Jonathan 偉良 Routley

Stuffed Shells

Yield: 4 large servings

Cook Time: 1-1.5 hours

Serve with side salad, or halve recipe and serve with 2-3 small dishes

Ingredients

  • ~32 Conchiglie Pasta Shells + 2 Extra for Testing
  • Olive Oil
  • Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • 300g Ricotta
  • 2 Tsp Mixed Dried Herbs
  • 1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella + Extra for Topping
  • 1 Wedge Parmesan, Grated (~50g) + Extra for Topping
  • 1 Egg
  • Small Bunch Basil Leaves
  • 4 Handfuls Spinach Leaves, Roughly Chopped
  • 2 Tins Chopped Tomatoes
  • 1 Tin Anchovy Fillets (~50g)
  • 3 Cloves Garlic
  • 1 Onion

Method

Make tomato sauce, boil pasta, stuff shells, assemble in tray, bake.

  1. Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic cloves. Remove anchovy fillets from the tin (as many as you like, up to all of them) and mince also.

  2. Heat a saucepan over medium heat and fry the onion in the oil from the tin of anchovy fillets for a few minutes, then add the garlic and anchovies and fry for a few more minutes until onions are translucent.

  3. Add the tins of tomatoes and herbs, bring to the boil then let simmer until needed.

  4. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to the boil. Cook pasta shells according to packet recommendations for al dente (roughly 7-8 mins), using the extra shells to test.

  5. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: add spinach with a little salt to a pan over medium heat and let wilt. Remove and let cool. Mince half of the basil leaves and combine with the ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, egg and spinach and mix well. Add salt/pepper to taste (be generous with pepper).

  6. Once shells are cooked, drain in a colander and rinse with cold water until they are cool enough to be handled.

  7. Preheat your oven to 190(/170 Fan)°C

  8. Get a large baking tray and coat the bottom with a layer of tomato sauce. Stuff shells with about a tablespoons worth of filling and arrange in the tray, before coating with another layer of tomato sauce. Add the remaining mozzarella and parmesan, add remaining basil leaves then drizzle with olive oil. Cover top with tin foil.

  9. Bake for 20 mins, then remove foil and bake for another 10-15 mins until cheese is browned and bubbling.