Conchiglie al forno with ricotta and piselli

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 20 pasta (conchiglie), large shell pasta
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 125 g bacon, diced
• 2 small red chili peppers, cut into thin rings, with or without seeds depending on the desired spiciness
• 1 medium-sized onion(s), diced
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 100 ml white wine
• 1 can of tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tsp, heaped sugar
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar, dark
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 70 g butter
• 70 g flour
• 250 ml vegetable stock
• 250 ml milk
• 100 g cheese, grated
• salt and pepper
• nutmeg
• 200 g ricotta
• 150 g peas
• 1 large egg(s)
• 50 g Parmesan, grated
• Oregano, dried or fresh, chopped
• salt and pepper
• 200 g grated cheese for gratinating

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour

Large shell pasta baked with ricotta and pea filling

Pre-cook the conchiglie in salted water and then refresh them so that they are still fairly firm to the bite. Tomato sauce: Fry the bacon cubes in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. After a while, add the chili rings and diced onion and let them become translucent. Add the tomato paste, fry lightly, deglaze with white wine and reduce. Then add the tomatoes and season with sugar, salt and pepper. Allow to reduce and finally add the balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Béchamel sauce: Make a roux with the butter and flour. Over low heat, stir constantly, adding vegetable stock until it is used up. Do the same with the milk. Cook slowly, stirring constantly, until the consistency is creamy. Stir in the grated cheese (e.g. Gruyère, Emmental, Gouda) and continue cooking over very low heat for about 1 minute until the cheese has dissolved. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F) conventional heat. Filling: Combine the ricotta with the peas, egg, and Parmesan cheese. Season with oregano, salt, and pepper. Fill the conchiglie with the ricotta mixture and place, open-side up, in an ovenproof casserole dish (approx. 20×30 cm). First, pour over the tomato sauce, then the béchamel sauce, and finally sprinkle with grated cheese (you can replace some of it with buffalo mozzarella). Place the casserole dish on a wire rack on the second rack from the bottom of the oven and bake for about 45 minutes.