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Italian-American·Main

Clams Casino Stuffed Pasta Shells

A decadent pasta dish inspired by the classic fancy appetizer, featuring jumbo shells stuffed with a savory mixture of clams, crispy bacon, and buttery sourdough breadcrumbs, all baked in a light white sauce.

Prep

30m

Cook

40m

Total

70m

Serves

6

Method

  1. 01

    Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread bread cubes on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes until completely dried out. Meanwhile, boil jumbo pasta shells in salted water for exactly 9 minutes (undercooked); drain and store in a bowl of cold water to prevent sticking.

    Step 1
    Watch · 0:32
  2. 02

    In a large pan over medium-high heat, cook bacon strips until crisp and the fat has rendered. Use a paper towel to absorb and remove most of the rendered fat from the pan.

    Step 2
    Watch · 1:38
  3. 03

    Add diced onions and peppers to the bacon pan and sauté for a few minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Strain the canned clams, adding only the juice to the pan. Simmer the mixture until the liquid is reduced so much that scraping a spatula across the bottom leaves a dry trail for 2-3 seconds.

    Step 3
    Watch · 2:35
  4. 04

    In a large bowl, combine the dried bread cubes, the sautéed onion and pepper mixture, and the reserved chopped clams. Add salt, black pepper, cayenne, chopped parsley, ricotta cheese, and grated Parmesan. Mix thoroughly and refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the bread hydrate.

    Step 4
    Watch · 3:56
  5. 05

    Prepare the white sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes to create a light roux. Whisk in the cold milk all at once and bring to a simmer, stirring often until slightly thickened. Season with salt and cayenne.

    Step 5
    Watch · 5:00
  6. 06

    Pour 75% of the white sauce into a 9x12 baking dish. Generously stuff each pasta shell with the clam mixture and arrange them in the dish. Ladle the remaining sauce over the shells and top with an additional grating of Parmesan cheese.

    Step 6
    Watch · 7:24
  7. 07

    Bake at 400°F for 30-40 minutes until the pasta is tender and the top is beautifully browned. Garnish with more parsley and serve with fresh lemon wedges for squeezing over the top.

    Step 7
    Watch · 8:46

From Chef John

  • “When your bacon looks foamy, it's almost done, homie.”
  • “Hot roux, cold milk, no lumps.”
  • “You are, after all, the Alexander Graham Bell of how to do this stuffed pasta shell.”