Daily Italian Recipe · Pasta
Stuffed Conchiglioni al Forno
Generous pasta shells filled with ricotta, mozzarella and basil, nestled in tomato sauce and baked until bubbling: conchiglioni al forno bring Southern Italian Sunday cooking to your table. A golden Pecorino Romano crust finishes this comforting family dish.
Total time
75 minutes
Serves
4 people
Difficulty
Medium
Origin
Southern Italy
Pasta al forno has deep roots in Southern Italian home cooking, where baked pasta is a centrepiece of Sunday lunches and celebrations. Shapes, fillings and sauces vary from region to region and family to family.
Stuffed conchiglioni belong to this generous tradition. This meat-free version pairs ricotta and mozzarella with tomato and basil, a combination especially at home in Campanian cooking, without claiming a single definitive regional recipe.
Ingredients
- 250 g Conchiglioni 'Pasta Cocco'Shop
- 600 g Home Made Tomato Sauce, 2 × 300 g packsShop
- 200 g Mozzarella 100% Italian Milk, 2 × 100 g packs, drained weightShop
- 350 g Fresh cow's-milk ricotta, drained weight
- 40 g Pecorino Romano DOP, finely gratedShop
- 10 g Fresh basil leaves
- 15 ml Extra virgin olive oil
- 100 ml Water, for loosening the tomato sauce
- 3 litres Water, for boiling the pasta
- 21 g Fine sea salt, for the pasta water
- 0.5 g Freshly ground black pepper
Method
- 1
1. Prepare the oven and cheeses
Heat the oven to 200°C conventional or 180°C fan. Drain the ricotta in a sieve while you prepare the pasta; if particularly wet, drain it in the fridge beforehand. Dice the mozzarella into 1 cm pieces and blot thoroughly. Use the listed cheese weights after draining. Grease a roughly 30 × 22 cm baking dish with 5 ml of the olive oil.
- 2
2. Parboil the shells
Bring 3 litres of water to the boil and add 21 g salt. Add the conchiglioni and cook for 3 minutes less than the packet's al dente time: they should bend enough to fill but remain distinctly firm. Drain gently, toss with the remaining 10 ml olive oil and spread in one layer on a tray until cool enough to handle.
- 3
3. Mix the filling
Combine the drained ricotta with 150 g mozzarella, 25 g grated Pecorino Romano, 6 g torn basil and the black pepper. Stir until evenly mixed. The filling should hold on a spoon rather than release liquid; the pecorino provides its seasoning.
- 4
4. Prepare the sauce
Mix the tomato sauce with 100 ml water to make it loose enough to finish cooking the pasta in the oven. Spread approximately one-third over the base of the prepared dish.
- 5
5. Stuff and arrange
Divide the ricotta mixture between the shells using a teaspoon or piping bag. Arrange them open-side up in a snug single layer. Spoon the remaining sauce between and over the shells, moistening all exposed pasta edges. Scatter with the remaining 50 g mozzarella and 15 g pecorino.
- 6
6. Bake until bubbling
Cover the dish with foil without pressing it onto the cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 15 minutes, until the sauce bubbles in the centre, the pasta is tender and the cheese has golden patches. If the surface colours before the pasta is tender, cover again and continue baking briefly.
- 7
7. Rest and serve
Leave the conchiglioni to rest for 10 minutes so the filling settles and the sauce thickens slightly. Finish with the remaining 4 g fresh basil and serve warm, lifting the shells carefully with a broad spoon.
Chef's secret
Treat the filling and sauce differently: drain the cheeses well, but keep the tomato sauce loose. This gives you creamy, clearly defined stuffed shells while supplying the moisture the undercooked pasta needs to finish baking.
Did you know?
Conchiglioni takes its name from conchiglia, the Italian word for shell. The large cavity makes this pasta shape particularly suited to stuffing and baking.
Common mistakes
- Boiling the shells until fully cooked: they can split during filling and turn soft in the oven. Stop 3 minutes before the packet's al dente time.
- Using wet ricotta or undrained mozzarella: excess whey dilutes the filling and leaves a watery baking dish.
- Leaving bare pasta edges or baking uncovered throughout: exposed shells can become leathery before the centre is hot.
Storage & reheating
Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours of cooking and use within 3 days. Reheat individual portions, covered, at 180°C conventional or 160°C fan for approximately 20–25 minutes, adding 15–30 ml water to the sauce; heat until the centre reaches 74°C. Freeze cooled portions for up to 2 months, thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat thoroughly.
Shop the recipe
Delivered across Hong Kong by SF Express or Lalamove.
FAQ
Can I assemble the conchiglioni ahead?
Yes. Assemble with cooled pasta and sauce, cover and refrigerate immediately for up to 24 hours. Bake straight from the fridge in an oven-safe dish suitable for that temperature change, allowing approximately 10–15 extra minutes covered. Check that the centre is piping hot and the pasta is tender.
Do I need an egg in the ricotta filling?
No. Well-drained ricotta, mozzarella and grated pecorino make a creamy filling that stays inside the shells. Some family recipes use egg for a firmer texture, but it is not essential here.
Can I order the featured ingredients in Hong Kong?
Yes. The Italian Club Hong Kong offers the featured conchiglioni, tomato sauce, mozzarella and Pecorino Romano for delivery across Hong Kong via SF Express and Lalamove. Source the ricotta, basil and other pantry ingredients separately.