Stuffed Conchiglioni Pasta Shell

This pasta shape from Garofalo is perfect for stuffing; the shape is Conchiglioni, which is a giant pasta shell. In this recipe we’re stuffing it with a classic spinach and ricotta filling but they also work beautifully with my Easy Baked Conchiglioni with Bolognese.

This recipe serves two but you can easily double up the quantities if you’re feeding friends or family. If you wanted to get ready ahead of time you could prep ahead and then bake in the oven when you’re ready to serve.

Combining a classic filling of spinach and ricotta with a simple tomato sauce, topped with melted mozzarella on top - it’s such a great vegetarian pasta dinner.

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Stuffed Conchiglioni Pasta Shells

Servings: 2-3

Recipe by: Cooking & Carafes

Prep time: 20 MinCooking time: 25 MinTotal time: 45 Min

These giant stuffed pasta shells make a surprisingly easy vegetarian dinner, and are perfect served with a side salad of Italian salad leaves and cherry tomatoes

Ingredients

• 200g Garofalo Conchiglioni pasta shells
• 250g ricotta
• 150 - 200g spinach (fresh or frozen, but will need defrosting before)
• 400g chopped tomatoes
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 40g parmesan
• 1 ball of mozzarella
• Fresh Nutmeg
• Olive oil
• Salt and Pepper
• Fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 tsp chilli flakes (optional)

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees.
2. Start by bringing a pan of water to the boil, salt, and begin to cook your pasta.
3. Meanwhile prep your filling while the pasta is cooking.
4. For the spinach, if you're using fresh wilt it first by pouring some boiling water over the top and letting it cool until you can handle it. If frozen, defrost it first.
5. Then squeeze out any excess water using your hands initially and then wrap in some kitchen roll or clean cloth the squeeze out any remaining water. Roughly chop the spinach.
6. Add the ricotta and half (20g) of the grated parmesan to a bowl. Grate some whole nutmeg (about a quarter) into the mixture and season with salt and pepper. Mix together, and with a clean spoon have a taste to check your seasoning.
7. Once your pasta is ready, drain the pasta and leave it to cool in a colander or spread out on a plate.
8. While the pasta is cooling you can make your tomato sauce. In a pan, add 2tbsps of olive oil and add your onion on a low heat. If you want a little heat add 1/4 tsp of chilli flakes now. After 5 minutes or so, once the onion starts to soften add the crushed garlic to the pan.
9. Next add your tomatoes and allow to gently simmer. Tear in some fresh basil and season with a little black pepper. Let the sauce reduce a little, simmering for about 10 minutes.
10. Spread half of the sauce on the base of an oven dish (approx 16 x 26cm).
11. Once your pasta has cooled, gently take a shape and fill with a small teaspoon of mixture and nestle the shell neatly in the dish, continue this putting the shells side by side, nestle in any extra ones at the end.
12. Once you have filled them all, gently spoon over the rest of the sauce filling any gaps around the shells and forming a little layer on top.
13. Then roughly slice the mozzarella and tear each slice evenly covering the top of the pasta. Add the remaining parmesan on top and season with black pepper.
14. Place the dish in the oven, on the top shelf and bake for ten minutes or until golden brown on top.
15. Finish with a few fresh basil leaves and serve with a side salad of italian leaves and cherry tomatoes.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

1155.45

Fat (grams)

56.38

Sat. Fat (grams)

30.16

Carbs (grams)

99.08

Fibre (grams)

8.83

Net carbs

90.23

Sugar (grams)

12.64

Protein (grams)

64.45

Sodium (milligrams)

1322.97

Cholesterol (grams)

166.62

Values per whole meal

This recipe is from my Cook Along series and is in collaboration with Garofalo Pasta as part of a paid for partnership. Garofalo Pasta is widely available on Ocado and Amazon

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