Pasta stuffed with minced meat is a favorite dish in many countries, but it has gained particular popularity in Italy, which is not surprising. A distinctive feature of the preparation is the use of pasta in the form of tubes, called cannelloni.
Italian cuisine offers a huge variety of specialty pasta to suit different tastes and preferences.
What is important to know to prepare delicious stuffed pasta
Cooking methods
There are two ways to prepare stuffed pasta:
- In the first case, raw pasta is used, which greatly simplifies the cooking process.
- When preparing the second recipe, the pasta is pre-boiled a little before baking it in the oven.
Stuffed pasta sauce
Any of the recipes involves the use of sauce to give the dish a unique taste and aroma. To prepare stuffed pasta, use a choice of the following types, which can highlight the taste and give a special aroma:
- tomato sauce;
- Bechamel sauce.
The most delicate option with Bechamel sauce
Bechamel sauce complements pasta dishes well. Try making stuffed shells with it.
Required Products:
- approximately 400 grams of minced meat;
- two tablespoons of butter;
- about 100 grams of cheese;
- packaging of shells;
- three tablespoons of flour;
- seasonings as desired;
- bulb;
- 400 milliliters of milk.
Cooking process:
- Bring the minced meat to readiness in a hot frying pan, mixing it with chopped onion. You can add any seasonings to your taste.
- Set the shells to boil and start making the sauce. To do this, melt the butter, add flour, hold for a couple of minutes and pour in milk, add salt and pepper. Wait until the mixture becomes thicker, add half of the grated cheese.
- Fill the boiled shells with meat and place them in the mold. Carefully pour the prepared sauce on top and lay out the remaining cheese.
- Keep in a well-heated oven at 170 degrees for about 20 minutes.
Which minced meat to choose to get a delicious taste
You should be careful when choosing this ingredient, because properly selected meat will highlight the taste of the pasta and give it a special aroma.
Important:
1.Give preference only to minced pork and beef.
2. It must be turned in a meat grinder at least twice.
3. It’s not so easy to buy one in a store, but preparing it yourself won’t be difficult.
4. Homemade minced meat will allow you to be completely confident in the high quality of the product, because prepared with your own hands, in compliance with the correct proportions, it will perfectly highlight the taste of the pasta and sauce in this dish.
Below are recipes for easy-to-make dishes. They are prepared quickly and simply, and the resulting result will surprise even the most sophisticated guests with its delicious taste.
Large pasta “Rakushki” is especially popular in Russian cuisine. They are perfect for making this delicious minced meat dish. Below is a simple recipe for delicious stuffed pasta. It doesn’t take much time to prepare the dish, but the taste will pleasantly surprise you.
Stuffed pasta: large shells with minced meat in the oven
This type of large pasta is not often found in stores, but if you are lucky enough to buy it, then this recipe is definitely worth trying. The dish can be served at the table for lunch or dinner. We will bake the shells in the oven.
Some tips:
1.For cooking, you can use absolutely any minced meat; both single-component and multi-component ones are ideal.
2. You will get an exquisite taste if you stuff the pasta with minced vegetables, mushrooms, or seafood.
3.Before cooking, the pasta is pre-boiled until half cooked.
4. To prevent them from sticking together, it is better to lower them one by one into boiling water.
5.The baking time for pasta in the oven should not exceed 20 minutes.
What you need to make stuffed pasta:
- one medium sized carrot;
- 4 cloves of garlic;
- 350 grams of minced meat;
- 5 tablespoons of sour cream;
- one medium-sized onion;
- one large tomato;
- add herbs, spices and salt to taste;
- vegetable oil;
- 250 grams of large “Shell” pasta.
Cooking sequence
1.Peel the onion and cut it into small cubes. Place the frying pan on the stove to heat up. Place minced meat on it, add a little water and chopped onion.
2. Peel and wash the carrots, grate on a special grater. Add peeled and finely chopped garlic.
3.Add carrots and garlic to the frying pan, mix all contents thoroughly.
4.Wash the tomato, remove the peel, cut the pulp into small cubes.
5.Add the tomato to the total mass, which is simmering in the frying pan. Finely chop the greens and add to the rest of the vegetables. Salt and add spices to taste. Cook over moderate heat until the liquid in the pan has completely evaporated.
6.Put a pan of water on the stove, add salt and vegetable oil. Release the pasta one at a time so that they do not touch each other. Boil for several minutes.
7. While the pasta is boiling in a separate container, mix sour cream with ketchup, three tablespoons of each ingredient. Add chopped garlic, spices, salt and pepper to taste. Mix until the consistency is perfectly smooth.
8.Grate a small piece of any hard cheese and place on a plate.
9.Remove the pasta from the pan and place it in a colander so that all the water is completely drained from it.
10.Add two tablespoons of sour cream to the minced meat and vegetables that are simmering in a frying pan and mix thoroughly. This will make the contents more juicy.
11.You can start stuffing the pasta. Fill the “Shells” tightly with the resulting filling. Grease a baking sheet with vegetable oil and place the pasta.
12.Pour the resulting sauce into each “Shell”.
13.The remaining sauce is diluted with water and poured onto the baking sheet. Top the pasta with grated cheese. Cook at 180 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.
Video pasta recipe
Served hot.
Product Set
- Minced meat – 300 grams;
- Onion – 1 piece;
- Cheese – 100 grams;
- Sunflower oil;
- Shell pasta – 250 grams;
- Carrots – 1 piece;
- Garlic – 3 cloves;
- Sour cream – 4 tablespoons;
- Salt;
- Spices;
- Tomato – 1 piece;
- Greenery.
We have prepared everything we need, now we will find out how to prepare our dish. Please note that we will need large shells for pasta, not just any small ones. You can use any meat for stuffing; in addition to it, you can use mushrooms or vegetables. And those who like it can make minced seafood.
Stuffing macaroni with cheese
What you will need:
- 250 gr. cannelloni, pasta tubes;
- 300 gr. minced pork and beef;
- 2 tbsp. spoons of vegetable oil;
- 150 gr. any hard cheese;
- 4 cloves of garlic;
- 1 small bell pepper;
- 1 ripe medium sized tomato;
- 1 onion;
- add fresh herbs to taste; parsley, rosemary and basil go harmoniously with the ingredients of this Italian dish;
- add salt and pepper to taste.
Cooking secrets from Italian chefs
1. Boil the pasta over low heat for about 5 minutes until it becomes elastic and soft, but not until fully cooked. Rinse them in cold water for several minutes.
2. Heat a frying pan, pour in one tablespoon of vegetable oil, gradually add minced meat and fry it evenly over medium heat.
3.Grate the cheese on a coarse grater.
4.When the minced meat is cooked, remove it from the heat, salt and pepper to taste. Add half of the grated cheese and mix thoroughly.
5. Peel the vegetables. The pepper is cut into thin strips. Tomatoes are cut into medium-sized cubes, and onions into half rings.
6.Pour vegetable oil into a frying pan and place vegetables in it, sauté over medium heat. Lastly add finely chopped garlic.
7. Stuff the pasta tightly with minced meat and place them on a high-sided baking sheet so that they touch each other.
8.Pour half a glass of water into a baking tray.
9.Place the vegetable mixture evenly on top, then sprinkle the remaining half of the grated cheese.
10.Bake at 180 degrees. In 20 minutes the dish will be ready.
How to stuff pasta correctly - a few secrets
To make conchiglioni deliciously, you need to know how to stuff pasta.
It is recommended to cook pasta in pre-salted water. If they are further baked in the oven, they should be slightly undercooked. And you need to fill the pasta with a slightly cooled filling and a small spoon.
A nutritious and beautiful dish.
Portioned or disposable forms for cooking are ideal, then the pasta will retain its appearance and will not fall apart.
The presence of sauce or filling is a must. The products should be well soaked during baking. And, of course, cheese, because this is an Italian dish.
Pasta with mushrooms
Due to the ingredients included in the dish, this recipe has an unusual taste and special aroma. Pasta with mushrooms will definitely appeal to those who like to try something new and unusual.
What you will need:
- 250 gr. cannelloni (tube-shaped pasta);
- 300 gr. champignons;
- 1 onion;
- 250 gr. hard cheese;
- 200 ml. medium fat cream;
- 35 gr. butter;
- one teaspoon each of paprika and turmeric;
- add pepper to taste.
Subtleties of cooking stuffed pasta with mushrooms
1. Boil the pasta over medium heat for 5 minutes until half cooked. Rinse under cold water, add butter.
2.Peel the onion and chop finely. Put butter in a frying pan and sauté the onion in it until golden brown.
3.Finely chop fresh mushrooms.
4.Add turmeric and paprika to the onion and mix thoroughly. Add mushrooms. Fry for a few more minutes over low heat.
5.Place the minced meat in pieces onto the frying pan. Fry over low heat until all the liquid has evaporated. Do not cover with a lid. The minced meat should take on a golden brown hue.
6.After the filling is completely ready, set it aside so that it does not cool down.
7.Fill the cannelloni with the resulting mixture and place on a baking sheet.
8. Pour in cream, sprinkle with cheese, grated on a fine grater.
9.Bake at 200 degrees. In 15 minutes the dish will be ready to eat.
You can also watch our video recipe for making pasta
