Cacio e Pepe-Stuffed Shells with Crispy Bread Crumbs

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Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 6 to 8

We’ve taken the classic Roman pasta dish known as cacio e pepe, or “cheese and pepper,” to a new level with this decadent dish that’s perfect for an autumn dinner party. Jumbo pasta shells are filled with three types of cheese, then baked in a rich béchamel sauce seasoned with a generous quantity of black pepper. Crisp bread crumbs tossed with fresh thyme provide a nice contrast to the creamy pasta. If you’d like to spread the prep out over two days, you can make the bread crumbs and cook and fill the pasta shells a day in advance.

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Ingredients:

For the crisp bread crumbs:

  • 4 Tbs. (2 fl. oz./60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups (3 oz./90 g) fresh bread crumbs
  • 1 Tbs. fresh thyme leaves
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper


For the shells:

  • Kosher salt
  • 1 lb. (500 g) jumbo pasta shells


For the cheese filling:

  • 3 1/2 cups (28 oz./875 g) ricotta cheese
  • 1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tsp. grated lemon zest
  • 1 cup (4 oz./125 g) grated pecorino cheese
  • 3/4 cup (3 oz./90 g) grated Parmesan cheese
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper


For the béchamel:

  • 6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) (3 oz./90 g) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
  • 6 Tbs. (2 oz./60 g) all-purpose flour
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 5 cups (40 fl. oz./1.25 l) milk
  • 1 cup (4 oz./125 g) grated pecorino cheese
  • 1/2 cup (2 oz./60 g) grated Parmesan cheese


For assembling:

  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup (2 oz./60 g) grated pecorino cheese
  • Flaky sea salt and freshly ground pepper
  • Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

Directions:

To make the bread crumbs, in a large fry pan over medium-high heat, warm 2 Tbs. of the olive oil. Stir in the bread crumbs and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bread starts to crisp and absorbs all of the oil, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 2 Tbs. olive oil and cook, stirring frequently, until the crumbs are golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Stir in the thyme and season to taste with kosher salt and pepper. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate and set aside until cooled, about 20 minutes. Using a knife, chop the cooled bread crumbs into smaller pieces. (Alternatively, you can transfer the bread crumbs to a food processor and pulse briefly to break into smaller crumbs.)

To cook the shells, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions until al dente, about 14 minutes. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) of the pasta water. Place the shells, with the open side up, in a single layer on a baking sheet and let cool to room temperature.

While the shells are cooling, make the cheese filling: In a large bowl, stir together the ricotta, whole egg, egg yolk, lemon zest, pecorino, Parmesan, 1 tsp. kosher salt and 1 tsp. pepper. Transfer the filling to a pastry bag with a large plain tip.

Pipe the filling into the cooled pasta shells, dividing it evenly and filling each shell about halfway full. The filled shells can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator up to overnight.

When ready to assemble the dish, preheat an oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly brush a 5-quart (5-l) braiser or wide Dutch oven of similar size with olive oil.

To make the béchamel, in a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking occasionally, until a smooth paste forms, about 1 minute. Add 2 tsp. pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture smells toasty, about 3 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly, until smooth. Increase the heat to medium-high, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking constantly to prevent the bottom from burning, until the mixture is thick and velvety, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the pecorino and Parmesan, then 5 Tbs. of the reserved pasta water until smooth. Remove from the heat and season the béchamel with generously with salt, about 2 Tbs. or to taste.

To assemble, spread one-third of the béchamel on the bottom of the prepared pan, then arrange the filled shells, open side up, on top of the béchamel. Ladle the remaining béchamel over the shells. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs, pecorino and 1/2 tsp. pepper.

Bake until the sauce is bubbling, the bread crumbs are dark golden brown and the pasta shells are very tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, then drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Serve immediately. Serves 6 to 8.

Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen

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