Celebrity chef

Alice Hart

A self-confessed 'feeder', the talented Alice took a degree in neuroscience before training at Leith's School of Food and Wine and working as a chef at the Griffin Inn in Sussex. Stints at Family Circle and as a freelance food writer and stylist followed; Alice is now delicious. magazine's deputy food editor.

Serves 4

Stuffed pasta shells with roasted tomato ragu recipe

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Takes 25 minutes to make, 3¾ hours in the oven

1 onion
1 carrot
1 celery stick
100g bacon
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 fresh rosemary sprigs
900g cubed stewing beef
400ml red wine
200ml beef stock
300g giant dried pasta shells
25g grated Parmesan
Fresh basil leaves to serve

For the roast tomato sauce
1kg ripe medium tomatoes, halved
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 tsp caster sugar
2 tbsp sun-dried tomato purée
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

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1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan170°C/gas 5. Finely chop the onion, carrot, celery stick and bacon. Spread out in a large roasting tin and drizzle over 1 tablespoon olive oil. Roast for 15 minutes.
2. Remove from the oven, spread the tomatoes out on top, cut-side-up. Press the chopped garlic pieces into the tomato flesh to submerge slightly, sprinkle with sugar, salt and pepper and dot with sun-dried tomato purée. Tuck in rosemary sprigs. Continue cooking for 1 hour, then turn the oven down to 150°C/fan130°C/gas 2.
3. Meanwhile, put a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season the stewing beef and brown on all sides in 2 or 3 batches. Add the beef to the tomatoes and pour in the red wine and beef stock. Stir, cover tightly with foil and return to the oven for 2½ hours or until the beef is tender.
4. Remove the rosemary stalks, and discard. Shred the meat with 2 forks and season to taste. Boil the giant dried pasta shells for 9 minutes. Drain and put in a 3-litre baking dish.
5. Stuff each shell with ragù and sprinkle with 25g grated Parmesan. Scatter with fresh basil leaves to serve.

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