These comforting chicken meatballs are stuffed into tender conchiglioni pasta shells filled with creamy ricotta and fresh parsley, then baked in a rich tomato sauce. Topped with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano and fragrant herbs, this dish combines savoury, cheesy goodness with a delicious Italian flair.
Serves 4-6
Chicken meatballs:
450g chicken mince, drain off any liquid
½ small onion, finely chopped
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
30g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 Tbsp finely chopped
Italian parsley leaves
1 large free-range egg
Sal de Añana spring salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil (EVO)
Ricotta filling:
300g Zany Zeus ricotta cheese
3 Tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Pasta and sauce:
200g (24) Rustichella conchiglioni
530g jar Sabato tomato pasta sauce of choice
2 Tbsp fresh oregano or parsley leaves, chopped
Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano, to serve
Put all the meatball ingredients in a bowl, season and mix well to combine. Use damp hands to roll heaped tablespoonsful into balls to make 24 small meatballs. Put meatballs in an oven pan, drizzle with EVO and bake at 200°C fan bake for 5-8 minutes.
Meanwhile, fill a large pot with plenty of water and bring to the boil. Salt generously then add the pasta shells; turn down the heat so that the water is barely moving. Cook for 9-10 minutes until tender then drain and spread out in a single layer on a tray.
Combine all the ricotta filling ingredients in a bowl; season and mix well. Stuff a spoonful of ricotta mixture into each pasta shell and top with a meatball.
Spread three-quarters of the pasta sauce in the base of a large ovenproof dish. Nestle the filled conchiglioni into the dish and spoon the remaining sauce on top. Bake at 200°C for 15 minutes until meatballs are fully cooked and sauce is bubbling hot. To serve, scatter with herbs and shaved Parmigiano.
Recipe by Julie Le Clerc
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