Bolognese Stuffed Conchiglioni

Not so much a traditional Italian recipe, but more a recipe made with traditional Italian preparations.

Recipe for 4 pp // Prep time: 1 h and 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 300 gr of large conchiglioni pasta

• Rock salt for the water

• 200 gr Diced mozzarella fiordilatte

• Grated Grana Padano to sprinkle

FOR THE BECHAMEL:

• 500 ml milk

• 40g butter

• 40g 00 flour

• 50 gr of grated Grana Padano cheese

• Salt and nutmeg to taste

FOR THE BOLOGNESE RAGU:

• 500g minced beef

• 350g of minced pork (or pancetta or sausages)

• 80g butter

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 1 large carrot, chopped

• 1 celery stalk, chopped

• 700g peeled plum tomatoes

• 1 tbsp tomato paste

• 150ml dry white wine

• A sprig of thyme, rosemary and sage

• A splash of milk (optional)

• Salt and pepper to taste

 Method

FOR THE BOLOGNESE. In a large pot roast the minced meats with olive oil and butter until lightly browned and caramelised. Add the chopped vegetables and sweat for a few minutes while mixing every now and then.

Create a bouquet with the herbs, wrap it in kitchen twine and add it to the pot.

When everything is golden pour in the wine, let the alcohol evaporate, add the tomatoes and season to taste. Simmer slowly for a couple of hours and add water or stock if needed and a spoon of tomato paste for a richer flavor. When ready, add a splash of milk to the ragu to mitigate the tomato acidity. Keep ready on the side.

FOR THE BECHAMEL. Melt the butter in a casserole pan and add the flour. Cook and mix with a spatula for about 3 minutes until you have a golden roux. Pour in warmed milk and bring everything to the boil while sporadically mixing with a whisk. Season with little salt and grated nutmeg and set aside. Now stir in the grated cheese and let it melt slowly with the remaining heat.

In a pot of salted boiling water cook the conchiglioni following the packet instructions then let them cool spread on a tray. Pour the bechamel on a large oven-proof baking dish and proceed to stuff each conchiglione with a spoon of ragù. Now add a piece of diced fiordilatte to the conchiglioni and press it well in the middle. While you are filling the pasta one by one place them as they are ready in an orderly manner over the bechamel, and when the whole tray is full, sprinkle over more grated cheese.

Bake at 180 degrees for about 12 minutes or until nicely golden on top and the bechamel is hot and bubbly on the side. Serve immediately and enjoy it.