Giant Stuffed Pasta Shells
by Jay Wadams
Pasta, loaded up with cheese, meat, herbs, zesty lemon and cooked with a spicy tomato sauce - yes please! I love using giant pasta shells, or conchiglioni, as not only do they look spectacular, they are a million times less faff to stuff than cannelloni tubes and you get loads more delicious filling in them.
Ingredients
- 24-30 giant pasta shells / conchiglioni approx. 175-200g
for the sauce:
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 tins whole tomatoes
- 1.5 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- freshly ground black pepper
for the stuffing:
- 1 Tbsp neutral oil for frying
- 400 g chicken or turkey mince
- 250 g ricotta or cottage cheese
- 100 g grated mozzarella
- 50 g grated Parmesan
- 50 g baby spinach finely chopped
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp dried oregano or leaves from a small bunch of fresh
- zest of 1 lemon
- salt & pepper
for the topping:
- 50 g grated mozzarella
Scan the QR Code to view the online recipe with detailed instructions, photos, hints, tips and more at daysofjay.com
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas 4, then begin by cooking the pasta shells in a large pot of well-salted boiling water until just al-dente. Drain then rinse under cold, running water and set aside.
- To make the sauce (see note 1), heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan until melted and the butter is foaming. Cook the onion over a gentle heat for 5 minutes until it is softened but not browned. Add the garlic to the pan and cook for another minute.
- Use a pair of scissors to chop the tomatoes while they are still in the tin, then pour into the pan along with all other sauce ingredients. Cook for a further 10-15 minutes, stirring from time to time until the sauce has thickened. Check the seasoning adding more salt and pepper if necessary, then pour the sauce into a bowl and set aside.
- Wipe the pan out with a paper towel, then place back over the heat with a tablespoon of neutral oil. Cook the mince, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until all the liquid has evaporated from the pan and the mince is lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper, then remove from the heat.
- Combine all stuffing ingredients, including the mince, in a large bowl, stirring well to combine. Spread ¼ of the sauce over the bottom of a baking dish large enough to fit all of the shells in a single layer, then stuff each shell with about a tablespoon of the stuffing mixture, then place the shells meat side up on the sauce. If there is any leftover stuffing, crumble it over the top of the shells.
- Cover the shells with the remaining sauce, sprinkle over the mozzarella, then bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes until bubbling and golden brown.
- Serve with plenty of freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
Notes
Note 1: If you want to make this recipe extra speedy, simply use a jar of good quality pasta sauce and skip the sauce making step altogether.