Scotch Beef and Lentil Cannelloni

How it's done:

• First make the meat sauce. In a hot, non-stick saucepan dry fry the minced beef, onion and garlic for 5 minutes until browned all over.

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• Season lightly, and add the passata and 150ml water. Bring to the boil, add the lentils, and simmer uncovered for about 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick and the lentils are completely soft.

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• Turn off the heat, and stir in the carrot. Leave to cool completely.

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• While the meat sauce is cooking, use a vegetable peeler to slice down the length of the courgette and make long, thin ribbons. Keep the pressure steady as you slice, to make the ribbons as long as possible.

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• When you reach the middle of the courgette, you may find it easier to slice it through with a vegetable knife. You should be able to make between 12 and 14 ribbons.

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• Wrap each ribbon into a 4-5cm diameter tube and place on a board. Very thin or broken ribbons can be laid on top of each other to make up more rounds. Cover and chill until ready to cook. Finely chop the leftover courgette into small pieces, and stir into the meat sauce.

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• Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan oven/gas 6. Cover the bottom of an approx. 20cm round or square baking dish with a layer of the meat sauce. Stand the courgette tubes side by side in the dish, then carefully fill each one with the remaining meat sauce – a teaspoon is useful for this.

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• Cover the top of the dish with foil, and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle with the cheeses and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes, uncovered, to melt the cheese.

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• To serve, sprinkle with basil for a professional flourish. Accompany with crusty bread and salad, and invite everyone to tuck in!

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