Caccavelle pasta alla Sorrentina
This delicious Neapolitan baked pasta recipe is made with the biggest pasta in the world filled with meat ragu and cheese and baked in the oven. Perfect for Sunday lunch and holiday menus.
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 1 hr 10 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 4 caccavelle giant pasta shells
- 1 onion (peeled and finely chopped)
- 2 carrots (washed and finely chopped)
- 2 celery stalks (washed and finely chopped)
- 300 g veal ((10oz) ground. you can also use beef or pork)
- 1 Lt tomato passata ((33floz) I use Cirio rustica which is thicker.)
- salt (for pasta and to taste)
- 1/2 glass red or white wine
- black pepper (to taste)
- 3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 200 g mozzarella ((7oz) drained and cut into small pieces)
- 200 g fresh ricotta ((7oz))
- 50 g Parmigiano Reggiano ((2oz) grated)
Instructions
- 1
Start preparing the ground meat ragu which is the main part of the caccavelle filling.
- 2
Wash and finely chop the celery and carrot. Peel the onion and chop finely too.
- 3
Heat the olive oil in a deep frying pan or skillet and soften the chopped vegetables in the heated oil.
- 4
Then add the meat and brown it. Use a wooden spoon to separate and mix it. When the meat has browned add the wine. Let the alcohol evaporate and then add the tomato passata. Mix everything together well.
- 5
Add salt and pepper to taste. Lower the heat and simmer covered for at least 30 minutes. The longer you cook the ragu, the better it tastes.
- 6
In the meantime, put a large pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to the boil again. Cook the caccavelle until they are al dente. Usually about 10-12 minutes.
- 7
Save a cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta. Make sure there’s no water inside the pasta shells.
- 8
Cut the mozzarella and ricotta into small pieces.
- 9
If your sauce is too dry, add some of the saved pasta cooking water and mix.
- 10
Put a little sauce in each individual small oven dish.
- 11
Place a caccavella in each pan and fill the pasta shell half way with some meat sauce. Add the diced mozzarella and a little ricotta. Cover with more sauce, then add more mozzarella, ricotta and again ragu. Finally sprinkle with grated Parmigiano.
- 12
Bake the caccavelle in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve immediately.