Baked conchiglioni pasta shells with spinach and ricotta

Name: Baked conchiglioni pasta shells with spinach and ricotta
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 4 serving
Ingredients: 250 g conchiglioni pasta shells; 300 g fresh ricotta; 1 kg fresh spinach; 2 eggs; ½ teaspoon nutmeg; 70 g Parmigiano or Grana cheese; salt; black pepper; 3-4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; 700 g tomato passata (I use rustica); 2 garlic cloves; 75 g all purpose flour; 75 g butter; 500 ml milk; 1 pinch nutmeg; 50 g Parmigiano or Grana cheese

User Reviews

5.0

75 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 25 mins
Servings
4
Calories
1013 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Italian

Baked conchiglioni pasta shells with spinach and ricotta

Daisy Meyer

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This delicious classic Italian baked shells recipe is perfect for family lunches and holiday menus.

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Ingredients

Servings

250 g conchiglioni pasta shells (9oz) you can also use lumaconi

For the filling

300 g fresh ricotta (10.5oz)
1 kg fresh spinach (2.2lbs) or 300 g frozen spinach (10.5oz)
2 eggs
½ teaspoon nutmeg
70 g Parmigiano or Grana cheese (2.5oz) grated
salt for pasta, tomato sauce and to taste
black pepper to taste

For tomato sauce

3-4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
700 g tomato passata (I use rustica) (1.5lbs) or 400 g peeled San Marzano tomatoes (14oz)
2 garlic cloves peeled

For the bechamel

75 g all purpose flour (2.6oz)
75 g butter (2.6oz)
500 ml milk (16floz) add more milk if necessary
1 pinch nutmeg

For serving

50 g Parmigiano or Grana cheese (2oz) grated

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Instructions

To make the filling

Whether using fresh or frozen, cook the spinach as normal without adding any extra liquid. Drain the spinach making sure you have removed as much liquid as possible then, once it has cooled, chop it and mix it in a bowl with the ricotta, the eggs and the Parmigiano, adding nutmeg, salt and pepper as required.

Cook the pasta

Put a pan of water on to boil for the pasta. Add salt when it starts to boil and bring to the boil again. Cook the conchiglioni a little less than the time required for al dente, then drain and let the pasta cool. (it’s better to separate the shells before they cool as they may stick together)

To make the tomato sauce

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan or skillet, add the whole peeled garlic cloves and cook until they start to soften and brown. Add the tomato passata or the fresh peeled San Marzano tomatoes (I also like to use half passata and half unpeeled fresh cherry or datterini tomatoes). Let the sauce simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove the garlic when the sauce is ready.

To make the bechamel

Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour a little at a time, whilst stirring continuously, until you have a smooth paste. Add the milk a little at a time, again continuously stirring, until the sauce starts to thicken. If your béchamel seems lumpy you can use a hand blender to make it smoother. I like to add a pinch of nutmeg to the béchamel.

Put the dish together

Cover the bottom of an oven dish with some of the tomato sauce and some béchamel. With the help of a teaspoon or small tablespoon, take a little of the filling and fill each conchiglioni, then place it in the oven dish.
Add some more béchamel to the top of each pasta shell. Pour the rest of the tomato sauce over the shells and finish with a sprinkling of Parmigiano, then bake in a preheated oven 180- 200° C for about 20 minutes until the top starts to brown.
Serve immediately with extra grated Parmigiano or grana if required.

Notes

This recipe can be made without tomato sauce, if you wish to serve the pasta shells as finger-food. Just butter the oven dish and put a little béchamel on top of the shells with a sprinkling of Parmigiano.
You can also serve the shells in individual portions using small oven-proof dishes.

Nutrition Information

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Calories 1013kcal (51%) Carbohydrates 96g (32%) Protein 47g (94%) Fat 52g (80%) Saturated Fat 26g (130%) Polyunsaturated Fat 4g Monounsaturated Fat 18g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 196mg (65%) Sodium 996mg (42%) Potassium 2665mg (76%) Fiber 11g (44%) Sugar 18g (36%) Vitamin A 25700IU (514%) Vitamin C 89mg (99%) Calcium 985mg (99%) Iron 13mg (72%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 1013 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	1013kcal	51%
Carbohydrates	96g	32%
Protein	47g	94%
Fat	52g	80%
Saturated Fat	26g	130%
Polyunsaturated Fat	4g	24%
Monounsaturated Fat	18g	90%
Trans Fat	1g	50%
Cholesterol	196mg	65%
Sodium	996mg	42%
Potassium	2665mg	57%
Fiber	11g	44%
Sugar	18g	36%
Vitamin A	25700IU	514%
Vitamin C	89mg	99%
Calcium	985mg	99%
Iron	13mg	72%