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Baked Lumaconi Pasta Shells with Chicory and Porcini
This delicious Italian baked lumaconi pasta shells recipe is perfect for meatless Mondays, vegetarians and religious holidays when meat isn't eaten.
Ingredients
- 24 lumaconi pasta shells or conchiglioni (about 300g) I used lumaconi made by pasta Garofalo
- 250 g fresh ricotta
- 100 ml heavy cream (about ½ cup)
- 1 egg
- 30 g Parmesan or grana grated
- 400 g Catalonian chicory or spinach
- 30 g dried porcini mushrooms
- 3 garlic cloves peeled
- ½ glass white wine
- 300-400 g cherry tomatoes
- 4-5 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- salt for pasta and to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 pinch nutmeg grated
- 1 knob butter
Instructions
First steps
- Soak the dried porcini in warm water for about 30 minutes. Drain them and save the water.
- peel the garlic cloves,
- Wash the chicory or spinach well, drain and if using Catalonian chicory cut off the harder lower parts of the stalks and remove any damaged leaves. Boil the greens in a pan with a little water for about 10 minutes. When ready drain the greens, let them cool then chop into smaller pieces.
Make the tomato sauce
- Wash the cherry tomatoes and place them on a baking tin. Sprinkle with olive oil and roast in a preheated oven at 180° until they start to soften. (This step can be skipped and the tomatoes can be cut into quarters and fried immediately to save time)
- Heat some olive oil in a frying pan or skillet. Add 2 peeled garlic cloves and fry until they start to brown. Then add the roasted tomatoes to the pan and cook on a moderate heat for about 10 minutes. Add some of the porcini soaking water and continue cooking until the tomatoes are very soft. This sauce is semi-dry not very liquidy. If you prefer you can also add a little tomato passata to make ‘more’ sauce.
Cook the vegetables
- Cut the drained porcini into smaller pieces. Melt a knob of butter in a small frying pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and saute 1 garlic clove until it starts to brown. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes. Then add the white wine and continue cooking until the alcohol evaporates. Add the spinach or chicory to the mushrooms. Mix everything together well and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Cook the pasta
- Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to the boil again. Boil the giant lumaconi pasta shells until they are half cooked (about 8 minutes), drain them and run cold water over them to stop them cooking further. Drain again and spread them out on a dry cloth.
Make the filling
- Put the ricotta in a bowl, with 1 egg, a generous handful of grana or parmesan and the heavy cream Mix together well. Add salt and pepper to taste and a pinch of nutmeg. Add the mushroom and chicory to the ricotta mixture and mix together well again.
Finish the dish
- Spread a little tomato sauce in the bottom of an oven dish. Stuff the lumaconi one by one using a teaspoon and place them in the oven dish, with the filling facing upwards.
- Distribute the rest of the tomato sauce over the pasta, sprinkle with plenty of grated Parmesan or grana and bake at 190 ° C. for about 15-20 minutes, covering the dish with aluminum foil for the first 10 minutes.
- Serve hot with more grated cheese if required.
Notes
You can use conchiglioni (giant pasta shells) instead of lumaconi.
You can use spinach or another leaf vegetable instead of Catalonian chicory.
To change things up a bit, why not use a bechamel (white) sauce instead of tomato sauce? Just as delicious!
Nutrition
Calories: 492kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 17gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 118mgSodium: 320mgPotassium: 984mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 10641IUVitamin C: 46mgCalcium: 358mgIron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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Carole Westby says
Sure would be nice if when you clicked on jump to recipe it DID!!! You could add a cook mode button too
Jacqui says
Hi Carole. Thanks for your comments. Most of my recipes do have a working jump to recipe button. However, this one is an old one (in need of updating) and it's on 2 pages so the button doesn't work. It's on my to be updated list! The cook mode button also exists and should work on all recipe pages. I will also include info about the size of my baking dish when I update but dish size may vary depending on the size of the pasta shells and how many you use. Of course, they are easier to keep standing when packed quite tight.
Nanette Pastor-Hanna says
Last night, my husband and I made this together. We followed the recipe for the lumaconi and stuffing, using spinach as we couldn't find chicory anywhere! Our farmers market sellers said they had grown it in the past, but demand was so low, they stopped. We didn't have cherry tomatoes, so we made a sauce using canned San Marzano tomatoes, roasted garlic, and the porcini liquid. We enjoyed it very much and look forward to the leftovers.
Tip: I often use porcini powder when I don't have any porcinis at hand. It adds a great earthiness to anything.
Jacqui says
Hi Nanette, I'm happy you enjoyed this stuffed lumaconi recipe. It's one I haven't made in a while and want to revisit. I have not come across porcini powder here in Italy but will look out for it. A useful tip for readers who can't find porcini where they are located.
kim says
What a great recipe idea! I love the thought of all of these wonderful flavors stuffed into pasta shells. Can't wait to give this a try!
Demeter says
Such a great idea to use this as an appetizer too! With party season quickly coming, you can never have too many finger food ideas to add to the affair, thanks!
Daniela says
This pasta dish sounds delicious! I love chicory, but never thought to put it in pasta before. I can't wait to make this for my vegetarian friends!
Lauren Vavala @ DeliciousLittleBites says
I've never seen shells like this, but now I have to find them! These look amazing!
Carole says
Found them at T J MAXX!!!
Claudia Lamascolo says
This is bursting with wonderful flavors. I really love shells and the combination of flavors are perfect!
Jane says
Oh this looks so fun! I love meals that take a little bit of arty time to make, it's so fun to get the family involved too 🙂
Alexis says
Oh, this dish looks absolutely amazing. I've never had lumaconi pasta before, but this recipe sounds delicious. I love all of the seasonings and spices that you used.
Mervova Vladka says
Your beautiful images are making me hungry! Looks just so good. Can the ricotta cheese be replaced with fromage frais or cottage cheese? Thanks
Catherine Brown says
I don't think I've ever seen this kind of pasta before, it looks fun! Tasty looking filling too... love the spinach in there!
Amanda says
Stuffed pasta is the absolute best, and your version looks divine. I love the way you used those cherry tomatoes.
Sharon says
Will definitely have to try this one for Meatless Monday coming up! I love a good pasta dish. Thanks for all the Italian cuisine facts -- I learned quite a bit today. 🙂