Baked pasta shells

Name: Baked pasta shells
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 5
Ingredients: Conchiglie pasta 14 oz; Canned tomatoes 1.3 cups; Tomato purée 7 tbsp; Mozzarella cheese 10.5 oz; Yellow onions 3.5 oz; Basil to taste; Chives to taste; Extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp; Fine salt to taste

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 55 min
Serving: 5
Cost: Low

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PRESENTATION

Baked pasta shells earn their shape: conchiglie cup inward as they bake, pulling tomato sauce into every hollow so each forkful carries both pasta and sauce in equal measure. The mozzarella — a melting-grade mozzarella filante — turns stretchy and cohesive in the oven, binding the whole dish together, while basil does the expected work and chives add a quieter, grassy note that keeps the flavor from going flat beneath all that richness.

The final minutes of oven heat set the surface into a golden gratin crust, just firm enough to contrast the soft pasta underneath. It holds up well when made ahead — the sauce has time to settle into the shells, and the crust still forms cleanly on reheating. As a pasta bake goes, it moves easily between a relaxed Sunday lunch and a family dinner where you want something satisfying without much last-minute work.

How to prepare Baked pasta shells

To prepare the baked pasta shells, first chop the onion 1 and put it in a pan with a drizzle of hot oil 2. Let the onion soften and turn golden over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes 3.

When the onion has softened, add the chopped tomatoes 4 and the tomato purée/passata 5, then salt 6. Stir, cover with a lid and cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil to cook the pasta. Cut the mozzarella into cubes 7, then finely chop the chives and cut the basil into very thin strips 7. When the sauce is almost ready, cook the shells in the boiling salted water for one minute less than the time indicated on the package 9.

Once the sauce has finished cooking, loosen it with a ladle of the pasta cooking water 10 and turn off the heat. Drain the shells and transfer them to the pan with the sauce 11, then mix well 12.

Add a drizzle of oil 13, pepper 14 and the aromatic herbs 15, taking care to reserve a little chives for later.

Stir in almost all the cubed mozzarella 16 and mix everything together. Pour the pasta into an ovenproof dish 17 and distribute the remaining mozzarella on the surface 18.

Place under the grill at 446°F for about 15 minutes 19. When the surface is nicely gratinated, remove from the oven and garnish with the reserved chives 20. Your baked pasta shells are ready to be served 21!