The Cooking Secret That Will Change Your Life!

Well, maybe I'm exaggerating a little. But if you like to cook Italian dishes, especially treats like manicotti and stuffed shells, my way is definitely simpler. I'm not sure where I first came across this method, but it works great. I haven't tried it yet with gluten-free pasta, but I'll let you know how it comes out when I do. If you've ever tried to stuff a cooked shell or manicotti tube, you know it is tricky and makes a big mess. So I stuff the pasta before I cook it, and add a cup of water to the sauce (one cup per pint of sauce). I used to make my own sauce, but the Hunt's sauce is really good. I usually jazz it up with red wine, herbs, and veggies. The sauce will seem too runny but trust me, the additional liquid cooks up and boils the pasta in the process. Be sure you seal the foil tightly around the top of the pan. Here is my stuffed shells recipe, a favorite of my kids and their friends (and my friends). This probably serves 8-10 people who have normal appetites; when my boys are here, we don't have leftovers.

Sauce:
2 cans Hunt's four-cheese spaghetti sauce (or whatever kind you like)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pint mushrooms (these give the sauce a meaty texture)
1/2 of a large onion
1 clove garlic
1 bell pepper
1 tablespoon dried basil (you may want to cut this back; I really like basil)
2 teaspoons oregano
1 cup wine
1 1/2 cups water

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add next 6 ingredients and saute until the vegetables start to get tender. Add sauce and wine and simmer while you stuff the shells.

Filling:
Large container of ricotta cheese (I use part-skim but whole milk is fine too)
1 8-oz bag shredded Italian cheese (like Sargento 6-cheese Italian)
3 eggs
black pepper
dash nutmeg
dried parsley or fresh parsley flakes
freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 box large pasta shells

Mix all ingredients except pasta in a large bowl, reserving about a half cup of the shredded cheese. (For the pepper and parmesan, adjust according to taste. A little parm goes a long way, and you'll want some to sprinkle on top.)

Assembly:
Preheat oven to 375. Set aside a cup or so of the sauce to serve on the side; refrigerate that sauce until the shells are cooked. Add water to remaining sauce in pan and stir well. Put enough sauce in the bottom of a large glass baking dish to completely cover the bottom of the dish. Working with a spoon and a knife, stuff pasta shells with filling, placing them in the baking dish as they are filled. Don't jam too much filling in the shells or it won't cook properly. When all the shells are stuffed (don't worry if you have some left over; oddly shaped shells are nearly impossible to fill, so don't drive yourself crazy trying.) Pour remaining "watery" sauce over shells. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Check pasta for doneness; it should be al dente. Remove foil, top with remaining shredded cheese and a sprinkle of parmesan. Return to oven for 10 minutes or until cheeses are bubbly. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Mangia!