TAKE IT SLOW

Enjoy maximum flavour and minimum effort with these comforting dinners, ideal for slow cooking

- Feature Lucy Whyld

Ravioli bake

YOU WILL NEED

• 240g (8½oz) baby leaf spinach

• 500g (1lb) fresh ravioli of your choice (uncooked)

• 200g (7oz) grated mozzarella cheese

For the sauce

• 500g (1lb) passata

• 2 tsp garlic granules

• 2 tsp dried oregano

• 2 tbsp tomato purée

• 1 tbsp runny honey

• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Put the spinach into a colander or sieve in the sink and pour over boiling water to wilt. Leave to drain.

Next, make up the sauce; mix the ingredients together in a bowl or jug. Pour about a third of the sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker and spread it over the base. Add half of the uncooked ravioli on top of the sauce.

Squeeze as much liquid as possible from the spinach (clean hands are often best for doing this!). Chop the spinach roughly and put on top of the ravioli layer in the slow cooker.

Top the spinach with half of the cheese, then half of the remaining sauce. Add the remaining ravioli, followed by the rest of the sauce and the remaining half of the cheese.

Put the lid on and cook on high for 2-2½ hours or low for 4-6 hours, or until the ravioli is tender and the cheese has melted.

Easy fish gratin

YOU WILL NEED

340g (12oz) fish pie mix (fresh, or frozen and defrosted) 150g (5¼oz) cooked, peeled prawns 165g (5¾oz) garlic & herb cream cheese 150ml (5½fl oz) boiling water 1 fish stock cube (undiluted, crumbled) 150g (5¼oz) frozen petits pois 1 lemon, zested and half of the juice sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To finish 60g (2oz) dried breadcrumbs, such as panko

DIRECTIONS