STUFFED PASTA SHELLS WITH HEARTY CABERNET BOLOGNESE SAUCE

STUFFED PASTA SHELLS WITH HEARTY CABERNET BOLOGNESE SAUCE image

Categories Cheese Tomato Bake Dinner Sausage

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 19

Ingredients

Hearty Cabernet Bolognese Sauce:
8 oz. bulk sweet Italian sausage
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 C.)
2 C. sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 C. Cabernet Sauvignon or other dry red wine
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 C. whipping cream (opt)
Stuffed Pasta Shells:
12 dried jumbo pasta shells
2 eggs
1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed
8 oz. provolone cheese, shredded (2 C.)
1 C. ricotta cheese
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Steps:

Hearty Cabernet Bolognese Sauce: In a large skillet, cook and stir sausage and onion over medium heat until sausage is browned. Stir in mushrooms and garlic and cook 3-5 min. more until mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Return skillet to heat. Add drained tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 20 min. If desired, stir in whipping cream. Stuffed Pasta Shells: Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain again. In a medium bowl, lightly beat eggs. Drain thawed spinach, pressing out excess liquid. Add spinach to eggs along with 1 1/2 C. of provolone, ricotta cheese and cayenne pepper. Spoon 2 rounded tablespoons of the spinach filling into each jumbo shell. Place shells in 2-qt. square baking dish. Spoon Hearty Cabernet Bolognese Sauce over shells. Cover and bake in a 350 F. oven for 50-60 min. or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 C. provolone before serving. Tips for cooking pasta shells: Use 3 qt. of water for every 4-8 oz. of pasta. Add about 1 T. kosher or sea salt to help bring out pasta's flavor. During first two minutes of cooking, gently stir shells so they don't stick together or to bottom of pan. Sauces can slide right off pasta coated in oil, so avoid using when cooking pasta. Test pasta's doneness a minute or two before the end of the cooking time recommended on the package. Rinse one shell under running water until cool enough to handle and give it a taste. It should have a firm and chewy texture - al dente. When pasta is done, rinse and drain as directed in recipe.