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Stuffed lumaconi on a bed of spinach in a crispy cheese bowl
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Stuffed lumaconi pasta

Large pasta shells filled with a rich meat filling perfect for special occasions
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Stuffed lumaconi pasta
Servings: 4
Calories: 946kcal
Author: Jacqui

Ingredients

  • 300 g Lumaconi or Conchiglioni pasta
  • 300 g minced beef
  • 250 g tomato pulp / peeled tomatoes
  • 1 onion peeled and finely sliced
  • 50 g parmesan grated
  • 150 g fresh ricotta
  • 300 ml milk
  • 30 g butter
  • nutmeg
  • 50 g flour
  • Olive oil for cooking the meat
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For caramelized red peppers and onions

  • 2 medium red onions peeled and chopped
  • 2 red peppers deseeded and cut into small pieces.
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • Aged Balsamic vinegar or balsamic cream

For spinach bed

  • 500 g fresh spinach leaves

For cheese baskets

  • 120 g grana padana or parmesan grated (for 4 baskets)

Instructions

Prepare the béchamel sauce

  • In a saucepan, melt the butter over a low heat, add the flour and stir until you have a white roux.
  • Add the milk little by little and keep on the fire until the sauce thickens.
  • Season with salt and nutmeg and set aside.

Prepare the meat sauce and fill the lumaconi shells

  • In a pan fry the finely sliced onion in oil.
  • Add the meat once the onion starts to become translucent,
  • let the meat brown and add the tomato sauce.
  • Cook for about 20 minutes, season with salt and pepper
  • When the two sauces (béchamel and meat) have cooled slightly mix them and add the ricotta.
  • Mix everything together well and allow to cool further.
  • Cook the pasta al dente in boiling salted water, drain it and quickly run cold water over it.
  • Using a teaspoon fill each pasta shape and arrange them in a baking dish.
  • Sprinkle with Parmesan.
  • Put them in a hot oven (180°) to brown for a 5-10 minutes. Serve immediately . 

If you are going to serve the pasta shells on a bed of spinach,

  • cook the spinach before and then just reheat with a little butter and nutmeg before serving.

For bed of red onions and red peppers

  • Fry the peppers first for 5 minutes.
  • Add the onions.
  • When the onions start to become transparent sprinkle with brown sugar, lower the heat and simmer covered for 15-20 mins.
  • Add a few drops of aged balsamic vinegar or balsamic cream a couple of minutes before the end of cooking. Stir well and serve.

For grana padana baskets

  • I used ready grated cheese. I got 3 baskets from one 90 grm packet of cheese
  • Heat a 10" skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Sprinkle cheese (I just used what seemed to look right, didn't really measure) into a disk shape in pan
  • Allow cheese to get golden underneath, then carefully turn it over using a spatula.
  • As soon as the other side starts to turn golden quickly remove the cheese and drape it over an upside-down glass or small bowl and form into a bowl.
  • Allow to cool completely. Repeat instructions until you have the number of baskets needed.

Notes

I also added roasted cherry tomatoes to the dish with caramelized red onions and peppers. Just roast a handful of cherry tomatoes with a little olive oil and rosemary until the skins start to darken.

Nutrition

Calories: 946kcal | Carbohydrates: 93g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 127mg | Sodium: 1040mg | Potassium: 1644mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 14471IU | Vitamin C: 123mg | Calcium: 878mg | Iron: 8mg