Stuffed Shells Recipe: Delicious Ragù-Filled Pasta for Sunday Lunch
Stuffed Shells with a Delicious Ragù: a Tasty and Original Sunday Dish, Perfect for Meals with Family and Friends
| season | All the seasons |
| Ease of the | easy |
| Ingredients | 13 |
| Ready in | 1 h e 45 min |
Stuffed conchiglioni with ragù are a classic Sunday dish.
A comforting and flavorful first course, perfect for family lunches or meals with friends.
Beautiful to serve and absolutely delicious, this recipe is also surprisingly easy to make.
How to Make the Best Stuffed Shells Recipe Step by Step
Stuffed shells are absolutely delicious and the perfect alternative to lasagna or classic baked pasta dishes.
For this stuffed shells recipe, we chose the traditional version with meat ragù, but it works just as well with mushroom ragù, seafood, vegetables, lentils, or any filling you prefer.
This is a recipe that’s not only tasty but also beautiful to serve, and it lends itself to endless variations. It’s a great way to use up leftovers in the fridge, reduce food waste, and bring something original and comforting to the table.
Start by preparing the vegetables for the soffritto, then add the meat followed by the tomato passata. Let the sauce simmer for at least 30 minutes, until the ragù thickens and becomes rich and flavorful.
Meanwhile, cook the conchiglioni in salted water, drain them al dente, and let them cool and dry. Assemble the dish in a baking dish, arranging the shells open-side up so they’re easy to fill with the sauce.
Bake the stuffed shells in the oven, and after about 20 minutes the dish is ready to serve.
Go ahead and try this stuffed shells recipe with meat ragù—it’s guaranteed to impress your family and guests alike!
Ingredients
Method
- Prepare the soffritto. Peel the carrot and cut it into small cubes, then peel the onion and finely chop it.
- Add the olive oil and a pinch of salt to a saucepan, then add the onion and carrot. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until softened.
- Add the ground veal and ground pork, stir well, and cook for another 5–8 minutes, until the meat is browned.
- Deglaze with the white wine and let it evaporate over high heat.
- Add the tomato passata and stir it together with the other ingredients.
- Add the water and a few basil leaves, give everything a good stir, and cook for about 30–40 minutes. The ragù shouldn’t thicken too much, as the sauce will help cook the pasta later. At the end of cooking, let the ragù cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the conchiglioni in salted boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain them al dente and place them on a kitchen towel. Turn them upside down so any excess water can drain and be absorbed by the towel.
- Spread a layer of béchamel sauce on the bottom of a baking dish, then add 3–4 tablespoons of ragù.
- Place the conchiglioni on top, open side facing up.
- Spoon the ragù into a piping bag and fill the conchiglioni.
- Cover the stuffed shells with the béchamel sauce.
- Sprinkle the grated cheese on top.Bake the stuffed shells in a preheated oven—200°C (390°F) for a conventional oven, or 190°C (375°F) for a fan-forced oven—for about 20 minutes.
- Bring the stuffed shells to the table and serve them hot!
Tips
The better and higher-quality the ingredients, the more delicious your dish will be. To take this stuffed shells recipe to the next level, use homemade béchamel sauce. Another tip? Instead of buying pre-ground meat, ask your butcher to grind it fresh for you.
You can also prepare the stuffed shells with ragù in advance and reheat them in the oven—they’ll taste just as good as freshly made!
Storage
If you have any leftovers, store them in the fridge for up to two days. When ready to serve, reheat in the oven or in a pan. You can also freeze any leftover portions. When needed, simply thaw at room temperature or in the microwave, then heat in the oven before serving.
