Comfort
Baked Three-Cheese & Herb Conchiglie
Conchiglie shells were made for baked pasta — their cup shape traps pools of cheesy sauce inside every shell, turning a simple bake into something genuinely exciting to eat. This version layers Cibo di Italia Conchiglie Rigate with a three-cheese béchamel fragrant with thyme and parsley, then bakes it until the top is golden and bubbling. A proper crowd-pleaser for an iftar table or a big family gathering.
Ingredients
- 400 g Cibo di Italia Conchiglie Rigate
- 50 g butter
- 50 g plain flour
- 700 ml full-fat milk — warm
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- 150 g ricotta — full-fat
- 100 g mozzarella — grated
- 80 g parmesan or mature cheddar — finely grated, divided
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves — or 1 tsp dried
- 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley — finely chopped
- 2 pieces garlic cloves — minced
- to taste salt and white pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 30 g panko breadcrumbs — for a crispy topping
Method
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Step 1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C (fan 180 °C). Grease a large baking dish (approximately 30×20cm) with a little olive oil.
10 min
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Step 2. Cook the conchiglie rigate in plenty of well-salted boiling water for 2 minutes less than the packet time — they will finish in the oven. Drain, toss with the 2 tbsp olive oil so they do not stick, and set aside.
8 min
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Step 3. Make the béchamel: melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes to cook out the raw taste. The mixture will look like a pale paste.
2 min
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Step 4. Gradually whisk in the warm milk, a ladleful at a time, letting each addition incorporate fully before adding the next. Once all the milk is in, whisk constantly over medium heat for 5–6 minutes until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season with salt, white pepper and nutmeg.
7 min
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Step 5. Remove the béchamel from the heat. Stir in the ricotta, half the mozzarella, half the parmesan, the minced garlic, thyme and parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning — it should be well-seasoned.
2 min
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Step 6. Fold the par-cooked conchiglie into the cheese sauce and stir gently until every shell is coated. Pour into the prepared baking dish and spread in an even layer.
2 min
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Step 7. Scatter the remaining mozzarella and parmesan evenly over the top. Mix the panko breadcrumbs with a drizzle of olive oil and scatter over the cheese layer.
1 min
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Step 8. Bake for 25–30 minutes until the top is deeply golden, the edges are bubbling, and the shells are cooked through. Rest for 5 minutes before serving — this lets the sauce thicken slightly so portions hold their shape.
30 min
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Step 9. Bring the dish to the table and serve in generous scoops. A simple green salad alongside is all you need.
Goes well with
Rose and lychee sparkling water — the floral sweetness is a lovely contrast to the rich, savoury cheese bake.
A crisp green salad dressed simply with lemon juice and olive oil to cut through the richness of the three-cheese sauce.
Chilled muhallabia — a light milk pudding with rose water and pistachios that is cool, fragrant and the perfect end to a rich main.
Nutrition
Scaled to your servings
- 620kcalCalories31%
- 66gCarbohydrate25%
- 28gProtein56%
- 26gFat37%
The pasta we used
Cibo di Italia Conchiglie Rigate
500g · Cooks in 10–12 minutes · Serves ~5
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