My new favorite Pasta

I had to get my Christmas shopping done early this year and while shopping for some unique foods for my husband's stocking, I stumbled upon a wonderful pasta called Lumaconi. I had just made some stuffed shells the previous week and I remembered all too well how difficult those stinkers are to stuff! And the large shell pasta never seemed to hold enough stuffing to satisfy me.




Lumaca means snail and the pasta is shaped like a snail shell. There's 2 large holes for stuffing, one on each end, so you could easily do a layered stuffing too. After par-boiling the pasta just until barely pliable, it was so easy to stuff. I had no problems with tearing the pasta or self curling like the common large shell pasta. Generally, I use a vintage iced teaspoon for stuffing, the bowl is more slender then a regular teaspoon and it seems to work better and it's always nice working with sterling silver!



The Lumaconi is a large pasta so if you're serving it as a side, I would think that a limit of 3 per person. If you serving it as a main course, not more then 7-8 per person would be plenty.

Stuffed Lumaconi
Recipe developed by Big-Black-Dog

Sauce:
One recipe of my basic Linguine Sauce

Stuffing:
1/2 lb Spinach, cleaned
2 c. ricotta cheese
1/2-3/4 c. parmesan, finely grated
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
1/2 TBL dried basil
1/3 c. parmesan, finely grated to sprinkle on top

For the stuffing just mix all the ingredients in a bowl.

Make the basic linguine sauce as per my directions. Simmer for 20-25 minutes.

While the sauce in simmering, in a large bowl combine all the ingredients for the stuffing.

Fill a large pot with water, add some salt and about a TBL of EVOO. Bring to a boil. Turn burner to medium high and add Lumaconi Pasta. Cook Lumaconi until it is just barely pliable and immediately drain.

When the Lumaconi is cool enough to touch you can start adding the ricotta stuffing mix. Generally, I use a vintage teaspoon to stuff my pasta or an infant spoon works very well too.

Pour the red sauce into a baking dish so there's about 3/4" of sauce in the bottom. As you stuff the pasta, place each one, hole side up, in the baking dish nestling each one in the sauce. When the dish is full, ladle the rest of the red sauce over the pasta, sprinkle the reminder of the grated parmesan. Bake at 350 degree oven until bubbly hot.




I am entering my Stuffed Lumaconi in the Original Recipe Roundup hosted by Culinary.





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