Baked Pasta Shells with Ricotta
There are different ways of making this dish, with some people baking the pasta in the oven from raw, and others replacing the tomato sauce with béchamel. In this version, you stuff the pasta shells with ricotta before boiling them, sealing the exposed edges with semolina. The tomato is the perfect contrast to the creamy ricotta, and the shells develop crusty edges in the oven. Kids love this dish! Serve with salad and crusty bread.
Ingredients 14
3 ripe tomato, large, grated, if using fresh
1 onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 tbsp tomato paste, concentrated purée
1 bay leaf
250 ml water
salt and pepper
400 g ricotta
2 eggs
1 tbsp mint, chopped
100 g parmesan, finely grated
60 g fine semolina
400 g pasta shells, large, lumaconi is best
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Method 7
If using fresh , score them on their bases and grate with a box grater. Sauté the and with the in a saucepan over a medium heat until soft. Add the , tomatoes, and . Season with salt and pepper and simmer with a lid on for 25 minutes.
Combine the , , , a third of the , 2 tablespoons of the semolina and some salt and pepper in a bowl. Whisk the mixture together.
Scoop into a piping bag, or a zip-lock bag with a 1 cm (½ in) corner snipped off. Spill the remaining onto a plate. Take a and squeeze some inside. Dip the exposed ricotta in the semolina to cover. Continue to fill and dip the pasta shells.
Bring 4 litres (135 fl oz/16 cups) of well-salted water to the boil.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and carefully add the filled shells. Simmer gently until the pasta is al dente. (Due to the filling and cooking slower than usual, the time will be different to what is stated on the packet. You will need to remove a shell from the water and break off a corner to check.) When cooked, lift shells delicately with a slotted spoon and place on a baking tray.
Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Spread half the tomato sauce over the base of a large baking dish. Sprinkle another third of the on top. Place the boiled over the tomato and parmesan.
Spread the remaining sauce over the , sprinkle with the remaining , and drizzle with some . Bake on the top rack of the oven for 20 minutes, just until the top is crusty and the cheese golden.
