Italian for Starters...

Well hello everyone! I am about to embark on a very exciting, recipe trying, adventure! I'm so glad you stopped by to take a peek. Life is so crazy these days that we all need something that allows us to step back, relax, and take time to do the things that we love. Cooking does just that for me. Cooking allows you to be creative and it can really show your family and friends how much you care about them. I hope you will try some of my recipes the next time you need a dinner idea for your families or your next get together with friends! I thought I would start off with a favorite type of cuisine for many individuals, Italian! I've made this dish for several different occasions and I hope you will find it as successful as I did. Before I forget...if you ever have any questions or ideas on how you can make these dishes better, I would LOVE to hear from you. So let's start cooking!



Recipe Number One~

Sausage and Eggplant Stuffed Shells in a Pink Cream Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 large eggplant, cut into small cubes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes- I tend to add a bit more than that for some more heat.
• 3 tablespoons garlic
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 12 ounces spinach- frozen spinach is just fine- you just need to be sure to thoroughly defrost it and squeeze out any extra liquid.
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2(12 ounce) package of jumbo pasta shells
• 2 cups Italian crushed tomatoes
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

• 4 ounces grated fontina cheese- you can use any good melting cheese- mozzarella works great.

Directions

***For a dinner party I would definitely double this recipe. Original recipe only serves about 6-8 people.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive over medium heat and saute the sausage until golden brown, stirring to break up the pieces. Add half of the onions and the eggplant, season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes and cook until vegetables are lightly carmelized and very soft. Add 1 tablespoon garlic and cook for about a minute, you don't want garlic to burn or it will become bitter. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl to cool.

When mixture has cooled to room temperature, stir in ricotta cheese, spinach, and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and sugar. Stir well.

Lightly grease deep 9 by 13-inch casserole dish and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta shells until just al dente. Drain and rinse under cool water. Pat shells dry. Stuff the pasta shells with the sausage-eggplant mixture and place in casserole dish.

***A little note before starting this next step...I usually double the ingredients in this sauce recipe when serving at a dinner party just so there is extra sauce for those who like to have a little to drizzle over the top of the shells when serving. And if you decided to double the shell recipe for your extra guests, it should only be necessary to triple the sauce recipe.

In a large saucepan, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and saute the remaining chopped onions. Add the remaining tablespoon of garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add the heavy cream and cook until the sauce s reduced in volume by about 1/3, about 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Add the basil to the sauce and pour the sauce over the shells. Sprinkle with the fontina cheese and the remaining Parmesan. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy the goodness of Italy right in your own kitchen!