Conchiglie Pasta

Shape – short pasta in the form of a twisted spiral. Size 10-30 mm in length.

Cooking time – 12 minutes (until ready).

Conchiglie is great for meat and tomato sauces or salads.

Briefly about Conchiglie pasta

Conchiglie pasta is a type of Italian pasta that is shaped like a conch shell and is known for its ability to hold sauces. It has a long history in Italian cuisine and is a popular choice for pasta dishes. It is made from flour and water and has a slightly chewy texture and a rich flavor. Conchiglie pasta substitutes can be rigatoni, ziti and fusilli. It pairs well with various sauces and ingredients and can be served either hot or cold. Pasta usually takes 10-12 minutes to cook until al dente.

What does Conchiglie pasta look like 📏 The shape of pasta

They look like small shells with ribs on the surface for better sauce retention. Measuring about 10 to 30 mm in length.

Conchiglie pasta, also known as shell pasta, gets its name from its shape. It is a type of pasta that resembles a clam shell, with a curved, spiral shape. The outer surface of Conchiglie pasta is ribbed, which helps hold sauces and dressings.

What is a Conchiglie | Description of the pasta

Conchiglie is a short, shell-shaped pasta. The word “conchiglia” in Italian means seashell. In some places, they are also known as maruzze (snails) or pipe rigate. It is a popular choice for pasta dishes because its unique shape and size allow it to hold sauces and other additions well.

In addition to the usual durum wheat version, there are also versions with natural coloring from tomatoes, squid ink, or spinach.

Features of Conchiglie pasta

This form of pasta exists in three sizes:

• Conchigliette – the smallest. Usually used in soups.
• Conchiglie – medium sized. They are good with thick and fatty sauces.
• Conchiglioni are giant baking pans.

Conchiglioni have a ribbed exterior surface and a smooth interior, which means that the interior fills in when stirred into the sauce, while the ribbing allows the sauce to stick to the outside.

Conchiglie Pasta Substitutes

If you can’t find Conchiglie pasta at your local grocery store or want to try something different in your recipe, there are several other types of short pasta that you can substitute. Good options include Pipe Rigate, Campanelle, Cavatelli or Orecchiette. All of these pasta are similar in size and shape to Conchiglie pasta and can hold sauces in a similar way.

What it goes with Conchiglie

Conchiglie pasta pairs well with a variety of sauces, from tomato sauce to creamy Alfredo sauce. It also goes well with dishes with vegetables, meat or seafood. Conchiglie pasta can be served hot or cold and is often used in pasta salads. It can also be served as a main course or as a side dish.

It is a versatile pasta because its shape holds any sauce in place. Particularly well-suited for dishes with thick cream or cheese-based sauces.

In Italy, there are many great recipes for this shell-shaped pasta. They are served with meat, fish, and vegetable sauces, and small conchillettes are used in soups, pesto sauce, and salads.

⏲️ Cooking time | How long to cook Conchiglie

🗒️ Calories and Nutritional Value

Recipes with Conchiglie Pasta

Conchiglie pasta – shells with shrimp

Ingredients

• Conchillier – 250 g
• Shrimps – 250 g
• Onions – 2
• Green chili – 2
• Oil – 3 tablespoons
• Ginger/garlic – 2 tbsp.
• Pepper powder – 1 tsp.
• Salt to taste
• Chili powder – 2 tablespoons
• Cinnamon/cloves/cardamom

To prepare the sauce

• Butter – 2 tablespoons
• Flour – 40 grams
• Milk – 500 ml
• Chili powder-1 tsp.
• Pepper powder- 1 tsp.
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Fry the shrimp until golden and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.
3. Add the onion and ginger/garlic and stir-fry until softened. Increase heat to medium.
4. Add the peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
5. Stir. Season with salt, pepper and chili powder.
6. Cinnamon/cloves/cardamom. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, stirring constantly, until softened.
7. After that, mix in the sausage and fried shrimp and mix well.
8. Put the butter in the pan, when it has melted, add the flour and cook for 1 min. Then add milk in two batches, mix well until it dissolves, add milk according to desired thickness.
9. Add pepper powder, chili powder to the sauce, mix well and cook for a few minutes.
10. Add the shrimp mixture, stir well and cook for a while while the sauce simmers,
11. Prepare the pasta according to the instructions on the package, cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water until tender. Drain the water,
12. Add the pasta to the shrimp mixture and mix well.

Spicy Conchiglie pasta – shells with tomatoes and basil

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion
• 2 to 3 tablespoons green chilies
• 2 cups chopped mushrooms
• ½ tsp. chili paste
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 500 grams of pasta Conchiglie
• 225-300 grams of spinach

Preparing

1. Heat a frying pan with 2 or more tablespoons of olive oil, you can use butter or other preferred oil.
2. Add the onion and fry for about 3 minutes. Finely chop 3 or more green chilies and add to the onions.
3. Then add the chopped mushrooms, here I used simple small size porcini mushrooms.
4. The star of the sauce is the chili sauce. Place 6-10 dried red chilies in a blender along with 3 cloves of garlic. Grind to a very smooth paste. You can also use chili powder and minced garlic.
5. Add 1 cup of chopped tomatoes, here I used canned tomatoes as they contain enough tomato sauce.
6. Add the pasta to a large pot of boiling water, stir and bring to a boil. Cook for 10-12 minutes, drain and add to sauce.
7. Stir for about 2 minutes and add 225-300 grams of baby spinach to enrich the pasta with a sweetly bitter flavor and add a daily essential mineral to your diet. And spinach really does enrich pasta.
8. Finally, if you are a cheese lover, you can add any cheese you prefer, parmesan would be more appropriate, but I did not add cheese because the spiciness of the sauce does not require a cheesy aftertaste.

FAQ about Conchiglie pasta

1. What is pasta conchiglie used for?

   Conchiglie pasta, also known as shell pasta, is a type of Italian pasta shaped like a conch shell. It is a popular choice for pasta dishes because its unique shape and size allow it to hold sauces and other additions well. Conchiglie pasta can be used in a variety of pasta dishes, including salads, main dishes and side dishes.

2. What is conchiglie rigate pasta?

   Conchiglie rigate pasta is a type of pasta that is similar to regular conchiglie pasta, but with one key difference: there are ridges or grooves on the outside of the pasta. These ridges, also known as “rigate”, are formed by forcing the pasta dough through a cutter with ridges or by rolling it over a ridged surface. The ridges on conchiglie rigate pasta help hold sauces and dressings, making it a good choice for dishes with thicker or bulkier sauces.

3. How is “conchiglie” pronounced?

   The correct pronunciation of conchiglie pasta is [con-KEEL-yay]. The “ch” sound in Conchiglie is pronounced like the “k” sound in the English word “key.” The stress in the word should be on the second syllable, “ki”. The final “e” sound is pronounced like the “ay” sound in the English word “say.

4. What is large Conchiglie shell pasta called?

   The largest form of shell pasta is called conchiglioni. They are usually used for stuffing and then baking in the oven.
   A conchilla is a type of pasta that is shaped like a shell. The smallest shell shape is called conchigliette, and the largest is conchiglioni. Each of these types of conchigliette has the same shape, but different sizes.