Large pasta shells hold a lemony broad bean and ricotta filling, baked in a light tomato sauce until the cheese is golden.
Ingredients
- 300g podded (about 900g in pods) Broad beans
- 250g, about 20 shells Large pasta shells
- 250g Ricotta
- 1, finely grated zest and 1 tbsp juice Lemon
- 15g, finely chopped Flat-leaf parsley
- 8 leaves, finely chopped Mint
- 50g, finely grated Vegetarian hard cheese
- 400ml Passata
- 100ml, to loosen the sauce Water
- 1 clove, finely grated Garlic
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 1/8 tsp Ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp total (1/2 tsp filling, 1/4 tsp sauce, 1/4 tsp pasta water) Fine salt
- 1/4 tsp Black pepper
Method
- Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Bring a pan of water to the boil. Cook the podded broad beans for 3–4 minutes until tender, drain and cool briefly. Slip off the pale skins if the beans are large or tough.
- Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add 1/4 tsp salt, then cook the pasta shells for 2 minutes less than the packet’s al dente time. They should be flexible but still firm enough to handle. Drain carefully, rinse briefly with cool water to stop the cooking, and lay the shells separately on a clean tray in a single layer.
- Mash about half the broad beans with a fork. Mix with ricotta, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, mint, nutmeg, 25g of the grated vegetarian hard cheese, 1/2 tsp salt and the pepper. Fold through the remaining whole beans.
- Stir the passata, measured water, garlic, olive oil and remaining 1/4 tsp salt together in a 2-litre baking dish. Spoon a little sauce into the base so it is evenly covered.
- Fill each shell with about 1 heaped tablespoon of the ricotta mixture and arrange it open-side up in the sauce. Spoon any remaining filling between the shells and scatter over the remaining 25g cheese.
- Cover loosely with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further 8–10 minutes until the sauce bubbles and the cheese is lightly browned.
- Rest for 5 minutes so the shells settle, then spoon sauce from the dish over them and serve warm.
Allotment tip
Cook a few extra shells in case some split; the filling is easiest to pipe or spoon in while the shells are warm but cool enough to handle.