Back to some Italian food. The good old Italian pasta. This time it is in the form of shells stuffed with ricotta mixed with mushrooms (shiitake), carrots and zucchini.

While having this baked pasta dish last Sunday I felt emotional. No kidding, I was moved. It brought back many very good memories.

Such is the life of an emigrant: full of small things, like a familiar dish, that contributes to awakening of the usually dormant nostalgia. Four years after I left my hometown Napoli to move to the immense London, I can tell you: this homesickness is for life.

However London is treating me well. Most probably better than my home country would do, hence, I am not planning to go back to my city in the near future (unless good job opportunities come up).

I am planning to cook more Italian food, instead. Maybe even more Neapolitan cuisine. Would you like to see more recipes from my region?

The culinary repertoire that’s accessible in this city is huge, endless and always surprising. I am pretty sure every type of cuisine from all around the world is represented in London. The variety of restaurants is impressive. In the last few years I noticed more fusion restaurants around; it is becoming necessary to stand out from the crowd and offer something new that can eventually become a trend.

I have a long list to try myself, such as a Japanese/Peruvian restaurant called “Chotto Matte”, in Soho, and a place called “Asia de Cuba” (!) for an “inventive Asian-inspired Cuba cuisine”. How cool.

You see, with all these things to try and new ingredients to experiment with I completely forget how reliable, tasty and simple is the cuisine of the country where I am from. Therefore, when I finally get to cook a baked pasta dish I almost cry from happiness! Maybe by missing the chance to cook an exotic dish, my curiosity is not fulfilled. However another type of satisfaction makes me feel all content. After all, familiar recipes never fail. Don’t you agree?

Print Recipe Ricotta and Shiitake Pasta Bake Ingredients 250 g or 30 conchiglioni rigati (pasta shells)

1 zucchini onion finely chopped

4 Shiitake mushrooms chopped

1 carrot finely chopped

250 g fresh ricotta

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

nutmeg salt & pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic crushed

2 x 400g canned crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoons basil finely chopped

1/4 teaspoons each salt and pepper

1/3 cup parmesan cheese finely grated Instructions To make filling: in large fry pan, add olive oil, chopped carrot, zucchini and mushrooms and stir for for 10 minutes or until soft. Remove to bowl to cool and add ricotta, nutmeg, salt & pepper to taste.

To make sauce: heat oil in large fry pan and cook garlic until for a couple of minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce. Add salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Add chopped basil and remove from heat.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling and salted water (2 teaspoons of salt) for about 7 minutes, drain and let it cool down for 5-10 mins.

Fill each pasta shell with the ricotta mixture, then pour tomato sauce on to. Drizzle with olive oil and grate fresh Parmesan cheese over the top.

Bake at 180°C for about 15 minutes. Serve with some more grated Parmesan on top.

