For the filling, cut the spinach and place it in a large bowl together with ricotta, egg, salt and pepper, lemon zest and nutmeg. Mix well until combine and transfer to the zip bag. Set aside

For the sauce, melt butter in the saucepan, add flour and stir continuously until a paste form. This is called roux. Add milk to the roux gradually, stirring as you go to avoid any lumps. Add vegeta, onion with a bay leaf and cloves. Bring it to the boil, stirring continuously, until the sauce thickens. Discard the the onion with bay leaf and cloves, add black pepper and salt if needed. Stir in parmesan cheese

Spread half of the sauce over the bottom of a round ovenproof dish. Fill in the Paccheri with the spinach ricotta filling and arrange the pasta next one another in concentric circle, starting from the outer perimeter and working inwards until the dish is full. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese on top and bake in a preheated oven at 200C for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. When ready, garnish with thyme leaves and serve