Showing posts with label Kebabs. Show all posts

CHEESE-STUFFED PASTA SHELLS WITH CHUNKY GARDEN MARINARA SAUCE


INGREDIENTS
1 large red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 medium zucchini, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 medium yellow squash, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 small eggplant, cut into ½-inch cubes
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
18 jumbo pasta shells
1 small red onion, finely chopped
4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ cup dry red wine
1 (24-ounce) jar of your favorite pasta sauce
1 can (15-ounce) crushed tomatoes
1 large sprig fresh basil, thinly sliced (about ½ cup)
¼ cup chopped parsley
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
1 container (15-ounce) ricotta cheese
1½ cups shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1 large egg
Non-stick cooking spray

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss vegetables with ¼ cup olive oil, spread onto a baking sheet and roast 15-20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.
While vegetables are roasting, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta shells and cook until pliable. (You don't want to overcook. You want to be able to stuff them easily, but remember, they're going to cook again.) Drain in a colander and cool with cold running tap water. Drain.
Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan. Add onion and cook 7 to 8 minutes or until softened. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add red wine and bring to a boil. Cook 1 to 2 minutes.
Add pasta sauce and crushed tomatoes. Bring to a simmer. Cook 8-10 minutes for flavors to blend. Stir in fresh basil, parsley and crushed red pepper flakes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Stir in roasted vegetables. Set aside.
Combine ricotta, ½ cup Mozzarella, Parmesan and egg in a bowl. Season with salt and black pepper.
Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray or brush with olive oil. Spread about 1½ cups of the marinara in the bottom.
Fill each pasta shell with an even amount of the cheese filling. Place filled shells on top of the sauce. Pour remaining sauce over the top of the filled shells. Sprinkle remaining Mozzarella cheese over the top.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake 35 to 40 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking another 10 minutes or until cheese has browned slightly.
Let rest 5 to 10 minutes. Serve additional Parmesan cheese at the table.







Notes
Update ~Here~

Grilled Brussels Sprouts and Kielbasa Kebabs



Have you ever grilled brussels sprouts before? I hadn’t before I tried this but guys, it may be my new favorite way to eat them. I should note that I did boil them first but just for 5 minutes. Then after dunking them in an ice bath and patting them dry, I seasoned them simply with a little olive oil, salt and pepper before threading them on the skewers with the kielbasa.

Guys, grilled brussels sprouts are all kinds of delicious. Seriously. The leaves get this little crunchy char and oh my gosh are they tender on the inside.We loved them so much that I used more than the called for 15 brussels sprouts just so that I could make some brussels sprouts only kebabs. If you are one of those people that don’t think that you like brussels sprouts, I challenge you to give these a try, they just might surprise you.

Ingredients:
15 brussles sprouts
Ice water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound kielbasa, sliced into 1/4 inch slices

Instructions:
Soak wooden skewers 20 minutes before you are ready to cook.

Bring a large pot of water to boil.

Cook brussles sprouts for 5 minutes. Then use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the ice water to stop the cooking process. After cool, remove from water, pat dry and cut in half lengthwise.

Place brussles sprouts in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

Alternate threading brussles sprouts and kielbasa onto skewers.

Preheat a grill to medium high heat. Cook skewers 2 - 3 minutes per-side or until kielbasa and cabbage have char marks. Remove from grill, drizzle with a little more olive oil if desired and serve.

Notes
Update ~Here~