Stuffed shells

Chop the onions; peel and chop half a head of garlic.

Heat lots of olive oil in a big pot over medium-high heat, add the onions and stir frequently until soft and starting to brown, about 10 minutes.

Add the garlic, then the tomato paste and let it fry briefly.

Before the paste burns, add the first can of tomatoes and scrape the bottom to deglaze. Add two or three more cans.

Add a glass of wine if using, ground pepper, dried oregano, thyme and basil, a big pinch of salt and more olive oil.

Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring frequently so the bottom does not burn.

Grate the mozzarella finely, grate the pecorino (reserving some for the table) and grate two garlic cloves.

In a large bowl combine the ricotta, mozzarella, pecorino, garlic, 4 eggs and plenty of black pepper; no salt.

Chop parsley and basil, reserve some for garnish, add the rest and mix to a homogenous, dough-like filling.

Boil the jumbo shells in salted water about 12 minutes, three minutes less than the package says, stirring so they do not stick; they should be pliable but still a little crunchy.

Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water.

Taste the sauce and add salt; loosen with water if thick.

Heat the oven to 400F, 200C. Spread a good layer of sauce in a baking dish.

Fill the shells with the filling by hand and set them cheese-side up in the sauce.

Cover with foil and bake 15 to 20 minutes, until bubbly.

Remove the foil and broil to colour the top.

Sauce the plate, add the shells, and serve with the reserved pecorino and herbs.

Variation (freezing): cover unbaked pans and freeze. Put the frozen covered pan in a cold oven, set it to 400F, 200C, and bake 45 minutes to an hour until bubbling but still wet; uncover and broil.