1/2 cup olive oil
1 large chopped onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2-28 ounce cans chopped tomatoes
1 box or jar strained tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
6 leaves fresh sweet basil, torn
In saucepan saute onion and garlic in olive oil until golden.Add tomato products,rinse the cans with a little water and then add it to the pan. Add the spices and let
simmer for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the bechamel sauce.
Bechamel Sauce….
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons flour
5 cups milk
dash of nutmeg
salt
white pepper Melt butter in heavy bottom large skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour. cook together for about 2 minutes. Whisk in milk and spices and and keep whisking until sauce is thick. It needs to boil to thicken. Stay at the stove so that it does not boil over. Keep whisking so that it does not burn on the bottom. Set aside.
RICOTTA FILLING….
1 pound mozzarella cheese (shred the whole pound, but reserve half to top the shells)
3 pounds ricotta
3 large eggs
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup minced parsley
3/4 cup imported grated pecorino romano cheese
Blend all filling ingredients until creamy. This can be done in electric mixer. Stir in grated mozzarella. Scoop filling into plastic bag to aid the filling of the shells.
Boil 2 boxes of jumbo shells . drain and rinse with cold water. In the bottom of baking dish spread a layer of the bechamel sauce. Put a little of the tomato sauce carefully on top. Stuff the shells with the filling by cutting a small hole in the corner of the plastic bag and gently filling the shells. Place single layer of shells on top of the sauce, top
with more bechamel sauce then more tomato sauce. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese and bake on 375 degree preheated oven for about 40 minutes, or until bubbling and lightly brown. This recipe will fill 2-9″x13″ baking pans.
