
Serves 4
Ingredients
500g giant pasta shells – Conchiglie
150g cherry tomatoes, halved
2 large handfuls of torn basil leaves
1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
250g mascarpone
2 tbsp red pesto
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
900ml just boiled water
150g baby spinach
150g mozzarella
Parmesan to serve
Salt and pepper
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180o C fan. Chuck the pasta in a large, shallow pan and add the cherry tomatoes, half the basil, canned tomatoes, mascarpone, red pesto, tomato puree and garlic powder. Pour over the water and give everything a mix around. Cover and bake for 40 minutes, stirring halfway so you get a nice sauce.
- Take the pasta out of the oven and add a really good pinch of salt and pepper. Add the spinach and stir together. Cover and return to the oven for 2-3 minutes until the spinach has wilted. Check the seasoning here and add more salt and pepper to taste.
- Scatter over the remaining basil and rip over the mozzarella. Grate a good load of Parmesan over the top and return to the oven, without the lid, for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbly.