Stuffed Paccheri with Speck Alto Adige IGP is a creamy and flavorful first course to serve even on special occasions. They take some time to prepare, but not too much, and the beauty is that some parts can be prepared in advance, such as the bechamel and zucchini, which can be prepared the day before, so only the paccheri need to be cooked and assembled before baking. This way, they can be prepared without stress, even for holidays, and once the paccheri are stuffed with the bechamel with Speck Alto Adige IGP and leeks, they just need to be baked, and in the meantime, you can attend to your guests.
If you like Speck Alto Adige IGP, also try these recipes of mine:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Oven, Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- cup vegetable oil
- to taste nutmeg
- cup flour
- 3⅓ cups milk
- to taste salt
- 2 zucchini
- 1 clove garlic
- to taste vegetable oil
- 1 leek
- 5⅔ oz Speck Alto Adige IGP (www.speck.it)
- 5⅓ oz cheese (melting)
- to taste salt
- 12⅓ oz paccheri
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
Steps
To prepare stuffed paccheri with Speck Alto Adige IGP, first prepare the bechamel, which must cool before proceeding. Put the oil in a saucepan and heat it with a few grates of nutmeg. Add the flour and salt, stirring with a whisk to avoid lumps. The mixture will thicken. Let it lightly brown over low heat, stirring constantly. Add part of the milk, continuing to stir to obtain a homogeneous mixture.
Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until it thickens, then add the remaining milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, let it cook for a few minutes over low heat, always stirring, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Wash and trim the zucchini and cut them into cubes. Peel the garlic and sauté it in a pan with two tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the diced zucchini, salt, and brown over high heat for a few minutes until they soften a little. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Wash and trim the leek, slice it thinly and set aside. Remove the rind from the Speck Alto Adige IGP and cut it into small cubes, leaving aside a few strips for garnish.
Heat a pan with 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil and sauté the leeks for a couple of minutes. Add the diced Speck Alto Adige IGP, salt, and continue cooking over high heat for a few minutes until the leeks have softened and the Speck Alto Adige IGP is browned. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Cut the cheese into cubes.
Bring plenty of water to a boil in a large pot, add salt, and throw in the paccheri. Cook the paccheri for 3/4 of the cooking time indicated on the package. Drain them, put them in a bowl with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, stir to prevent them from sticking, and let them cool.
When you have all the preparations ready, preheat the oven to 356°F (convection).
Spread a few tablespoons of bechamel and half of the zucchini on the bottom of a baking dish. Then place all the paccheri standing upright inside the baking dish, side by side.
To the remaining bechamel, add the mix of leeks and Speck Alto Adige IGP, as well as the diced cheese, and stir. Transfer the mixture into a pastry bag with a round nozzle and fill all the paccheri. Spread the remaining zucchini on the surface and finish with a generous sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese.
Bake at 356°F for about 25 minutes, until golden.
Remove from the oven, let rest for 4-5 minutes, garnish with a few strips of Speck Alto Adige IGP, and serve your stuffed paccheri with Speck Alto Adige IGP.
