Dave’s 'Njokki l-forn'

This recipe is a baked pasta dish from my family’s home country of Malta, which is heavily influenced by Italian food (as well as Turkish and Arabic cuisine) due to its proximity to Sicily and North Africa. It is called Oven baked Gnochhi (or in Maltese, This dish, Njokki l-forn, is nothing like the typical gnocchi you find elsewhere in Italy. Its origins are in Malta. This is a stuffed pasta using Conchiglioni or ideally Lumaconi pasta shells. The shells are filled with ricotta and a tomato and meat sauce is poured over it with lots of grated parmesan on top, so that it comes out very golden and crispy on top. It’s a quick and simple recipe with a few basic ingredients, but I always find it very moreish and comforting, especially as it is one of many types of food that remind me of Malta.