Serves 4-6
Sauce:
4oz pancetta, ground or finely chopped
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
2 20 oz cans whole peeled italian tomatoes
1/3c yellow onion
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
3 garlic cloves
1 stick butter
1/2 c heavy cream
1/4 c grated parmesan
S&P
fresh basil
fresh parsley
For the shells:
1 pound jumbo shells
16 oz ricotta
1 egg
1/3 c grated parmesan
fresh chopped parsley
pinch nutmeg
pinch S&P
grated mozzarella, fresh basil and cracked black pepper
Put all vegetables including garlic through food processor till finely chopped. Saute in melted butter in heavy sauce pan till soft but not brown. Add pancetta and ground meats, stirring to break up the meat. Add two cans whole tomatoes and water equivalent to one can. Lower heat to simmer and cook for two hours, breaking up tomatoes during this time. Add cream, S&P, cheese and chopped herbs, simmer for another 30 minutes.
Cook shells in boiling water till just soft enough to not crack when you open them. Do not over cook....they should be even less than al dente. Strain and cool under running cold water. Mix ricotta, egg, parmesan, nutmeg, S&P and parsley. Fill each shell with a tablespoon of cheese.
Lay about 2 c bolognese in the bottom of a baking dish. Place stuffed shells onto bolognese. At this point...I cover them and bake them, without having sauced the top. Bake for 40 minutes. Then, I plate them, spoon hot sauce over them, top with shredded mozzarella and chopped herbs and use a blow torch to melt the cheese. If you do not want to do the blow torch, put sauce over the unbaked shells, cover and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle the mozzarella over them, and return to the oven for 5 minutes.
Sauce:
4oz pancetta, ground or finely chopped
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
2 20 oz cans whole peeled italian tomatoes
1/3c yellow onion
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
3 garlic cloves
1 stick butter
1/2 c heavy cream
1/4 c grated parmesan
S&P
fresh basil
fresh parsley
For the shells:
1 pound jumbo shells
16 oz ricotta
1 egg
1/3 c grated parmesan
fresh chopped parsley
pinch nutmeg
pinch S&P
grated mozzarella, fresh basil and cracked black pepper
Put all vegetables including garlic through food processor till finely chopped. Saute in melted butter in heavy sauce pan till soft but not brown. Add pancetta and ground meats, stirring to break up the meat. Add two cans whole tomatoes and water equivalent to one can. Lower heat to simmer and cook for two hours, breaking up tomatoes during this time. Add cream, S&P, cheese and chopped herbs, simmer for another 30 minutes.
Cook shells in boiling water till just soft enough to not crack when you open them. Do not over cook....they should be even less than al dente. Strain and cool under running cold water. Mix ricotta, egg, parmesan, nutmeg, S&P and parsley. Fill each shell with a tablespoon of cheese.
Lay about 2 c bolognese in the bottom of a baking dish. Place stuffed shells onto bolognese. At this point...I cover them and bake them, without having sauced the top. Bake for 40 minutes. Then, I plate them, spoon hot sauce over them, top with shredded mozzarella and chopped herbs and use a blow torch to melt the cheese. If you do not want to do the blow torch, put sauce over the unbaked shells, cover and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle the mozzarella over them, and return to the oven for 5 minutes.