Stuffed lumaconi pasta

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

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Large pasta shells filled with a rich meat filling perfect for special occasions

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Total Time1 30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Stuffed lumaconi pasta

Servings:

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.

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