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    Oven-baked conchiglioni

    Group 393Media
    Group 3826 people
    T230 min

    Introduction

    Today we are going to discover a quick recipe for a first course with a unique and inimitable flavour: oven-baked conchiglioni with a delicious filling. This is one of those dishes that is ideal for any occasion, especially when entertaining family or friends. Whether it is a Sunday lunch, a special dinner or any other time, this dish will be a guaranteed success. The recipe we are going to look at today is for six people, but if there are fewer of you, you can still prepare it using the same quantities and eat the leftovers later: this is one of those dishes that tastes even better the next day.

    Pasta al forno (baked pasta) is part of the Italian tradition and there are so many variations of it in all the regions. The one we are going to prepare today is filled pasta in a minced meat sauce, topped with tomato puree, bechamel and basil. Finally, using some Grana Padano cheese, we are going to make the gratin topping, the most mouth-watering part of the dish that will give the whole recipe its delicious crunch.

    Are you ready to try your hand at making this sensational dish? If so, gather up all the necessary ingredients and follow us into the kitchen.

    Ingredients

    • 400 g conchiglioni
    • 60 g Grana Padano
    • 1 white or golden onion
    • 120 g minced beef
    • 120 g minced pork
    • Bechamel sauce, as required
    • Half a glass of red wine
    • 500 g tomato purée
    • 1 garlic clove
    • Table salt to taste
    • Pepper to taste
    • Extra virgin olive oil, as required
    • Fresh basil, as required

    Preparation

    STEP 1

    First, start by preparing the meat sauce. In a saucepan, heat a little olive oil and add the chopped onion and the whole clove of garlic. Brown the onion over a medium heat, then add the minced meat, a pinch of salt and some pepper.

    STEP 2

    When the meat is nicely browned, add some red wine. Let the alcohol evaporate and add the tomato puree and a basil leaf. Leave to simmer for about ten minutes, remembering to remove the garlic at the end.

    STEP 3

    Now it is time to cook the pasta: in a pot, heat the water and once it comes to the boil, add the conchiglioni. Remember that this will be cooked again in the oven, so drain it al dente after about half the cooking time indicated on the packet.

    STEP 4

    When both the pasta and the sauce are ready, it is time to assemble the dish. Take a baking dish and spread a layer of meat sauce on the bottom, then add the conchiglioni and continue with the meat sauce, taking care to fill the pasta well with the filling. Alternate with a layer of bechamel sauce and repeat until the dish is full. Now sprinkle Grana Padano cheese on top and bake for about 20 minutes in a preheated oven at 200°. Use the grill function, this way the grated cheese will create a simply delicious crust on the surface.

    Variants

    The recipe we have seen today is just one of many ways to prepare a mouth-watering, oven-baked filled pasta. This is one of those recipes that tastes great with many variations and is also perfect if you have leftovers in the fridge that you don’t know how to reuse. Cheese, cold meats, meatballs, vegetables: all you need is a little imagination to create an original and delicious oven-baked, filled pasta.

    We prepared a quick ragout that we used as a condiment and filling for the conchiglioni, but you can experiment with many other variations. For example, you can try making the pasta even more mouth-watering by filling it with mozzarella, boiled eggs or sausage, for an even more delicious entrée. On the other hand, if you want to try a vegetarian version, make the filling for the conchiglioni with ricotta cheese, boiled and chopped spinach and a few tablespoons of Grana Padano. Fill the conchiglioni and add some tomato sauce, then cover everything with plenty of grated cheese.

    Here, we used a ready-made bechamel sauce to make the recipe faster, but if you wish, you can make it at home from scratch with milk, flour, butter, salt and pepper.