Prosciutto and Radicchio Stuffed Shells With Tomato Basil Sauce

The Colonel informs me that today is a state holiday: the first day wherein the temperature is less than 70 in the morning. I suspect this is total bunk, but we'll go with it.

Cooler weather means cookie baking and oven dishes, not just because we have air conditioning to compensate, but because it just seems so right. A trip to the grocery store this past week led to an impulse buy of a new Kroger brand of pasta: HemisFares. Cute. The impulse buy was a large bag of Lumaconi, large shells suitable for stuffing. And stuff them I did!

I found a Martha Stewart recipe with proscuitto and radicchio, to go along with the ricotta and fresh mozzarella. If I were to make this again in about six weeks, I could use The Colonel's homegrown basil for the sauce, but they're not ready yet. Very soon.

Stuffed and ready for sauce-dabbing and
oven duty, Sir!

I had a little left over fresh oregano, so I added some to the pasta sauce. Instead of dotting the shells with butter, I dabbed on some of the sauce, reserving enough to pour on top after their bake.

I served this with a green salad and Chianti.

Mangia!

Prosciutto and Radicchio Stuffed Shells

Adapted from Martha Stewart (although the sauce is my recipe)

INGREDIENTS

1 box (12 ounces) jumbo pasta shells

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 red onion, chopped
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

1 head radicchio, cored and shredded (4 cups)

1 teaspoon red-wine vinegar

12 ounces fresh ricotta cheese (1 1/4 cups)

8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, chilled and cut into small cubes (1 cup)

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

5 cups Tomato Basil sauce (recipe follows)

Unsalted butter, for dotting

Garnish: finely grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta shells for 10 minutes. Drain, and rinse. Transfer to a bowl. Drizzle with oil. Let cool.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium heat. Cook prosciutto, garlic, onion, and crushed red pepper, stirring, until prosciutto starts to caramelize, 6 to 8 minutes. Add radicchio; cook until tender but not mushy, about 4 minutes. Stir in vinegar; cook until evaporated. Let cool slightly. Stir in ricotta and mozzarella; season with salt and pepper.

Pour 2 cups tomato sauce into the bottom of each of two 8-by-12-inch baking dishes. Stuff 32 shells with 1 heaping tablespoon filling each. Pack 16 shells into each dish. Cover with foil. Freeze if desired.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Dot shells with butter. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, and raise oven temperature to 450 degrees. Bake until golden and bubbly, about 15 minutes more. Heat remaining cup tomato sauce; serve with shells. Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Tomato Basil Sauce

1 28 oz. can crushed San Marzano tomatoes

1 28 oz. can pureed San Marzano tomatoes

1 small onion chopped finely

3 cloves garlic, minced

16 basil leaves, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

Heat the oil in a sauce pan large enough for the tomatoes. add the onion and saute for 4 minutes or so, until softened. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and saute for a minute. Add the tomatoes and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the basil and salt and pepper to taste and simmer for another 5 minutes.