Fry

Mushroom Stuffed Giant Shell Pasta

February 16, 2015
3
8 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Prep time 15 minutes
  • Cook time 1 hour
  • Serves 2 to 4
Author Notes

These giant pasta shells are filled with mushrooms, onion, garlic, parsley, and a creamy sauce, then topped with grated Parmesan. It's the perfect comfort food for cold days but also for a quick dinner fix if guests are coming by. It looks more elegant than regular pasta dishes but doesn't take more time to prepare. —MademoiselleGourmande

Test Kitchen Notes

WHO: MademoiselleGourmande is a world traveler currently living in Frankfurt, Germany.
WHAT: A rich pasta dish that is much more impressive than it is difficult.
HOW: Nestle sautéed mushrooms brightened by garlic, chile, and lemon juice into jumbo pasta shells in an ovenproof pan. Pour a cream sauce and drizzle Parmesan over top, count down the minutes until "golden brown," then rejoice in creamy pasta goodness.
WHY WE LOVE IT: When this dish came out of Food52's test kitchen, it suddenly became finger food. That is to say that our team didn't waste any time finding a fork, and instead dove in, fingers first, to grab a jumbo shell. Things got messy, but we blame the recipe: The cheesy pasta shells, aromatic, earthy mushrooms, and creamy sauce were too good to resist. —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 12 pieces jumbo shell pasta
  • 1 cup cultivated white mushrooms
  • 1 cup chanterelles
  • 1 cup oyster mushrooms
  • 2 onions, separated
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 3 sprigs parsley, or more as desired
  • 1 chile, seeded
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided, plus more as needed
  • 1/2 lemon, divided
  • 2 pinches salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup cream (or a mixture of milk and cream)
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more as desired
Directions
  1. Cook the pasta according to the package, but reduce the cooking time by 1 minute so that they are al dente. Preheat the oven to 360º F (160º C).
  2. Meanwhile, clean the mushrooms and peel the garlic and onion. Roughly chop the mushrooms and onions. Finely dice the garlic, parsley, and chile.
  3. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, 1/2 of the onion, and the garlic. Fry for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, chile, and salt and pepper to taste. Fry for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, and add 1/2 of the lemon juice and the parsley. Add more lemon juice if preferred, or discard it (or save the rest for another recipe). Remove the mushroom mixture from the pan and set aside on a plate.
  4. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil to the pan and add the other 1/2 of the onion. Fry for 1 minute. Pour in the cream, add salt and pepper to taste, and stir occasionally. Cook for 3 minutes. (If you used milk to dilute the cream, you might want to add a bit of flour or corn starch to make the sauce a bit thicker.)
  5. Meanwhile, fill the al dente shells with the mushroom mix and place in an ovenproof dish. Pour the cream over the shells and sprinkle the Parmesan on top. Place the dish in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until the cheese turns golden brown. Serve with a few sprinkles of chopped parsley.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Adriana Prospero
    Adriana Prospero
  • Bevi
    Bevi
  • Kukla
    Kukla
  • QueenSashy
    QueenSashy
  • MademoiselleGourmande
    MademoiselleGourmande

11 Reviews

Karen B. March 10, 2022
After review surfing, I subbed Asiago for the Parm, and subbed green pepper for chili...THEN added a mix of olives and brined sundried tomatoes (finely chopped). Flavor was amped and I love it!
 
HeatherAnn January 22, 2019
I was so excited about this but I'm left wondering what I did wrong? This was SO SO oniony that it was not a joy to eat. I used two medium onions and I like onions just fine. Any thoughts on where I might have made an error or is this just a very oniony dish?
 
hk December 21, 2015
We made this but it unfortunately was slightly bland even with the pepper and the cheese. It was not a big hit at our party. I would recommend using more spices if we made it again beyond what is in the recipe or a much sharper cheese.
 
Tracydoc226 October 28, 2015
Just made this for dinner and it was fantastic! The whole family loved it. Served it with garlic spinach which paired well with this dish. Will definitely be making this again. Thank you.
 
Adriana P. May 23, 2015
Amazing. Used a mix of oyster, white button and brown field mushrooms. Used fresh jalapeños. Mixed a red and brown onion. Added Tyme with the parsley. And loaded it with parmesan. Fantastic.
 
SM May 19, 2015
Can I use a sharper type of cheese like Blue Cheese?
 
Kim May 19, 2015
Can you please tell us what kind of chile you used?
 
Bevi May 18, 2015
Congrats! What kind of chile do you like to use?
 
It depends on how spicy you like your food. I would refrain from using chilis that have a specific taste and rather opt for a natural one. I used a Thai Chili Pepper but you can take any chili you like.
 
Kukla May 18, 2015
Congratulations on the Wild Card Win MademoiselleGourmande! My granddaughter loves all the delicious elements of this dish and I am very exited to make it for her.
 
QueenSashy May 18, 2015
What a wonderful recipe. Congrats on the wild card!