Veal-Stuffed Pasta Shells with Olive Tomato Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp (5 ml) dried basil
• 1 tsp (5 ml) dried oregano
• ½ cup (125 ml) coarsely chopped black olives
• 14 oz (398 ml) cans tomato sauce
• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) tomato paste
• 1 cup (250 ml) red wine or beef stock
• pinch crushed chili flakes (optional)
• pinch sugar
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1 lb (500 g) ground veal
• 1 large egg
• ¼ cup (60 ml) breadcrumbs
• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp (5 ml) each dried basil and dried oregano
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 20 jumbo pasta shells, cooked as per package directions
• 1½ cups (375 ml) grated mozzarella cheese

The sauce
1. Heat the oil in the pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the remaining sauce ingredients. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, and then remove from the heat.
The stuffed shells
2. Pheheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Combine the veal, egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, basil, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper in bowl. Place about 2 Tbsp (30 ml) of filling into each shell. Spoon the sauce into a 9- × 13-inch (23 × 33 cm) casserole. Place the stuffed shells in the dish. Top each with a little mozzarella cheese. Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until the tops of the shells are golden and the sauce is bubbling.