Shell Pasta Gratin

Ingredients

• 400 g shell pasta
• Salt
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 4 tomatoes
• 500 g ground beef
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
• 3 g crème fraîche
• 1 tsp thyme
• pepper (ground)
• 400 ml whipping cream
• 2 Eggs
• 100 g grated cheese (e.g., Bergkäse)
• Salt
• 2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

Instructions

1. 1.

   Cook the shell pasta in salted water until very firm. Rinse with cold water and drain well.

2. 2.

   Peel the garlic and finely chop it. Heat the tomatoes briefly, rinse, peel, quarter, deseed, and dice them.

3. 3.

   Brown the ground beef in hot oil until crumbly; add garlic and tomato paste for a short while, then add the diced tomatoes. Stir in crème fraîche and let simmer gently for 10‑15 minutes. Add thyme and season with salt and pepper. The mixture should not be too liquid; if needed, reduce further.

4. 4.

   Preheat the oven to 180 °C fan.

5. 5.

   Fill the cooked pasta with the meat sauce (use a teaspoon for even distribution) and place in a baking dish.

6. 6.

   Whisk together the whipping cream, eggs, and grated cheese; season with salt and pepper. Pour over the pasta. Top with Parmesan and butter flakes, then bake in the preheated oven for 25‑30 minutes until golden brown.

7. 7.

   Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.