Conchiglioni means 'large conch shells' in Italian—each pasta shell is hand-stuffed to trap ricotta and prosciutto inside every bite.
Conchiglioni with Ricotta and Prosciutto
Indulge in a comforting bowl of conchiglioni pasta, generously filled with velvety ricotta and savory prosciutto. Smothered in a rich tomato sauce and baked until bubbling, this dish is a perfect blend of creamy and tangy flavors that will have everyone coming back for seconds!
Prep
15
min
Cook
15
min
Serves
2
people
Level
beginner
The Story
These stuffed shells trace back to 1950s Naples, where resourceful nonnas repurposed Sunday's leftover prosciutto scraps and ricotta into something grander than the sum of its parts, long before Americans in New Jersey rebranded the dish as stuffed shells and buried it under mozzarella—Italy's original version stays leaner, letting the pork and sheep's milk cheese actually taste of something rather than hiding under a cheese avalanche.
Regional Twist
In Emilia-Romagna's Parma province, cooks swap the generic prosciutto for Prosciutto di Parma DOP aged eighteen months minimum, and stir a spoonful of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano directly into the ricotta filling itself, not just on top, for deeper nutty complexity.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 2🥬Fresh Produce(2)
- basil
- pepper
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 3 slices of prosciutto
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 2 tablespoons of thick cream (30 ml)
- parmesan
- 4 tablespoons of ricotta (60 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- breadcrumbs
- olive oil
- 5-6 tablespoons of tomato sauce (75-90 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- salt
📦Other(1)
- 12 Conchiglioni
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
444
Protein
18g
Carbs
38g
Fat
24g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cook the conchiglioni al dente in boiling salted water.
- 2
In a bowl, mix the ricotta, cream, prosciutto in small pieces, and pepper.
- 3
In a baking dish, pour the tomato sauce with olive oil, salt, pepper, and basil.
- 4
Place the conchiglioni and stuff them with the ricotta & prosciutto mixture.
- 5
Add some pieces of prosciutto, basil, parmesan, and breadcrumbs on top.
- 6
Bake for 15 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius.
- 7
Enjoy your meal!
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Cook conchiglioni to 1-2 minutes before al dente (approximately 9-10 minutes for most brands) because they'll continue cooking for 15 minutes in the 200°C oven, reaching optimal tenderness without mushiness.timing9-10 minutes (undercooked by 1-2 minutes)
- ✓Mix ricotta filling at a 2:1 ricotta-to-cream ratio by weight (approximately 3 tablespoons ricotta to 1.5 tablespoons cream) to achieve 65-70% moisture content, ensuring the filling stays creamy without becoming runny during baking.ingredient2:1 ratio | 65-70% moisture
- ✓Finely mince prosciutto into 2-3mm pieces rather than small chunks to distribute salty, umami flavors evenly throughout the filling; larger pieces create dry pockets where the salt concentration exceeds 4% by weight.technique2-3mm pieces
- ✓Toast breadcrumb topping separately in a dry pan at medium heat for 2-3 minutes before adding, then sprinkle only in the final 5 minutes of baking to prevent burning and maintain crispy texture (browning requires 155°C minimum).timing2-3 minutes pre-toasting | final 5 minutes of bake
- ✓Use a 1:1 tomato sauce-to-olive oil ratio (approximately 5 tablespoons sauce to 5 tablespoons oil) to create an emulsion that keeps pasta moist during the 15-minute bake; insufficient oil causes the sauce to evaporate above 95°C, drying the dish.ingredient1:1 ratio
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
15
min
Serves
2
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Conchiglioni means 'large conch shells' in Italian—each pasta shell is hand-stuffed to trap ricotta and prosciutto inside every bite.
Conchiglioni with Ricotta and Prosciutto
Indulge in a comforting bowl of conchiglioni pasta, generously filled with velvety ricotta and savory prosciutto. Smothered in a rich tomato sauce and baked until bubbling, this dish is a perfect blend of creamy and tangy flavors that will have everyone coming back for seconds!
The Story
These stuffed shells trace back to 1950s Naples, where resourceful nonnas repurposed Sunday's leftover prosciutto scraps and ricotta into something grander than the sum of its parts, long before Americans in New Jersey rebranded the dish as stuffed shells and buried it under mozzarella—Italy's original version stays leaner, letting the pork and sheep's milk cheese actually taste of something rather than hiding under a cheese avalanche.
Regional Twist
In Emilia-Romagna's Parma province, cooks swap the generic prosciutto for Prosciutto di Parma DOP aged eighteen months minimum, and stir a spoonful of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano directly into the ricotta filling itself, not just on top, for deeper nutty complexity.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 2🥬Fresh Produce(2)
- basil
- pepper
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 3 slices of prosciutto
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 2 tablespoons of thick cream (30 ml)
- parmesan
- 4 tablespoons of ricotta (60 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- breadcrumbs
- olive oil
- 5-6 tablespoons of tomato sauce (75-90 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- salt
📦Other(1)
- 12 Conchiglioni
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
444
Protein
18g
Carbs
38g
Fat
24g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cook the conchiglioni al dente in boiling salted water.
- 2
In a bowl, mix the ricotta, cream, prosciutto in small pieces, and pepper.
- 3
In a baking dish, pour the tomato sauce with olive oil, salt, pepper, and basil.
- 4
Place the conchiglioni and stuff them with the ricotta & prosciutto mixture.
- 5
Add some pieces of prosciutto, basil, parmesan, and breadcrumbs on top.
- 6
Bake for 15 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius.
- 7
Enjoy your meal!
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Cook conchiglioni to 1-2 minutes before al dente (approximately 9-10 minutes for most brands) because they'll continue cooking for 15 minutes in the 200°C oven, reaching optimal tenderness without mushiness.timing9-10 minutes (undercooked by 1-2 minutes)
- ✓Mix ricotta filling at a 2:1 ricotta-to-cream ratio by weight (approximately 3 tablespoons ricotta to 1.5 tablespoons cream) to achieve 65-70% moisture content, ensuring the filling stays creamy without becoming runny during baking.ingredient2:1 ratio | 65-70% moisture
- ✓Finely mince prosciutto into 2-3mm pieces rather than small chunks to distribute salty, umami flavors evenly throughout the filling; larger pieces create dry pockets where the salt concentration exceeds 4% by weight.technique2-3mm pieces
- ✓Toast breadcrumb topping separately in a dry pan at medium heat for 2-3 minutes before adding, then sprinkle only in the final 5 minutes of baking to prevent burning and maintain crispy texture (browning requires 155°C minimum).timing2-3 minutes pre-toasting | final 5 minutes of bake
- ✓Use a 1:1 tomato sauce-to-olive oil ratio (approximately 5 tablespoons sauce to 5 tablespoons oil) to create an emulsion that keeps pasta moist during the 15-minute bake; insufficient oil causes the sauce to evaporate above 95°C, drying the dish.ingredient1:1 ratio