brightness of passata and melted mozzarella make it a super moreish dish.
I often get intimidated by the mesmerising concentric circles of pasta shells I so often see online so I’ve gone with a ‘stuff as many into your baking tray as you can’ policy here and then smother in sauce, and it still looks delicious! You could put the passata in first and nestle the shells on top but it’s harder to fit them in this way and your shells also dry out more in the oven.
Finishing everything with lemon zest and parsley adds a light freshness that’s so welcome with a cheesy pasta bake. You could easily sub the parsley for basil or oregano if you prefer.
The key with the filling is to let that zucchini caramelise a little first, it adds sweetness and depth of flavour to the ricotta filling.
The dish has a total of 3 cheeses in it which might be excessive but they have very different functions. The ricotta is light and binds the stuffing together, the Parmesan adds loads if flavour and salty umami vibes and the mozzarella gives bubble cheesy goodness. So you can see they’re all essential!
Serve with spring greens or a green salad on the side, or this amazing lettuce and Parmesan number.
serves 4
Ingredients
400g giant pasta shells
2 Tbs extra Virgin olive oil
3 small zucchini, grated
1 clove garlic, crushed or grated
1 shallot or 1/4 cup spring onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley roughly chopped
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp lemon zest
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 cup fresh ricitta
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
600ml passata
100g mozzarella cheese, torn
Extra lemon zest and finely chopped parsley to serve
Directions
Pregeat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (fan forced). Boil water in a large pot and generously salt. Cook pasta according to packet directions until al dente, you want it to be a little on the firm. Side to make it easier to stuff.
Meanwhile, heat a medium. Fry pan over medium high heat, add 1/2 the oil and then the zucchini, chilli, parsley, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and fry, stirring frequently until the zucchini is beginning to colour. Transfer to a bowl.
Add the ricotta, lemon zest, lemon juice and Parmesan to this bowl and stir to combine.
Prepare a shallow oven proof baking dish with a fitted lid by drizzling the remaining oil over the bottom.
Drain pasta and once it is cool enough to handle stuff the shells with a teaspoon of ricotta and zucchini mix and place in concentric circles, lines or whatever you please as long as they’re nestled nice and close, in your prepared dish.
Pour the passata carefully between and over the shells and place covered I the preheated oven. Bake for 30-40 ,imputed or until bubbling and the sauce us getting darker at the sides. Dot over the mozzarella and bake uncovered u till it us melted and bubbly.
Serve with extra parsley and lemon zest scattered over the top.
HH. x
