Fennel & ricotta stuffed pasta shells

Don't get me wrong, I love the change of season from winter to spring... but sometimes the spring evenings can still be a little bit chilly, so if I can hang onto comfort food for a bit longer I'm definitely going to!

And as far as comfort food goes, stuffed pasta is right up there. Yes, stuffing pasta can seem fiddly (and possibly not worth the effort), but believe me - the time goes quickly, and you will certainly appreciate your efforts later on when you're eating those stuffed pasta shells.

The pork and fennel sausage in the sauce adds SO much flavour, and tastes appropriately Italian - but if you're not so keen on that idea, or on meat in general, leaving the sausage out is fine, and the sauce is still delicious.

If you happen to be lucky enough to have leftovers of these fennel and ricotta stuffed pasta shells like I was, be warned... you'll be tempted to snatch a cold shell from the fridge every time you wander past. It's a hazard (and a privilege?) of having leftovers - and I can't tell you how it reheats, because I didn't have any left to reheat after eating them all.