Lemon, ricotta and cherry tomato pasta bake

Name: Lemon, ricotta and cherry tomato pasta bake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves 2
Cuisine: Italian recipes
Ingredients: 150g giant pasta shells; 100g baby leaf spinach; 400g tin cherry tomatoes; Finely grated zest of 1 lemon and a squeeze of juice; 150g ricotta; 100g cherry tomatoes; 50g gruyère (or vegetarian alternative), grated

Easy
August 2012

Easy
August 2012

Serves 2
Takes 10 min to make, 30 min to cook

Just seven ingredients go into this time-saving lemon, ricotta and cherry tomato pasta bake recipe for a quick, simple and appetising midweek meal.

We’ve got lots more pasta bake recipes if you’re after something else. How about this spicy puttanesca one?

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Ingredients

150g giant pasta shells
100g baby leaf spinach
400g tin cherry tomatoes
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon and a squeeze of juice
150g ricotta
100g cherry tomatoes
50g gruyère (or vegetarian alternative), grated

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Cook the pasta shells in boiling salted water for 8-9 minutes until just al dente, drain and run under cold water, then set aside.
Meanwhile, put the spinach in a colander in the sink and pour over boiling water to wilt. Leave to cool. Pour the tinned tomatoes with a squeeze of lemon juice into a pan and bubble over a medium heat for 6-7 minutes until reduced and thickened. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar, then toss through the pasta shells.
Squeeze any excess water out of the spinach, then, in a bowl, mix it with the ricotta and lemon zest. Season. Put the tomatoey pasta in an ovenproof dish and stuff as many shells as you can with the lemony ricotta. Scatter over the fresh cherry tomatoes, sprinkle over the gruyère, then transfer to the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes until browned and cooked through.