Conchiglioni ripieni al ragù

Conchiglioni pasta with ragu sauce — it's a heavenly dish that takes the ragu a step further in depth of flavor. Conchiglioni is a shell-shaped pasta. In Italian, conchiglia means seashells, and that's exactly the shape of the pasta. Because of the hollow shape, it calls for a nice filling or sauce to back up that open structure. The conchiglioni pasta with ragu is an Italian dish that we bake in the oven with parmesan to get a crunchier texture and deeper flavor.

Every meat pasta starts with a good Ragu sauce

The Ragu sauce is a heavy, thick meat sauce that cooks for hours and uses several kinds of meat to create deep flavor and a full body. I usually make the ragu in big batches and use it for various dishes. This sauce is by far the best meat sauce for pasta.

Conchiglioni pasta with ragu, sounds fancy, right?

Truth is, it's a simple shell-shaped pasta filled with ragu sauce and covered with parmesan. I added feta as well because I like the sour note it brings to the dish. The Italians sometimes make Bechamel sauce, mix it with the ragu bolognese sauce, and pour it over the conchiglioni pasta. It's a nice variation, but also a heavy one — I'll stick to the simple dish. The method is simple: take a spoon and fill the shells with the heavy ragu sauce. It's actually easier when the sauce is cold, since it's almost like a paste and can be shaped without much fuss. We're almost done — did I say simple?

Arrange the lovely shells in a baking pan, sprinkle with olive oil and grated parmesan, throw in whatever variation comes to mind — I added some feta cheese — and bake.

Baking time is short — no more than 25 minutes at 200°C / 400°F. The sauce and pasta are already cooked, so we're just looking to golden-brown the top and get some crunchiness into the dish. Enjoy this great conchiglioni pasta with ragu sauce — it's an easy, comforting dish for any occasion.