Stuffed shells ‘alla genovese’

Although pasta alla Genovese it means from the city of Genova (north west of Italy) this recipe is traditional from Naples and south of Italy in general! So why the confusing name? Well, we don’t know for sure but the reason is likely hid in the fact that both city had and still have 2 of the biggest commercial ports of Italy and it is easy to see how at some point in history people from Genova found themselves in Naples eating this lush pasta dish.

This pulled beef ragù is slow cooked to perfection for hours with lots of onions and that gives it an amazing mellow aftertaste. There is no tomato here but a good glug of white wine that gives it a nice edge.

The twist is that I used this pulled meat sauce as stuffing for the large shell pasta and bake it with bechamel until browned. Perfect for a family meal or a celebration.

Chef’s tip: take the preparation in stages. Make the Genovese way ahead and only leave the assembly part for the day you intend of serving it.

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

INGREDIENTS

• 300 gr of large conchiglioni pasta

• Rock salt for the water

• 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 Genovese sauce:

• 800 gr of beef brisket or shank meat or beef cheeks

• 6 large onions

• 3 carrots

• 2 celery stalks

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 sprig of parsley

• 1 sprig of rosemary

• 6 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

• 20 gr of unsalted butter

• 400 gr of ziti pasta

• 120 ml of white wine

• 50 gr Prosciutto rind (optional)

• Grated cheese to top

• Salt and pepper to taste

FOR THE GENOVESE

Dice the meat in big chunks and season with abundant salt and black pepper. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Meanwhile rinse, peel and chop both carrots and celery and slice the onions thinly.

In a large pot roast the beef pieces on all sides on medium heat with olive oil and a knob of butter. When golden add the chopped carrots and celery, a bouquet of parsley and rosemary tied with kitchen twine and optionally a piece of Prosciutto rind. Cover with a lid and let it cook on low heat for about 40 minutes.

Now pour in white wine, let the alcohol evaporate 30 seconds and add the sliced onions and the bay leaf. Add another good glug of extra virgin olive oil and a generous pinch of salt, mix and now let the time work its magic on the onions. Let it simmer low and slow covered with the lid for about 2 h and remember to mix every now and then. When ready, the meat should be very soft and pulling apart.

Discard the bouquet, the rind and the bay leaf and pull the meat into pieces with a spatula or with your hands using gloves. Mix well, taste and season accordingly.

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 Genovese and press it well in. 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.