The first tender cabbages of the year are called spring greens — and they're at the peak between April and June.
Lemon-butter pasta shells with spring greens, ricotta and pangrattato
Ingredients:
For the pasta
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 200g spring greens, finely sliced
- 250g ricotta cheese
- 1 lemon, zest of
- 50g Parmesan, grated
- 1⁄4tspn nutmeg, grated
For the sauce
- 300g large pasta shells
- 50g unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 200ml chicken or vegetable stock
- 100ml double cream
- 1 lemon, juice and zest of
- 75g grated Parmesan
For the breadcrumbs
- 50g breadcrumbs
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1⁄2 lemon, zest of
- A handful of fresh parsley
Method:
- Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta shells until al dente. Lay them out on a clean tea towel to dry.
- Add the garlic to a splash of olive oil in a frying pan and cook for a couple of minutes, then stir in the spring greens. Heat for a couple of minutes to wilt before setting aside to cool. Mix the spring greens with the ricotta, lemon zest, Parmesan, nutmeg and seasoning, mixing until combined. Fill the pasta shells and arrange them in a single layer in a buttered ovenproof dish.
- Make the sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan. Add the grated garlic and cook for a minute, then pour in the stock. Simmer for a few minutes to reduce and then stir in the cream, lemon juice and zest. Simmer again for a few minutes to thicken and then stir through the Parmesan and taste for seasoning. Pour the sauce all around and over the pasta shells.
- Heat a splash of olive oil in a frying pan, add the breadcrumbs, garlic, lemon zest and parsley, then season well. Fry until the breadcrumbs are golden and crisp, then scatter them over the pasta.
- At this stage, you can put the whole dish in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Preheat your oven to 160 ̊C fan/180 ̊C/350 ̊F/gas mark 4. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further five minutes uncovered.
- Serve immediately with lightly dressed salad leaves.
-
Sanderson's new collection is inspired by The King's pride and joy — his Gloucestershire gardenDesigners from Sanderson have immersed themselves in The King's garden at Highgrove to create a new collection of fabric and wallpaper which celebrates his long-standing dedication to Nature and biodiversity.
-
The coveted Hermès Birkin bag is a safer investment than gold — and several rare editions are being auctioned off by Christie’sThere are only 200,000 Birkin bags in circulation which has helped push prices of second-hand ones up.
-
Never leave a bun behind: What to do with leftover hot cross bunsWhere did hot cross buns originate from — and what can do with any leftover ones?
-
Two quick and easy seasonal asparagus recipes to try this Easter WeekendAsparagus has royal roots — it was once a favourite of Madame de Pompadour.
-
Gill Meller's recipe for a seasonal new potato omelette, with smoked garlic, onions and Cheddar cheese -
How to make a rhubarb and Swiss meringue cake that's almost too pretty to eatMake the most of the last few stems of forced rhubarb.
-
The prettiest Easter eggs for 2025Warning: Don't read if hungry.
-
Curious Questions: What is the greatest April Fool's prank ever played?As April 1 looms, Martin Fone tells the tale of one of the finest stunts ever pulled off.
-
Tom Parker Bowles's Tour de Fromage, from creamy Camembert and spicy, pungent Époisses to the 'mighty, swaggering Roqueforts'The chef and food writer Tom Parker Bowles picks out his all-time favourite cheeses from across the Channel in France, from buxom, creamy Camembert to mighty, swaggering Roquefort.
-
'For here is pure noodle nirvana': How to make Tom Parker Bowles's favourite Thai soupThe best bit about south-eat Asian-inspired soups is the fact that you can make them entirely your own, from mellow and comforting to blow-your-head-off hot.
