Stuffed Shells with Salmon and Zucchini. For today’s lunch, I decided to prepare a very appetizing and elegant main dish.

This recipe is suitable for various occasions, from everyday lunch or dinner to a festive meal or a dinner with guests.

The versatility of this preparation makes it suitable to satisfy both the most sophisticated palates and those in search of a comforting and tasty dish.

The stuffed shells with zucchini and salmon are a tribute to culinary creativity and the joy of sharing a delicious meal with those we love.

The shells, with their shell shape, serve as a perfect container for the filling that encloses the enveloping and delicate taste of zucchini and the delicacy of salmon, their shape optimally retains the filling, creating a pleasant contrast between the soft interior and the al dente texture of the pasta.

This pasta choice adds a fascinating visual element to the dish, making it appealing and inviting. The zucchini, with their delicate flavor and crunchy texture, are the vegetable element that gives freshness and lightness to the filling.

To make it creamy, I added a little béchamel sauce.
Regarding the béchamel, we can make it at home or, to make the recipe even faster, use the ready-made one.
Here is also the recipe for the light béchamel and the one without gluten.

I highly recommend that you write down this recipe and maybe try it for Sunday lunch, you’ll thank me.
Recipe with two cooking methods: in the oven or air fryer.

Difficulty: Very Easy
Cost: Affordable
Preparation time: 25 Minutes
Portions: 4 People
Cooking methods: Electric Oven, Air Fryer
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: All Seasons

567.47 Kcal

calories per serving

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Energy 567.47 (Kcal)
Carbohydrates 59.32 (g) of which sugars 5.65 (g)
Proteins 29.75 (g)
Fat 25.57 (g) of which saturated 11.91 (g)of which unsaturated 7.39 (g)
Fibers 3.21 (g)
Sodium 1,972.42 (mg)

Indicative values for a portion of 250 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA^* and FoodData Central^** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.

^* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ^** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov

Ingredients

Stuffed Shells with Salmon and Zucchini

9 oz shells
2 zucchini (medium or one large)
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
5 oz smoked salmon
to taste parsley
3.5 oz ricotta
to taste extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup flour
1 oz butter
salt
to taste nutmeg

Tools

Air Fryers
Baking Dish
Pan
Bowl
Pot
Grater

Steps

Stuffed Shells with Salmon and Zucchini

For the béchamel, in a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, then add the flour and stir until you get a golden roux.
Add the hot milk in a stream, stirring continuously to avoid lumps.
Bring to a boil and let it cook for a few minutes until the béchamel thickens.
Adjust salt, pepper, and nutmeg and set aside.
Start by boiling the shells in plenty of salted water and drain them al dente, which is the key to a perfect texture!
(Cook in plenty of boiling salted water and with a dash of oil to prevent the shells from sticking to each other, drain them al dente and transfer them to a tray with a drizzle of oil).
Rinse the zucchini, dry them, and grate them with a wide-hole grater.
In a pan, heat a drizzle of oil with a clove of garlic. Add the zucchini and let them brown over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes until they soften and lose their water. Season with salt and pepper.
Once cooked, remove the garlic which has done its job.
In a bowl, combine the zucchini with the smoked salmon cut into pieces, the béchamel (3 tablespoons), the grated Parmesan, and the ricotta, salt, pepper, and chopped parsley.
On the bottom of the baking dish, spread a few tablespoons of béchamel set aside.
Carefully fill the shells with the delicious filling and place everything in the baking dish.
Pour the remaining béchamel over the pasta.
Generously sprinkle with Parmesan and a drizzle of oil for a tasty final touch.
Baking….. Preheat oven to 350°F and bake for 20/25 minutes, and get ready to savor the goodness!
(if the surface should color too much, place a sheet of parchment paper with one of aluminum on top).
Air Fryer Cooking…… I cooked them in the air fryer (I preheated the air fryer for 3 minutes at 392°F, transferred the pan to the basket, and cooked at 356°F for 6 minutes.
Enjoy your meal

Advice

Change the cheese: Instead of ricotta, you can use goat cheese for a tangier touch or spreadable cheese for an even smoother filling.

Add aromatic herbs: Wild fennel, dill, or mint pair beautifully with salmon and zucchini, adding freshness to the dish.

Experiment with other ingredients: For a richer taste, add chopped pistachios to the filling or garnish with some fresh arugula leaves before serving.

This recipe is very simple to prepare, and if you have a vegetarian friend as a guest, it will be enough to leave some mixture without salmon to prepare stuffed shells with ricotta

They can be prepared on the spot, but if we prefer, we can make them the day before and heat them in the oven. If there are leftovers, we can store them in the fridge for a couple of days.

If you liked this recipe, click on many stars, thank you very much.

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