Stuffed pasta shells

Stuffed pasta shells

Try our delicious stuffed pasta shells with beef ragù. The stewing beef will become meltingly tender and is simple to shred with some forks for an authentic ragù.

Stuffed pasta shells

  • Serves icon Serves 4
  • Time icon Takes 25 min to make, 3¾ hours in the oven

Try our delicious stuffed pasta shells with beef ragù. The stewing beef will become meltingly tender and is simple to shred with some forks for an authentic ragù.

Ingredients

  • 1 onion
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 celery stick
  • 100g bacon
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 fresh rosemary sprigs
  • 900g cubed stewing beef
  • 400ml red wine
  • 200ml beef stock
  • 300g giant dried pasta shells
  • 25g grated Parmesan
  • Fresh basil leaves to serve

For the roast tomato sauce

  • 1kg ripe medium tomatoes, halved
  • 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 2 tsp caster sugar
  • 2 tbsp sun-dried tomato purée
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Sticky screen? No thanks! Tap to prevent your screen from going off while cooking.

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan170°C/gas 5. Finely chop the onion, carrot, celery stick and bacon. Spread out in a large roasting tin and drizzle over 1 tablespoon olive oil. Roast for 15 minutes.
  2. Remove from the oven, spread the tomatoes out on top, cut-side-up. Press the chopped garlic pieces into the tomato flesh to submerge slightly, sprinkle with sugar, salt and pepper and dot with sun-dried tomato purée. Tuck in rosemary sprigs. Continue cooking for 1 hour, then turn the oven down to 150°C/ fan130°C/ gas 2.
  3. Meanwhile, put a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season the stewing beef and brown on all sides in 2 or 3 batches. Add the beef to the tomatoes and pour in the red wine and beef stock. Stir, cover tightly with foil and return to the oven for 2½ hours or until the beef is tender.
  4. Remove the rosemary stalks, and discard. Shred the meat with 2 forks and season to taste. Boil the giant dried pasta shells for 9 minutes. Drain and put in a 3-litre baking dish.
  5. Stuff each shell with ragù and sprinkle with 25g grated Parmesan. Scatter with fresh basil leaves to serve.

delicious. tips

  1. Unused or leftover ragù sauce will keep covered in the fridge for 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

Buy ingredients online

Subscribe

Fancy getting a copy in print?

Subscribe to our magazine

Rate & review

Rate

Reviews

Share a tip

Subscribe to our magazine

Food stories, skills and tested recipes, straight to your door... Enjoy 5 issues for just £5 with our special introductory offer.

Subscribe

Unleash your inner chef

Looking for inspiration? Receive the latest recipes with our newsletter

We treat your data with care. See our privacy policy. By signing up, you are agreeing to delicious.’ terms and conditions. Unsubscribe at any time.