Conchiglioni con Ricotta e lemon – filled shell pasta

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 22 large shell pasta (conchiglioni)
• 250 g ricotta
• 100 g Parmesan
• 2 small eggs
• 1 organic lemon(s), zest
• 1 tbsp thyme
• 400 ml chopped tomatoes
• 100 ml cream
• 1 garlic clove(s)
• 2 pinches of sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• e.g. chili flakes
• e.g. salt and pepper
• e.g. basil, chopped

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 50 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 5 minutes

Cook the conchiglioni in salted water until just al dente. I usually subtract 2 minutes from the cooking time on the package. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and rinse it in cold water. Preheat the oven to 190°C (top/bottom heat). In the meantime, mix the ricotta with 50g of Parmesan cheese and the eggs. Stir in the lemon zest and thyme and season with salt and pepper. For the sauce, mix the chopped tomatoes with the cream and, depending on the acidity of the tomatoes, a little sugar. Finely chop the garlic clove and stir in. Season the sauce with cinnamon, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Pour the tomato sauce into a baking dish. Lightly press the pasta into the sauce and fill it with the ricotta mixture. This is best done with a piping bag (or place it in a freezer bag, cut off a corner and then squeeze it out). You can also use a teaspoon to add the mixture to the pasta, but you’ll need patience. Sprinkle the remaining 50g of Parmesan cheese over the pasta. Place the casserole dish on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake the pasta for about 35 minutes. I always cover it lightly for the first 15 minutes to prevent the pasta from drying out and becoming hard. Chop the basil and sprinkle it over the pasta before serving.