A nice change from the usual creamy versions, this chicken pasta bake is made with a tomato pasta sauce. Filled with bacon, sizzling seasoned chicken and generous on the cheese, it’s cosy and hearty and thrifty and just so, so delicious! Excellent complete meal for making ahead and freezing.

Chicken pasta bake

If you can cut a pasta bake like cake – I’m talking straight vertical walls with sharp edges – that is not a good thing. It just screams dry pasta bake!

Nope. Not in my world. Pasta bakes should be saucy and juicy, molten and oozy! Generously loaded with add-ins, if you’re going for a dinner pasta bake (as opposed to a side dish like Mac and Cheese).

This one ticks all those boxes. Proof by picture – juicy / saucy:

Tasty add-ins – sizzling seasoned chicken! Love the smell when the chicken hits the pan.

So if that sounds good to you, read on so you can see how to make your new favourite chicken pasta bake!

Ingredients in chicken pasta bake

You’ll be able to get everything from your local grocery store. Nothing pricey on the list!

Sizzling seasoned chicken

The pasta bake starts with sizzling chicken that’s been tossed in a simple, tasty seasoning. Here’s what you need:

• Chicken – I like using chicken thighs as they stay juicier in dishes like pasta bakes where they are twice cooked (ie before adding into sauce then in the oven with the pasta).

• Seasoning – Using a store bought Italian herb mix is a great shortcut here. I always like to add an extra spice, garlic in this paste, for extra flavour oomph.

Tomato pasta sauce for the pasta bake

A good tomato-based pasta bake needs a good tomato pasta sauce! No shortcuts here – I tried and just found it too bland. So here’s what we need:

• Pasta type – I like the substantialness of rigatoni, there’s something extra cosy and satisfying about it in pasta bakes. However, feel free to use other short pastas like macaroni, penne, ziti, shells etc.

• Tomato passata – for a thick, smooth sauce with better tomato flavour and red colour, use passata instead of crushed or diced tomato. It’s just pureed plain tomato! Readily available here in Australia in the pasta or canned tomato aisle and costs around the same as canned tomato. More on passata here.

• Tomato paste – for sauce thickening and extra tomato flavour.

• Garlic and onion – essential flavour base!

• Oregano – for earthy flavour.

• Chilli flakes / red pepper flakes – for a hum of warmth!

• Wine – secret ingredient! Simmered rapidly to reduce and cook out the alcohol and winey flavour, just leaving behind tasty flavour. My favourite white wine for cooking is chardonnay which adds superior flavour compared to more neutral whites like sauvignon blanc. Substitute with low sodium chicken stock/broth.

Chicken pasta bake add-ins & topping

Lots of add-in options, but here’s what I’ve gone with!

• Bacon – cooked first until crisp, chopped, and tossed through the pasta bake. Then we use the bacon fat left in the pan to cooke the chicken. Free flavour not to be wasted! Substitute with ham bits or chopped ham.

• Tomato – adds lovely juicy chunks of tomato in the pasta bake as well as filling it out and increasing the vegetable quota.

• Baby spinach – for more hidden greens as well as adding nice streaks of green into the pasta bake.

• Cheese – mozzarella for stretch and melting qualities, parmesan for flavour! (Because mozzarella actually does not have much flavour).

Feel free to substitute the tomato and baby spinach with other add-ins of choice.

How to make chicken pasta bake

There’s a time and a place for quick, low-effort one-pot pasta bakes. Then there’s all those times when you want a really good pasta bake so you’ll do it properly. Crisp the bacon, sear the chicken, simmer the sauce, then bring it all together into one big bubbling pasta bake.

Today is one of those days!

1. Crisp bacon (no oil)

1. First, cook the bacon in a non-stick pan until golden and crisp. You won’t need any oil to do this as the fat in the bacon will melt and release fat into the pan. So it cooks in its own fat!

2. Drain on paper towels, leaving the fat in the pan (we will use this to cook the chicken). The bacon will go crispy when it cools, then chop into pieces.

2. Making the pasta bake

1. Toss the chicken in the Italian herbs, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

2. Sear – Using a very big pan or a large pot (because we’re mixing the sauce with pasta in this pan), sear the chicken until light golden in the reserved bacon fat.

   Don’t worry whether it’s cooked through inside, it will finish cooking in the sauce and oven. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl, leaving the tasty chicken/bacon fat in the pan (you see all this flavour building going on, right??!)

3. Sauté the onion and garlic with the chilli flakes and dried oregano – good trick for bringing out extra flavour from dried herbs! Then add the wine and simmer rapidly to mostly reduce – this cooks out the alcohol and removes the winey flavour, just leaving behind tasty flavour which adds a little something-something into the sauce.

4. Sauce – Next, cook off the tomato paste. Similar to toasting the herbs, this improves the flavour of tomato paste, taking off the sour edge, intensifying the tomato flavour and sweetening it. Good Cheffy tip!

   Then we add all the liquids – the tomato passata, water (use it to rinse out the bottle) – salt and pepper for seasoning.

5. Simmer – Then stir in the chicken – don’t forget to add all the juices pooled in the bowl! Simmer for 5 minutes to bring the flavours together – this is when the magic happens so don’t skip or shortcut this step. I tried – to speed things up – but the sauce just lacked flavour.

6. Add-ins – Add the baby spinach, tomato, cooked pasta and bacon in that order, so the heavier add-ins weigh down the considerable volume of baby spinach.

   Oh! If you remember, you can hold back a bit of bacon for sprinkling on at the end. But to be honest, I usually forget.

7. Mix well – Give it all a good stir to mix it all together. You DID use a big pan, right?? 🙂 If you didn’t, this is the part where you’ll start crying or cursing – been there, done that!

8. Baking pan – Transfer to a 23 x 33cm / 9 x 13″ pan and level the surface.

9. Cheese it! Top with mozzarella then parmesan cheese. Doing it in this order gives the surface a lovely golden crust thanks to the parmesan, but it’s not the end of the world if you do it the other way.

10. Bake for just 25 minutes until the cheese is melted with some lovely golden spots. Rest for 5 minutes, just to let it settle so the sauce clings to the pasta a bit better. Then serve!

Complete meal – veg, starch, protein!

It is not often I get to tell you that a pasta dish is a complete meal, so let me enjoy the moment. This one’s got it all! Starch, protein and plenty of vegetables – the tomato passata (yes it’s a vegetable!), chunks of fresh tomato and a good amount of baby spinach too.

Which means – unlike most of my creamy pasta bakes – no need to make a salad for the side to round out the meal. Always a bonus when it comes to choosing what to make for dinner tonight, right?? – Nagi x

PS Having just made that statement, I just realised the photo above has a side salad in it. 😂 It’s the rocket salad (arugula) with balsamic dressing minus the parmesan shavings (because I figured there was enough cheese in the pasta bake!). It was already made for another recipe I was shooting so I just grabbed it as a background prop for the photo!

PPS Despite saying this is a complete meal, a side of garlic bread would certainly take dinner to another level!

Watch how to make it

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Chicken pasta bake

Recipe video above. Everything a chicken pasta bake should be – big, juicy, bubbly, cosy, with loads of extra tasty sauce, sizzling seasoned chicken, bacon and plenty of cheese. Nice change from the usual creamy pasta bakes!

This is a complete meal with starch, protein and veg so you won't need a side salad for this. Love the juicy chunks of tomato!

Course Main

Cuisine Italian-esque, Western

Keyword Chicken Pasta Bake, pasta bake, tomato sauce for pasta bake

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Servings 6 – 6 people

Calories 567cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Seasoned Chicken

• 500g / 1 lb chicken thighs , cut into small bite size pieces (Note 1)
• 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp Italian herb mix , any store bought type

Pasta bake

• 300g/10oz rigatoni (or penne, elbow macaroni, shells or similar)
• 2 tsp salt , for cooking pasta
• 5 slices streaky bacon
• 1/2 onion , finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves , minced
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes / red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup chardonnay or other dry white wine (Note 2)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 700g / 24oz tomato passata (Note 3)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 tomatoes , cut into 8 wedges then halved
• 2 big handfuls baby spinach (or bite size kale)
• 2 cups mozzarella, shredded
• 1/2 cup (tightly packed) parmesan, finely shredded

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan).
• Cook pasta per packet directions, using boiling water seasoned with the 2 teaspoons of salt. Drain, rinse briefly under tap water, then set aside to cool while making the sauce.
• Season chicken – Toss together Seasoned Chicken ingredients in a bowl.
• Crisp bacon – Put bacon in an unheated very large non-stick pan (Note 2). Turn stove on medium high. The fat will melt so the bacon cooks in its own fat. Cook until light golden, remove onto paper towels, leaving fat in the pan. Once cool, cut into 1cm / 1/3" pieces.
• Sizzle chicken – Top up bacon fat with olive oil if you don’t have at least 1 tbsp. Increase heat to high. Cook chicken for 3 minutes until light golden on the outside but still raw inside. Remove into a bowl with a slotted spoon.
• Sauce – In the same pan, cook garlic and onion for 1 minute, then add chilli flakes and oregano. Cook for 2 minutes until onion is translucent. Add wine and rapidly simmer for 1 to 2 minutes until mostly evaporated. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to concentrate and improve flavour. Add passata, then use the water to rinse out the bottle. Add salt, pepper, chicken (including all juices on the plate). Mix, then simmer for 5 minutes on medium.
• Toss – Add baby spinach, tomato, pasta and bacon. Toss well.
• Assemble – Transfer to 23 x 33cm/9 x 13" pan. Top with mozzarella then parmesan. Bake 25 minutes until melted with some golden spots.
• Serve – Stand for 5 minutes then serve!

Notes

1. Chicken thighs hold up best in pasta bakes as they stay juicy through the double/triple cook. However, breast will also work though I’d cut it a little larger so it stays juicier.

2. Wine is a secret ingredient for tastier sauces – no winey flavour remaining, I promise! I like using chardonnay as it adds more flavour than neutral whites like sauvignon blanc. Sub low-sodium chicken stock/broth

3. Tomato passata – Pureed, strained pure tomatoes, sometimes labelled “tomato puree” in the US (here’s a photo of Mutti tomato passata sold at Walmart). It’s readily available in Australian supermarkets nowadays, alongside pasta sauces. Passata is excellent for making thick, smooth sauces. More on tomato passata here.

4. Leftovers will keep for 3 days in the fridge or freezer for 3 months.

Make-ahead – Best way is to cool down the sauce and pasta before combining. Assemble pasta bake – including topping with cheese – wrap tightly in cling wrap then fridge 3 days or freezer 3 months (thaw completely). Bake covered for 20 minutes then uncovered 20 minutes.

Nutrition per serving, assuming 6 servings. It’s a pretty hearty pasta bake thanks to all the add-ins so it should be enough for 6 standard servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 567cal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 1845mg | Potassium: 996mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2291IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 457mg | Iron: 4mg

Life of Dozer

Sunset walk. Such a beautiful part of Sydney! (It’s Bayview dog park in Sydney’s northern beaches).

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Tuna pasta is such a great dinner to make when you don’t have much in the cupboard. For canned tuna recipe cynics out there – it’s time to take a leap of faith! This is seriously tasty, very economical and super fast – it comes together in 15 minutes flat, from start to finish.

Yes – canned tuna CAN be delicious!

I feel like the words “tasty meal” and “canned tuna” aren’t usually in the same sentence. Bad memories of poor cash strapped university days and crash diets, hastily thrown together tuna and rice, bland tuna salads, mayo-laden tuna sandwiches.

But you can make canned tuna delicious!!! Just a little bit of thought, a bit of imagination, a smidge of effort and a lot of anticipation for a hot, tasty meal as your reward.

Today’s reward in question? Tuna pasta. A spritz of lemon, a sprinkle of capers, and using the oil from the tuna can. You never knew a canned tuna pasta could be so delicious!!!

Ingredients in canned tuna pasta

No capers? Chop pickles instead. No lemon? Add a dash of vinegar. No anchovies? Still worth making! We get a really good (free) flavour boost by using the oil from the cans of tuna. Anchovies just makes it that little bit more special!

Garlic missing from the photo – oops!

• Canned tuna – Tuna in oil is the go here! We use the oil from the can of tuna for the sauce to sauté the garlic until golden. No tuna in oil? It’s ok! Just use olive oil instead and tip the liquid from the can of tuna into the sauce.

  TIP – Not all canned tuna is created equal. Premium canned tuna in a good fruity olive oil will set you back more than a generic home brand in tasteless canola oil. But also, premium canned tuna piled on crusty bread with a drizzle of the oil from the can is pure joy. I hope you try it one day.

• Anchovies – Anchovies make everything taste better! Finely minced then sautéed in oil so they dissolve and lose the fishiness, just leaving great savouriness into the dish. I always have a jar in the fridge. Always! Anchovy paste – use 1 teaspoon.

• Capers – For a pop of fresh tang! I like to use baby capers. If you only have large ones, give them a rough chop. No capers? Chop pickles instead!

• Lemon – Juice for sour and zest for lemon flavour. It really does lift the dish so I hope you have it! Lemon is a staple ingredient I always have on hand. But if you don’t, this dish is still worth making. Add a dash of vinegar instead.

• Chilli flakes / red pepper flakes – For a hum of warmth. This isn’t a spicy pasta. Substitute with finely chopped fresh chilli or a smidge of chilli paste or sauce (add this at the end). Or leave it out for no spiciness at all.

• Parsley – For freshness. Not critical.

Pictured below is the tuna I’ve used, a mid-range one sold at supermarkets in Australia. I use 3 x 95g/3.5oz small cans which I feel is the right amount of protein for a pasta which serves 2 people. However, the recipe can take more or less tuna so don’t get too hung up on exact tuna quantity!

How to make canned tuna pasta

Get the pasta cooking then start preparing the ingredients for the sauce. That’s how you’ll get this on the table in 15 minutes flat, from start to finish!

1. Cook the pasta in salted water per packet directions minus 1 minute. The pasta will be slightly under al dente (ie underdone) but that’s ok. The pasta will finish cooking with the sauce, during which time it will absorb the tasty flavours of the sauce!

2. Reserve pasta cooking water – Just before draining, scoop out 1 cup of cooking water then drain the pasta. Why? Because we will be using this to make the sauce for the pasta. The starch in the pasta cooking water will react with the oil in the sauce to make it thicken so it clings to the pasta strands instead of remaining as a watery sauce at the bottom of the pan.

3. Tuna oil – Pour the oil from the tuna can(s) into the same pot and heat over medium heat.

4. Sauté garlic, anchovies and chilli flakes for 1 minute.

5. Pasta and water – Add the pasta, capers and 1/3 cup of reserved pasta water. Toss using 2 spatulas for 2 minutes. During this step, the oil and the starchy pasta cooking water will thicken into a sauce that clings to the pasta. Also during this step the pasta will finish cooking from just under al dente to al dente. If the pasta is still too firm for your taste, add more of the pasta cooking water and keep cooking the pasta.

6. Add tuna – Turn off the heat. Add tuna, parsley, lemon zest, juice, salt and pepper. Toss gently so the tuna stays in chunks and doesn’t crumble into tiny little bits.

   Then serve immediately!

As with all pastas, this is at its prime freshly made, right off the stove, when the pasta is hot and slippery with sauce! If it’s sitting around for a while and the pasta cools down and dries out, it can be easily rejuvenated with a splash of the reserved pasta cooking water and a toss on the stove for 30 seconds or so, to reheat the pasta and make it slick with sauce again.

To make it a complete meal, don’t hesitate to throw in a couple of handfuls of rocket/arugula or baby spinach at the end. Else, serve it with a simple garden salad or whatever leafy greens / steam vegetables you’ve got tossed with an everyday salad dressing.

Enjoy! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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The most amazing canned tuna pasta!

Recipe video above. One of the pantry-pasta greats. I love this recipe because it really showcases what great food you can make using canned tuna! Fabulous flavour beyond just canned tuna thanks to the anchovies, the freshness of lemon and tangy capers.

The oil from the can of tuna is used as the sauce so don't be tempted to use tuna in brine!

Course Mains

Cuisine Italian

Keyword canned tuna recipe, pantry pasta, tuna pasta

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Servings 2

Calories 637cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 200g / 7oz spaghetti , or other thin long pasta
• 1 tbsp cooking salt , for cooking pasta

Tuna sauce:

• 285g/ 10 oz (approx) canned tuna in oil , drained, oil reserved (I use 3 x 95g/3.5oz cans, Note 1)
• 2 clove garlic , finely minced
• 2 anchovy fillets , minced (Note 2)
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes / red pepper flakes (can skip, Note 3)
• 2 tsp baby capers (or finely chopped pickles)
• 1 tbsp parsley , finely chopped (ok to skip)
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2 tbsp lemon juice (sub 1 tbsp apple cider or sherry vinegar)
• 1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

• Cook pasta – Bring 3 litres / 3 quarts of water to the boil with the 1 tablespoon of salt. Cook pasta per the packet time minus 1 minute. Just before draining, scoop out ~1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
• Sauté aromatics – In the same pot, heat the reserved oil from the tuna cans over medium heat. Add the garlic, anchovies and chilli flakes. Cook and stir for 1 minute.
• Toss pasta – Add the pasta, capers and 1/3 cup of reserved pasta water. Toss using 2 spatulas for 2 minutes.
• Add tuna – Turn off the heat. Add tuna, parsley, lemon zest, juice, salt and pepper. Toss gently to mix through – try to keep some tuna chunks.
• Serve immediately!

Notes

1. Tuna – Don’t get too hung up on tuna quantity here, the recipe can take a little more or a little less. I use 3 x 95g/3.5 oz cans, the small “lunch size” cans. You just want enough tuna to serve 2 people.

If you only have tuna in brine, use 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil instead.

2. Anchovies add great flavour here. Substitute with 1 tsp anchovy paste. If you don’t have either, it’s still worth making if you’re using tuna in oil as the oil has good flavour too!

3. Chilli flakes add just a background hum of warmth in this recipe. Feel free to dial it up or down.

4. Leftovers will keep for 2 days in the fridge though pasta never really reheats well, especially these types of pasta that don’t come with loads of tomato or creamy sauce. Microwave reheating is best, with a splash of water (or better yet, keep some pasta cooking water!)

Nutrition

Calories: 637cal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 4157mg | Potassium: 531mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 257IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 4mg

Got canned tuna? Dinner’s half done!

Tuna Mornay (Tuna Casserole Pasta Bake)

Tuna Pasta Bake

Nicoise Salad (French Salad with Tuna)

Life of Dozer

At my local coffee shop, Zubi in Newport (Sydney Northern Beaches). Best coffee in my area – I searched wide and far!!

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There’s no need to pre-cook shells before you stuff them. Such a pain messing around with hot floppy shells! Just bake in loads of sauce and they’ll cook in the oven. These jumbo shells, called conchiglioni in Italian, are stuffed with spinach and ricotta. Serve with a Mega Italian Salad and garlic bread for the perfect dinner.

Stuffed shells

I don’t know if you’ve ever tried, but stuffing hot cooked pasta shells is a nightmare. Slipper suckers that they are, and they break so easily.

There’s no need to suffer through all that! It’s much easier to stuff raw, uncooked pasta shells and cook them in the oven simply by covering them in a LOT of sauce. It 100% works. It’s the way I’ve been cooking cannelloni/manicotti all my life.

The trick is simply to start with a large volume of watery sauce that the pasta shells cook in. Not dissimilar to cooking pasta in a pot of boiling water, actually. And by the end, that watery sauce reduces down into a lovely thick pasta sauce!

This method of cooking also deals with another pet-peeve of mine: dry pasta shells. No worries about that here, we end up with plenty of tomato sauce for serving!

What you need for stuffed pasta shells

While there’s many stuffing options for pasta shells, the most popular is probably spinach and ricotta and that’s what I’ve gone with today. Sorry for being predictable?

Jumbo shells (conchiglioni)

Jumbo shells (conchiglioni is the proper Italian name) are more readily available these days in Australian grocery stores (Woolies, Coles, Harris Farms) and the primary reason I went on a stuffed shells bender.

They are a little more expensive than typical pasta shapes – around $5 for a 500g / 1 lb packet. But they go further. You’ll need 250g / 8 oz for this recipe which serves 5 generously, possibly 6. (Let me remind you, I have a rather robust appetite! My serving portions are not skimpy).

The spinach ricotta stuffing

Here’s what you need for the stuffing. Exactly the same combination I use for spinach ricotta cannelloni, spinach ricotta rolls and the fan-favourite spinach ricotta rotolo.

For a meat option, use the beef filling in Beef Cannelloni instead.

• Spinach – use frozen for convenience (thaw, remove excess water before using), or fresh if you’ve got an abundance of it

• Ricotta – be sure to use a food quality full fat, creamy one. Tip for Australians: avoid Perfect Italiano tub in the fridge aisle of major supermarkets. It’s quite powdery and unpleasant. My favourite is Paesanella which is sold at Harris Farms and over the deli counter at large supermarkets.

• Shredded cheese – A flavoured one is best, like cheddar, tasty, gruyere. Save the mozzarella for the topping (which melts well but doesn’t have that much flavour).

• Parmesan – don’t skip this! It adds extra savouriness and seasoning to the filling. Just store bought finely shredded or grated is fine, or grate your own.

• Garlic – because it makes everything better

• Egg – for binding.

• Nutmeg – optional, but it’s a lovely touch. I use it in almost all my spinach ricotta fillings.

• Salt and pepper

The sauce

I find this method of cooking stuffed shells from raw works best with a smooth pasta sauce rather than one with lumps of crushed or diced tomatoes. The shells cook more evenly and when it finishes baking, you’re left with a lovely smooth pasta sauce.

• Tomato passata – Pureed, strained plain tomatoes, sometimes labelled “tomato puree” in the US (here’s a photo of Mutti tomato passata sold at Walmart). Readily available in Australian supermarkets nowadays, alongside pasta sauces. Excellent for making smooth sauces rather than simmering for ages to breakdown crushed or diced tomato. More on tomato passata here.

  Substitutes – US Hunt’s tomato sauce is a perfect alternative. Otherwise, use crushed canned tomato then puree (like I do for cannelloni/,manicotti).

• Eschalots –Also known as French onions, and called “shallots” in the US. They look like baby onions, but have purple-skinned flesh, are finer and sweeter. Not to be confused with what some people in Australia call “shallots” ie the long green onions.

  I like using eshalots rather than onions because they are finer so they almost disappear into the sauce so you get a lovely smooth sauce. However, you can substitute with a small onion.

• Herbs and spices – Fresh garlic, bay leaf, dried thyme and dried oregano.

• Tomato paste – To intensify the tomato flavour and thicken the sauce slightly.

• White wine – Adds depth of flavour / complexity into the sauce in a way only wine can! It’s only 1/3 of a cup and we simmer to cook out the alcohol. Substitute with more stock, or just skip it.

• Vegetable stock – We need a whole litre / quart (4 cups) because we’re making a LOT of VERY watery sauce here! Just watch the video and you’ll see how it all gets absorbed by the pasta shells, leaving behind a lovely thickened pasta sauce for serving.

• Sugar – Just a smidge, to take the sour edge off the tomato paste we’re using (tomato paste is sour!).

How to make stuffed shells

It’s actually extremely straight forward and the recipe has a nice flow to it: make the sauce first, then while it’s simmering, stuff the shells. Then assemble and bake!

How to make sauce for stuffed shells

1. Sauté aromatics – Cook the garlic and eschalots with the herbs in a large saucepan or small pot.

2. Tomato paste and wine – Cook off the tomato paste for 1 minute (this takes the raw sour edge off and deepens the flavour) then add the wine and simmer rapidly on high heat until it’s mostly evaporated.

3. Simmer 20 minutes – Add the remaining ingredients then simmer on low for 20 minutes with the lid off.

4. Watery sauce! The sauce will be VERY watery and there will be loads. Have faith! You need it all – the shells absorb most of that liquid. Keep the sauce hot – we want to use it hot.

Stuffing & bake

1. Stuffing – Mix the spinach ricotta stuffing ingredients together.

2. Stuff the raw uncooked shells. I find it easiest to use a small offset spatula (like a butter knife with a bend in it, super useful kitchen tool). Else a knife, spoon – whatever you find makes it easiest for you.

3. Assemble – Pour the hot sauce into a 23 x 33cm / 9 x 13″ baking dish. Then gently place the pasta shells in. They will be mostly submerged, some might semi-float. But you want most if not all of the pasta submerged under liquid so it cooks evenly (a bit poking above is fine as it will steam-cook).

4. Bake 70 min covered – Cover the dish with a baking tray (or foil) and bake for 70 minutes. Yes, really, it will take that long!

   Why a baking tray? Easy way to cover the baking dish, no waste, no burning yourself, and it lets a little bit of steam escape to help the sauce reduce just the right amount.

5. 15 min bake, cheesed – Remove the baking dish from the oven. Sprinkle with cheese then bake for a further 15 minutes until bubbly and golden.

6. Serve! Scoop and serve. Marvel at how the shells are perfectly al dente and how there’s so much lovely sauce to serve it with!

Serve with a quick rocket balsamic salad (that’s arugula, to those of you in the States!) or if you’re out to impress, a Mega Italian Salad (it lives up to its name). Add a side of garlic bread and tiramisu to finish, and that’s pretty much my idea of a perfect dinner. When am I coming over?? – Nagi x

Goes well with

Rocket Salad with Balsamic Dressing and Shaved Parmesan

Mega Italian Salad

Better-Than-Dominos Garlic Bread

Tiramisu (Chef recipe!)

Whole Orange Cake – rind and all!

Watch how to make it

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Spinach Ricotta Stuffed Shells (Conchiglioni)

Recipe VIDEO above. There's no need to mess around stuffing hot floppy shells. Just stuff uncooked jumbo pasta shells and bake in loads of sauce! Bonus: The shells absorb the flavour of the sauce, and there's plenty of tasty sauce for serving. Because nobody likes dry pasta shells!

Course Mains

Cuisine American-Italian, Italian, Western

Keyword pasta shells, stuffed shells

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 5 – 6 people

Calories 798cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Sauce (you need LOTS!):

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 eschallots/shallots or 1 small onion , finely chopped (Note 1)
• 4 garlic cloves , finely minced
• 1 bay leaf , fresh (sub dried)
• 1/2 tsp each dried thyme and oregano
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 700g / 25 oz tomato passata (US: tomato sauce) (Note 2)
• 1/3 cup Chardonnay or other dry white wine (sub more stock)
• 4 cups vegetable stock/broth , low sodium
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp white sugar
• 1/3 tsp black pepper

Filling:

• 250g / 8 oz frozen chopped spinach , thawed (Note 3)
• 500g / 1 lb ricotta , full fat please (Note 4)
• 1/2 cup parmesan , finely shredded
• 1 cup shredded cheese (Mozzarella, Colby, Cheddar, Tasty, Gruyere, Swiss, anything!)
• 1 egg
• 1 large garlic clove , minced
• Grated fresh nutmeg (just a sprinkling) or 1/8 tsp nutmeg powder (optional)
• 3/4 tsp cooking / kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Stuffed shells

• 250g / 8 oz jumbo pasta shells (conchiglioni) (Note 3)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1/2 cup parmesan , shredded
• Fresh basil and parmesan , for garnish (optional)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

Sauce:

• Sauté – Heat oil in a small pot over medium high heat. Add garlic, onion, bay leaf, thyme and oregano. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
• Reduce wine – Add wine, increase heat to high and let it simmer rapidly until mostly evaporated (about 2 minutes).
• Simmer – Add passata, stock, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir then simmer on low *(uncovered) for 20 minutes. Use while hot.

Filling:

• Squeeze spinach – Grab handfuls of spinach and squeeze out excess water.
• Mix filling – Place spinach in a bowl with remaining Filling ingredients. Mix well.

Assemble & Bake:

• Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan).
• Stuff – Stuff UNCOOKED shells with spinach ricotta filling. Stuff them full!
• Assemble – Pour the hot tomato sauce in a 23 x 33 cm / 9 x 13" baking dish. Gently place the stuffed shells in – most will be submerged, some may poke above surface.
• Bake – Cover with a baking tray (or foil) then bake for 70 minutes.
• Cheese it! Check the shells – they should be al dente! (If not, return to oven, covered). Sprinkle with mozzarella then parmesan. Bake 15 minutes until melted.
• Serve, garnished with extra parmesan and basil if desired!

Notes

1. Eschallots / shallots  – Also known as French onions, and called “shallots” in the US. They look like baby onions, but have purple-skinned flesh, are finer and sweeter. Not to be confused with what some people in Australia call “shallots” ie the long green onions.

2. Tomato passata – Pureed, strained plain tomatoes, sometimes labelled “tomato puree” in the US (here’s a photo of Mutti tomato passata sold at Walmart). Readily available in Australian supermarkets nowadays, alongside pasta sauces. Passata is excellent for making smooth sauces. More on tomato passata here.

Subs – US Hunt’s tomato sauce is a perfect sub. Can also used crushed canned tomato then puree (like I do for cannelloni/,manicotti).

3. Spinach – I use frozen spinach for the convenience and also because I’m a sucker for the whole “snap frozen” thing. To use fresh, use about 500g/1 lb sliced spinach leaves or baby spinach leaves, saute with a little oil to wilt down and remove excess liquid. Cool then proceed with recipe.

4. Ricotta – Low fat ricotta is harder and drier, so it’s more difficult to pipe into the tubes plus once baked, is not as juicy and moist. Avoid Perfect Italian brand in tubs (Australia, Woolies, Coles etc), has an unpleasant powderiness about it, I find. My favourite is Paesanella.

5. Giant shells (conchiglioni) – available at large grocery stores in Australia these days (Woolies, Coles), also Harris Farms (Syd/Bris) and Italian / delis etc. No need to pre-cook – makes it a nightmare to stuff, the slippery suckers that they are! Just need loads of thin pasta sauce.

I know 250g/8z doesn’t sound like much but it really does serve 5 if not 6 people (with normal appetites).

6. Leftovers – refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze, thaw, then reheat covered in microwave for best results.

Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings (quite generous). 

Nutrition

Serving: 407g | Calories: 798cal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.004g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 1716mg | Potassium: 1338mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 8080IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 792mg | Iron: 6mg

Life of Dozer

Wow. He really will eat anything.

The post Spinach ricotta stuffed shells appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

I know it should be as simple as dumping pesto on pasta…. but actually, it turns out I have some things to say about pesto pasta salad. That is, if you want a good one!

Pesto pasta salad

My pesto pasta salad rules are simple – don’t skimp on pesto, don’t be shy with olive oil, cook the pasta beyond al dente and add the smallest dab of mayonnaise to give it a touch of luxe as well as improving leftovers.

Why? Because these address two pet-peeves I have about pesto pasta salads.

Firstly, the pesto pasta salad that doesn’t actually taste much like pesto. Pasta with the faintest green colour, and if you close your eyes as you eat, it’d be impressive if you picked it as pesto.

Secondly, the dry pesto pasta salad. Actually, that’s a general pasta salad peeve. Just because it’s a cold pasta, that’s no excuse for dryness! I resort to all sorts of tricks to keep things juicy. Lots of dressing (using avocado is a neat, tasty trick, as is using a splash of pasta cooking water instead of gallons of oil). And juicy add-ins, like roast vegetables, tomato etc. (this marinated vegetable pasta salad is a solid summer staple).

Today’s trick? Just 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise. This works wonders to keep things extra juicy today – and even tomorrow when you pull it out from the fridge!

What you need for pesto pasta salad

The one thing that will make your pesto pasta salad stand out is freshly made basil pesto. But if it’s an emergency, use the fresh pesto you get from the fridge section – tastes a whole lot fresher than off the shelves in aisles!

1. Homemade pesto

Here’s what you need for the basil pesto.

• Fresh basil leaves – Abundant and excellent value during summer!

• Parmesan – or, if you want to really go luxe, parmigiana reggiano.

• Pine nuts – sometimes, to change things up, I use walnuts, cashews or almonds.

• Olive oil – Or a 50/50 combination of olive oil and grapeseed oil (which has a more neutral flavour so let’s the basil flavour come through a little more).

• Garlic – Just a touch. Because it’s raw, if you use too much it can be a little harsh, I find.

2. Pesto pasta salad ingredients

And here’s what goes into my pesto pasta salad.

1. Pasta – Any short shape your heart desires! Shells, macaroni, wheels – go wild! I went spirals. I like to live life on the edge. 😂

2. Just a dab of MAYONNAISE – Not intended to make this a greasy mayo-laden pesto pasta salad! But a little dab goes a long way to give pesto pasta salad an edge of creaminess so it stays nice and “juicy” even the next day. It really makes a difference.

   Prefer to skip it? Just add a little extra olive oil.

3. Bocconcini, cherry tomatoes – My add-ins of choice, so it’s not just all pasta. Love the combo of juicy tomato and the soft bites of bocconcini. If you want to skip these, just add a little more pasta. Or, use other add-ins of choice!

4. Rocket/arugula – I like to add some type of leafy greens into me pesto pasta salads for a hint of freshness and provide textural contrast. Rocket / arugula is great, love the hint of peppery freshness.

How I make pesto pasta salad

Simple – but I do have a couple of tips!

1. Cook the pasta beyond al dente so it’s quite soft. Why? Because pasta firms up when it cools. To the point of hard when refrigerated. Pre-empt this by cooking pasta a little longer so it’s extra soft when hot = perfect texture when cool!

2. Tossing order – Toss pasta, pesto and mayonnaise only first. Then the bocconcini and tomato. Lastly, leafy greens – as pesto tends to cling to it, and we can’t have leafy greens hogging the pesto!

Homemade pesto

It’s was simple as blitzing everything together using a handheld stick, until the pesto is quite smooth. Less clean up than using a food processor and a better result. Why? Read on!

I prefer using a handheld stick because you can make the pesto smoother which I prefer for pasta salads. Better coverage on the pasta. I like chunky pesto for using as a dip, dolloping on crostini, that sort of thing, where a bit of texture is pleasant.

Bonus: handheld sticks are far easier to clean than a food processor! (Though you can use a food processor if you need to – directions in the recipe).

How to make the pesto pasta salad

Well, I’ve pretty much already given the steps, but I’ll write them out anyway!

1. Cook pasta in salted water per packet time plus 1 minute so it’s extra soft, as explained above. Salted water is a must, else you will feel like your pasta salad is a little under seasoned.

   BTW, I start my timer as soon as the pasta goes into the boiling water, not once it comes back up to the simmer. Just in case you’re wondering.

2. Rinse the pasta under cold running water to remove excess starch (which makes it sticky, not what we want for pasta salad) and cool.

3. Drain well and cool.

4. Pesto & mayonnaise first – Mix the pesto and mayonnaise through the pasta first.

5. Tomato & bocconcini next – Then gently mix through the tomato and bocconcini. We don’t want to bash up the tomato too much.

6. Leafy greens last – And lastly, toss through the rocket/arugula. Just quickly, to disperse. Don’t mix too much else the rocket tends to get weighed down with pesto. In other words – the leafy greens hog the pesto, and we can’t have that!

Storing leftover pesto pasta salad

Though pesto pasta salads are at their green-colour prime within a few hours of making, it will last for 2 days in the fridge and retain its green colour, albeit not quite as vibrant as when freshly made.

Also, the other big thing this pesto pasta salad has going for it is that it is still nice and juicy the next day, and the next. I find that cold pasta salads (other than mayo laden ones) are notorious for become dry in the fridge overnight because the pasta absorbs the dressing.

But in this one, the combination of using the right amount of pesto (generous!) and just 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise prevents this pasta salad from drying out.

Take it to picnics, as a side dish for gatherings, or take it to work for lunch. Such a great summer staple! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Print

Pesto pasta salad

Recipe video above. Don't skimp on pesto, and don't be shy with olive oil. If you do, you'll end up staring at a mound of flavour-lacking, dry pesto pasta salad, thinking "darn it, I should have just followed the recipe!".

PS Just 2 tablespoons of mayo is the secret here. Just gives an edge of creaminess without weighing it down, plus significantly improves the quality of next-day leftovers – prevents it from drying out.

TIP: Homemade pesto obviously rules here, but if you need to resort to store-bought, get it from the fridge rather than aisle. It's better.

Course cold pasta salad, Mains, pasta salad

Cuisine Western

Keyword cold pasta salad, pesto pasta salad, vegetarian pasta salad

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Servings 5

Calories 663cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 350g / 12oz spiral pasta (fusilli, or other of choice, 3 1/2 cups)
• 1 tbsp salt , for cooking pasta

Pesto (Note 1):

• 2 tbsp pinenuts , toasted (sub walnuts, cashews, almonds)
• 2 cups (tightly packed) basil leaves
• 1 small garlic clove , minced
• 1/2 cup parmesan , finely grated
• 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 7 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or 50/50 grapeseed/olive oil)

Pasta Salad:

• 2 tbsp mayonnaise (S&W, else Hellman’s, Note 2)
• 250g (1 heaped cup) cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 220g/ 7 oz baby bocconcini , drained, cut in half (Note 3)
• 1 cup (tightly packed) baby rocket/arugula leaves (40g)
• 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• Small basil leaves , optional garnish

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Cook pasta – Bring 3 litres of water to the boil with the salt. Cook for the pasta packet time + 1 minute. Drain in a colander, rinse under cold water. Shake off excess water well, then allow to fully cool and dry.
• Pesto – Place all ingredients in a tall jug just large enough to fit the head of a stick blender. Blitz under pretty smooth. Not a green smoothie, we still want some visible green bits! but not chunks.
• Toss – Place pasta in a bowl, scrape in the pesto. Add mayonnaise then toss well. Add bocconcini and tomato, toss gently just to disperse. Add rocket/arugula and toss just to disperse.
• Serve – Transfer into a serving bowl. Scatter with basil leaves, if using. Serve!

Notes

Serves 4 to 5 as a meal, or 8 to 10 as a side (or more, if this is part of a larger banquet!)

1. Pesto – Homemade really is superior, but if you need to use store bought, use just shy of 1 cup. Try to get it from the fridge rather than aisle – fresher!

2. Mayonnaise is not intended to make this a creamy pasta salad. It just adds “juiciness” and prevents it from drying out – because dry pasta salads is a pet peeve of mine! If you don’t want to use mayo, add an extra 2 tablespoons of olive oil instead.

3. Baby bocconcini – small, soft mozzarella balls. They have a mild flavour, ie not salted. Fabulous in pasta salads, especially with pesto pasta salad!

4. Leftovers will keep well for 2 days though it does lose the vibrant green colour. Keep in the fridge in a very airtight container (this will preserve greenness as best as possible). Always bring to room temperature before eating, for best flavour and pasta texture.

Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 663cal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 2114mg | Potassium: 356mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 938IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 293mg | Iron: 2mg

For the love of pasta salads

Italian Pasta Salad with Homemade Italian Dressing

The most amazing avocado pasta salad

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta Salad

Chicken Pasta Salad

MARINATED Vegetarian Pasta Salad!

Greek Lemon Orzo Salad (Risoni)

Pearl Couscous Salad

Macaroni Salad

Pasta and Rice Salads

Life of Dozer

Current favourite toy. Changes frequently. He’s not very loyal.

PS In case you have a burning desire to know – it’s a hippo. I understand. There’s no way you could sleep tonight without knowing what that slobbery waterlogged grey mass of fur is. Now you can rest in peace.

Actually, on closer inspection, possibly not a hippo? Any thoughts from animal experts much appreciated.

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