Instructions

1. Finely chop the onion, garlic, carrot and celery.
2. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in large, heavy-based pot and brown the mince, then transfer to a bowl and discard the liquid from the pan.
3. Heat the remaining oil, then sautée the onion, celery and carrot bits for about 10 minutes over low heat. When they have softened, add the garlic, chilli (if used) and dried herbs, stir for a minute, then add the tomato purée and stir again for a minute. Add the passata, bay leaf, salt & pepper.
4. Bring to the boil, cover and cook for about 15-20 minutes, until you get a thick sauce. Remove the bay leaf, add the parsley, then purée the sauce with a stick-blender, until you get a slightly textured sauce. Add a couple of ladleful of sauce to the mince and mix well - don’t make it too runny, this will be your filling.
5. When you’re ready to make the bake, preheat the oven to 180°C.
6. Grease a deep baking dish, then spread a thin layer of the mince filling across the base. Add a thin layer of ricotta on top. Stand the pasta pieces upright into this base, very close to each other, then stuff them with the mince filling. Spread the ricotta on top of them, then pour over the tomato sauce. It should complete cover the pasta.
7. Cover the dish with foil and put it in the oven. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until golden, testing a couple of times, if the pasta has cooked through.
8. Remove the foil and, if liked, add some grated cheese (mozzarella or Parmesan), or vegan alternative. Bake for another 10 minutes or so.
9. Serve warm.