Pasta and Meatball Pearls
Pasta shells filled with creamy ricotta and crispy meatballs on a basil tomato sauce topped with mozzarella cheese.
Ingredients:
300g Conchilioni Pasta Shells
200g Mini Meatballs (or sausage)
1tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion
300g Tomato Sauce
1 Beef Gravy (pot/cube)
2tbsp Fresh Basil
400g Fresh Ricotta
2tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Egg
2tbsp Mayonnaise
100g Mozzarella Cheese
Salt & Pepper (to taste)
Directions:
1. Boil the pasta for 5 minutes in salted water. Do not over-cook cause it will become soggy. Drain and set aside.
2. In a skillet brown the meatballs in their own fats. Once browned remove and set aside.
3. In the same skillet add the olive oil and fry the onion until it becomes lightly brown.
4. Add the tomato sauce and the gravy.
5. Finish off with the basil, give it a good stir and set aside.
6. In a large bowl mix together the ricotta, parmesan, egg, mayonnaise and season to taste.
7. Preparation is finished, now let’s assemble the shells. If you are using an oven-proof skillet you can use the same one. If not, use an oven dish.
8. Fill each shell with the ricotta mix and place a meatball in the centre.
9. Gently place each filled shell on the tomato sauce. You can use a rectangular dish instead. I chose a circular one and created a 'flower' pattern. The choice is yours.
10. top everything with grated mozzarella and fresh pepper and bake in a pre-heated 220°c oven until golden brown. This should take around 25-30 minutes.
11. Enjoy!
