This baked conchiglioni with mushrooms and ricotta is a delightful pasta dish that will make you come back for seconds! The large pasta shells are filled with ricotta and sauteed mushrooms, topped with bechamel, and baked till golden.
Ingredients required for these Baked Conchiglioni with Mushrooms and Ricotta
Stuffed pasta shells ingredients
- Conchiglioni – it’s a type of pasta that is shaped like a large shell (Conchiglia in Italian). There are a few different versions and sizes of these, Conchiglie is a common one you find that is a smaller version of Conchiglioni. Conchiglioni is the largest and perfect for stuffing! I used this type of Conchiglioni Giganti.
Another pasta type of similar size of the Conchiglioni is called Lumaconi (taking the name of a snail with shell, a lumaca).
- Mushrooms, I opted for using King Oyster Mushrooms but any type of button or oyster variety are great choices for these stuffed shells. I like using King Oyster Mushrooms or Baby Oyster Mushroom variety as they are so meaty and full of flavour!
- Three Cheeses – to make the filling for the shells extra tasty and creamy. Ricotta, Parmesan & Mozzarella to combine with the mushrooms.
- Garlic & Butter, to sauté the mushrooms.
- Salt, Pepper & Olive Oil
Bechamel Sauce Ingredients
Only 3 basic Ingredients are needed for a basic bechamel sauce. Butter and Flour to make a Roux, and Milk.
To season, Salt, Pepper and an essential ingredient that I always use in bechamel, grated Nutmeg! It adds a beautiful nuttiness and aroma to sauce which I love.
How to make these Baked Conchiglioni with Mushrooms and Ricotta
Fry the mushrooms
The first step to prepare the filling for these pasta shells is to gently sauté the mushrooms in finely chopped garlic, a knob of butter, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. The mushrooms will need to cook down for at least 10-15 minutes till the liquid from them has completely evaporated. Set aside to cool.
Boil the conchiglioni
In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted boiling water to the boil and cook the conchiglioni for 4 minutes. This is all they will need to gently soften and make it easy for you to stuff with the filling. They will continue cooking while baking when filled and not end up being overcooked!
Drain the conchiglioni of the excess water. In a large baking tray (I used a large 38 x 25 cm dish) drizzle a generous amount of olive oil and place the conchiglioni there in preparation to filling them.
Tip: Don’t wash up the pot that you boiled the conchiglioni in yet! You can use it for making the bechamel sauce later.
Combine the mixture and stuff the shells
Combine the sauteed mushrooms with the ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella, this is the stuffing mixture ready and begin stuffing each shell with a small spoon.
Make the bechamel sauce
Start first by heating the oven to 180 (160 fan forced) in preparation for the shells to bake, as the bechamel won’t take long to make!
For the bechamel, start by melting the butter in a large pot over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the flour and whisk vigorously till the butter and flour have combined and the roux starts to foam and thicken.
This is when you can add the milk. Add a cup at a time and keep stirring with the whisk to prevent lumps. You will see the sauce come to a boil and start to thicken (like a thick custard consistency), and this is when you will know that the sauce is done. Season to taste with a pinch of salt, ground pepper, and grated nutmeg. Remove from the heat to cool slightly.
Tip: You can make the bechamel sauce and filling in advance the day prior to save time, and just keep them in the fridge till you need it to top the stuffed conchiglioni!
Arrange the stuffed shells and top with bechamel
Once the bechamel is done, you can pour it over the stuffed conchiglioni and spread it across all of them so that they are all covered in sauce. Top with a sprinkle of more grated parmesan and some olive oil. The conchiglioni is ready for baking!
Bake and Serve
Bake in a hot 180 degree (160 fan forced) oven for 35-40 minutes till golden. For an extra crispy top, turn on the grill for a few minutes! Serve immediately and enjoy!
Want more?
Loved this recipe of Baked conchiglioni with mushrooms and ricotta? Check out my other pasta recipes Sausage & Ricotta Pasta Bake and Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccolini.
Baked Conchiglioni with mushrooms and ricotta
Equipment
- 1 large baking dish 38 cm x 25 cm
Ingredients
Stuffed Conchiglioni
- 300 gr Conchiglioni pasta (or large pasta shells or lumaconi)
- 300 gr Raw King Oyster Mushrooms (roughly chopped)
- 4 Garlic Cloves (finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 300 gr Fresh Ricotta
- 200 gr Mozzarella (Cubed in 1 cm pieces or shredded)
- 50 gr Parmesan (grated, plus extra for serving )
- 6 tbsp Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Bechamel Sauce
- 60 gr Butter ((approx 4 tbsp))
- 60 gr Plain Flour ((approx 7 tbsp))
- 600 ml Milk
- half tsp Grated Nutmeg
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large fry pan, add a few tablespoons of olive oil over low to medium heat. When hot, gently sauté the mushrooms, the finely chopped garlic and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook down for at least 15 minutes till the liquid from the mushrooms has completely evaporated. Take off the heat and add a tablespoon of butter and set aside to cool.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the conchiglioni/shells for 4 minutes. Drain and set aside in a large baking tray with a few tablespoons of olive oil.
- Now to making the filling, combine the sauteed mushrooms with the ricotta, parmesan (reserve a few spoonfuls for topping the shells when they are ready for the oven) and mozzarella. Begin stuffing each shell with a small spoon and place the shells back in the baking tray.
- Heat the oven to 180 (160 fan forced) in preparation for the shells to bake, as the bechamel won't take long to make.
- For the bechamel, start off by melting the butter in a large pot over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the flour and with a metal whisk, whisk vigorously till the butter and flour have combined and the roux starts to foam and thicken. This is when you can add the milk. Add a cup at a time and keep stirring with the whisk to prevent lumps. You will see the sauce come to the boil and starting to thicken (like a thick custard consistency), and this is when you will know that the sauce is done. Season to taste with a pinch of salt, ground pepper and grated nutmeg. Remove from the heat to cool slightly.
- Once the bechamel is done, you can pour it over the stuffed conchiglioni and spread it across all of them so that they are all covered in sauce. Top with a sprinkle of more grated parmesan and some olive oil. The conchiglioni is ready for baking!
- Bake in a hot 180 degree (160 fan forced) oven for 35-40 minutes till golden. For an extra crispy top, turn on the grill for a few minutes! Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Use the same pot to boil the shells and make the bechamel sauce to save some washing up.
- You can make the filling and the bechamel up to a day in advance and store in the fridge, ready for stuffing the shells when you are ready to bake them.