Spinach and ricotta pasta

• 300 g pasta tubes
• 10 ml (2 tsp) olive oil
• 125 g button mushrooms, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 125 g baby spinach
• 500 g ricotta
• 50 g finely grated parmesan
• 5 ml (1 tsp) finely grated lemon zest
• 2.5 ml (½ tsp) nutmeg
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tomato sauce

• 5 ml (1 tsp) olive oil
• 1 shallot (about 70 g), finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 ml (1 tsp) smoked paprika
• 50 ml red wine
• 410 g tin tomato purée
• 50 g tomato paste
• 600 ml vegetable stock
• 5 ml (1 tsp) dried oregano
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 100 g grated mozarella

1.) Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook for half of the time suggested on the packaging (for me this was 6 minutes). You want the pasta to be par-cooked but still firm to make filling easier. Drain and set aside to cool.

2.) To make the filling, heat one teaspoon of olive oil in a frying pan. Add the mushrooms and sauté gently for 5 minutes to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl.

3.) Heat the remaining teaspoon of olive oil in the same pan. Add the spinach and cook for a few minutes until wilted. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes. Squeeze out the excess liquid, chop finely and add to the bowl with the mushrooms.

4.) Add the ricotta, parmesan, lemon zest and nutmeg to the bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Spoon the filling into the pasta tubes and set to one side.

5.) To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the shallot and cook for a few minutes to soften. Add the garlic and paprika, and cook for another minute. Stir in the wine and simmer until all the liquid has reduced. Stir in the tomato purée, tomato paste, stock and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and allow to simmer gently for 15 minutes until slightly reduced and thickened, stirring regularly.

6.) While the sauce is simmering, preheat the oven to 190°C. Check the seasoning of the sauce, then pour into a large oven dish. Arrange the stuffed pasta tubes in the sauce, ensuring that they are mostly covered by the sauce. Cover the dish with a lid or foil and bake for 30 minutes.

7.) Remove the cover from the dish and sprinkle the mozzarella over the top. Bake for a further 10-15 minutes, uncovered, until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Remove from the oven and serve.