
These stuffed shells are inspired by the classic Roman pasta dish cacio e pepe, which combines Pecorino-Romano cheese and black pepper in a silky, rich cream sauce. In this version, jumbo pasta shells are first filled with a ricotta cheese mixture and then nestled in a thickened cream sauce that thickens as it bakes in a Stoneware Heritage Rectangular Dish. Serve with a fresh garden salad for a deliciously simple and decadent oven-to-table dinner.
Main INGREDIENTS
- Pasta
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
- 340g package of jumbo pasta shells
- 60g unsalted butter, melted
- 480ml thickened cream, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon plain flour
- 150g Pecorino-Romano cheese, divided
- 4 teaspoons ground black pepper, divided
- Kosher salt
- 450g ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 100g shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
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Method
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1Preheat oven to 200°C.
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2Cook the pasta shells in a deep casserole of boiling water until they are just al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Drain pasta and rinse under cold water to quickly cool. Shake dry and set aside.
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3While the pasta cooks, mix melted butter with heavy cream, flour, 60g Pecorino-Romano cheese, and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Season with salt and stir until well combined. Pour about 2/3 of the cream mixture into the bottom of a large baking dish with a lid and set aside.
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4Place 90g Pecorino-Romano cheese, 2 teaspoons black pepper, ricotta cheese, egg and 50g mozzarella cheese in a large mixing bowl. Season with a large pinch of salt and stir to combine.
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5Transfer the ricotta mixture to a piping bag (or plastic bag with a corner cut off). Carefully pipe the ricotta mixture into each of the pasta shells. Alternately, the ricotta mixture can be carefully spooned into the shells. Nestle stuffed shells on top of the cream mixture in the baking dish, then pour the remaining cream mixture over the top of the shells. Cover the dish with the lid and place it in the preheated oven. Bake for 10 minutes.
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6Remove the dish from the oven and carefully uncover. Top the shells with the remaining 30g Pecorino-Romano cheese, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, and 50g of mozzarella cheese. Place the shells back in the oven, uncovered, and bake until they are just starting to brown and crisp on top and the cream sauce has thickened, about 20-25 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.