Caccavelle alla Sorrentina

Caccavelle alla sorrentina are a traditional first course from Campania’s cuisine, specifically from Sorrento’s tradition. They are large stuffed pasta shells, similar to oversized snails, baked in the oven with mozzarella and tomato sauce. Here’s how to prepare them:

Ingredients

• 4 caccavelle (large pasta shells)
• 300 g of Campania buffalo mozzarella PDO
• 500 ml of tomato puree
• 1 clove of garlic
• Some fresh basil leaves
• 100 g of grated Parmesan cheese
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Start with the sauce preparation. Put some oil and the clove of garlic in a pan and let it brown. Add the tomato puree, salt, and pepper. Let it cook on low heat for about 15 minutes. At the end of cooking, add the hand-torn basil leaves.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, and plunge in the caccavelle. Cook them for about half the time indicated on the package, as they will need to finish cooking in the oven.

3. In the meantime, cut the mozzarella into cubes and let it drain to remove the excess whey.

4. Drain the caccavelle and fill them with the tomato sauce, mozzarella cubes, and a sprinkle of Parmesan.

5. Place the caccavelle in an oven dish greased with a drizzle of oil and cover with more tomato sauce and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan.

6. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 °C and let them gratinate for about 15-20 minutes or until a nice golden crust forms on the surface.

7. Remove from oven and let stand a few minutes before serving your steaming caccavelle alla sorrentina.

Curiosity

The name “caccavella” comes from the Neapolitan and refers to a terracotta pan, reminiscent of the shape of this large pasta. The baking in the oven is a tribute to Campania’s cuisine, which favors well-cooked dishes with bold flavors.