Easier to fill than cannelloni, these giant pasta shells look impressive.
Cook the pasta first, for about half the prescribed cooking time, and then fill with a mixture of freshly cooked spinach (well drained and squeezed dry), ½ a bunch of fresh basil, 1-2 cups of fresh ricotta and ½ a cup of feta cheese. For the sauce, cook a tin or two of chopped tomatoes with a good lug of olive oil and a generous amount of diced garlic. This takes 10-20 minutes of cooking to bring out it’s natural sweetness. Make sure this sauce is quite wet (you can add extra water) and pour over the pasta shells before scattering with sliced black olives and parmesan. Bake in a moderate oven until the pasta is cooked and the topping is golden brown.
michelle picker cooks 