Recipe: Cheese and Bacon Stuffed Pasta Shells

Here's the recipe for what I had for dinner tonight - bacon and cheese stuffed pasta shells.  I blogged about these once before and was asked a couple of times for the recipe then so tonight when I made them I took some step by step pictures so here it all is!

Ingredients: (serves 4)

200g large pasta shells (about 24 - I normally do 26 in case some break/stick whilst cooking)
700g jar or carton of tomato passata
300g soft cheese
50g breadcrumbs (I use panko)
1 onion
12 rashers of smoked streaky bacon
125g ball of fresh buffalo mozzarella

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees (fan oven).  Put a pan of water on to boil and once boiling add salt and the pasta shells and cook for about 8-10 minutes until tender but not overcooked.  Whilst the shells are cooking chop up the bacon and onion and fry together until the bacon is cooked and the onion is soft. 

Drain the pasta shells, rinse under the cold tap and leave to cool (if you pour a little olive oil over the shells after you have rinsed them it will help to stop them sticking together):

Mix together the bacon and onion with the cream cheese and panko breadcrumbs, taste and season:

Poor the passata into a large rectangular oven proof dish and then using a teaspoon take one cooled shell and spoon the filling into the shell:

Place the shell into the tomato sauce and continue to fill all of the shells in the same way until you have filled the whole dish:

Once the dish is filled slice or tear up the mozzarella:

Top the shells evenly with the mozzarella:

Put into the hot oven and bake for around 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden and the passata is bubbling.

ENJOY!