Every week without fail I have to make a batch of this glorious green sauce, those days not wanting to be in the kitchen and make a grand dinner after a long day at work and want something fresh, tasty and super easy to make, bomb, pop this bad boy at of the fridge, boil up some pasta combine the two great gods together and a sprinkle, well who am I kidding a lovely and very generous sprinkle of parmesan and the family dish just comes together in the most perfect way.
To start making this heavenly sauce, you got to toast up a cup full pine nuts until nice and brown, then toss into my blender.
I like to add 1 cup of olive oil.
Followed by 2 cup fulls of basil.
4 cloves of garlic
Juice of half a lemon
1 cup of grated parmesan, do not buy already grated parmesan the taste is completely different.
A pinch of salt and pepper, then give it all a whizz in your blender.
If you find that it is too thick a splash of water will loosen things up for you.
There is nothing more delicious than enjoying this, with family and friends and you know what the pesto's yet to come.
Lindsey
Mozzarella, pesto, sausage and a rich tomato sauce, I mean just saying those words, you know it’s gonna be a damn good day and a tasty dish.
Firmly in the summer months, but a lot of rain here had in London, whilst I am craving nice lighter dishes, a girl needs a little comfort with this rain and chill still lingering!
Guys, I have to say Leanora and I were both impressed with how this dish came out! As you know we’ve been eating a little less meat each week and I am glad to say that this dish may not be vegan but certainly vegetarian friendly.
I have found the tastiest plant based sausages, our current favourites are from Birds Eye, new Green Cuisine range and I used these to make the base of the dish in the form of a ragu. Simmering away for 30-35 minutes on a nice medium low heat, infused with different style tomatoes, onions, garlic and little chilli to give it a little kick, you know it’s gonna be good, plus if you make a little extra is perfect for freezing to use at a later date.
Leanora’s taste buds are becoming more vast each day, especially in the cheese department, if this girl is ever quite, guaranteed I know where I’ll find her! Tucked under her desk, iPad in one hand and Parmesan in the other, she can’t get enough of it, we probably go through one a week! Trying to go for something a little less salty I have now introduced her to one of my top 5 cheeses, mozzarella. Once sliced they fit perfectly into the pasta shells, in fairness I was a little bit worried, that after I had cooked my pasta shells al dente, the may be slippery little suckers, but it was no bother at all and easily filled with the mozzarella and pesto, yes I was a little lazy I didn’t make my own, but what can I say when you have a busy household to run, cutting a few corners to help you out and feed the masses quickly it helps! FYI it’s only Leanora and I, plus Milo (cat) to feed haha! But who said we don’t like seconds and extras for the next day for lunch or dinner, also my dad has a tendency to swing by and raid the fridge as his office is only down the road.
But in the words of Leanora, let’s make this deli-ci-o-so dish.
Ingredients
250 grams of jumbo Conchiglioni pasta
4 vegan sausages (any sausages you like)
2 shallots diced
4 minced garlic cloves
1 tin of passata
Handful of baby plum tomatoes
2 table spoons of tomato paste
1 small jar of pesto
250 grams of mozzarella sliced
6 - 8 basil leaves
Olive oil
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
Pinch of chilli flakes
Directions
1. In a large sauce pan on medium heat, add olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add shallots and garlic and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Add sausages and crumble into bite size pieces with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook until the sausages are browned, about 5-8 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to low and add passata, baby tomatoes, tomatoe paste, salt, pepper, chilli flakes, and pepper. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
4. Pre heat your oven to 180 degrees
5. Cook your pasta for 13-15 minutes until al dente, drain and set aside.
6. Layer your dish, with your ragu and set to one side.
7. Fill your pasta shells with a little pesto and a slice mozzarella and lay in top of your of your ragu, once dish is filled tear up a few pieces of fresh basil and sprinkle over, along with any left over mozzarella you may have. *Fancy being a little extra naughty I recommend sprinkling over some grated parmesan
8. Place in the oven for 25-35 minutes until lightly browned on top and cheese bubblin
Enjoy!
Guys, if you love this cheesy pasta dish, let a girl know, you can tag me over on Instagram or by using the #LondonMumma #LondonMummaEats tag to show me what you guys think or simply keep up to date on what’s new on the blog via Pinterest or Bloglovin!
Lindsey
- 2 carrot
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 sticks of celery
- 1/2 a bunch of fresh time
- 250g chestnut mushrooms
- olive oil
- 100g of green lentils
- 2 tbsp of tomato puree
- 1 tin of plum tomatoes
- 400ml vegetable stock
- parmesan cheese
- 400g of gluten-free pasta
- Peel the onion, carrot and garlic. Trim the celery and roughly chop all veg. Heat up the oil in a large frying pan. Add all the vegetables, along with the time and cook for 10-15 minutes until soft.
- Blitz the mushrooms in a food processor or roughly chop into small pieces, add to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, stir and add the green lentils, tomato puree, plum tomatoes, and vegetable stock and pop on a lid and cook on a medium heat for 30 minutes until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally.
- When the lentils are almost done cook pasta as per instructions on the packet.
- Drain the pasta once cooked, saving a little of the water it was cooked in, into a cup.
- Stir in the bolognese into the pasta and a little of the hotter saved in the cup to help it to stop sticking together. Sprinkle in the parmesan and if you like roughly chop some parsley and serve it on top of your bolognese.