Manicotti for the Boys

I felt energized and loving when I went to the grocery store last night.  I was feeling pasta, but when I thought Manicotti, I knew the boys (my husband and brother) would be pleased.

Bill of Casa Barranca Winery had just given us 4 bottle of wine for Christmas.  We opened the Bungalow Red.  Fantastic.

I used the recipe on the back of the box of the shells as a grocery list, adding and changing where I felt appropriate. 

1. Start the heat under a big pot of salty water.

2. In an cast iron enalmed pot like a Crueset, heat a little olive oil and brown the hot italian turkey sausage.  (4 links with casing removed.  I had to do in 2 batches)

3. While sausage is browning, mince up 2 carrots, 2 leeks, 2 stalks celery.

4. In a bowl, mix 15oz. Organic Valley ricotta with 1/3 cup of finely grated parmeson.

5. Once Sausage is browned, remove to a bowl, add more olive oil to pot and add onions, carrots and celery.  Stir and saute for about 10 minutes, or until softer.  Add mined fresh rosemary and sage.  Some dried thyme.  A little Mexican Oregano.  (Or whatever herbs you have on hand and like).  I also added 2 fresh Bay leaves from B.D.  Pour in some of the wine from your glass to deglaze.  Stir and allow to saute and soak up juices.  Add a 28ox can of Muir's Fire Roasted Crushed Tomotoes.  Stir to combine.  Bring to a boil.  Once boiling, turn heat down and allow to simmer.  Pour in a little beef broth to thin the sauce out a bit.

6. Turn oven to 350.  Grease a 9x12 baking dish with olive oil. Wash your spinich.7. When water is boiling, cook the shells and drain.  I ran cold water over them and that made them cool faster so they were easier to handle.8. Throw washed spinich (still wet) into pan you just cooked pasta in.  Turn heat to super low and stir and cover.  Pay attention to this pot.  Stirring and helping spinach to wilt.  Takes about 4 minutes or so.  Once nice and wilted, but still green, drain into a fine colander and rinse with cold water.  With hands squeeze out excess moisture. Finely chop and mix into ricotta along with meat.  Freshly ground pepper and what ever else you think might taste good.

7. When all ingredients are ready, begin to stuff cheese mixture into shells.  Your hands work the best.  Be careful not to bust open the shells.

8. Lay in baking dish and then cover with tomato sauce.  Put in oven for 45 minutes.  

There wasn't a morsel left.  I imagine that this dish could serve up to six peeps if you had a salad to go along with it.  But the 3 of us polished it off.  OMG.