Beef & Spinach Stuffed Cannelloni

There are (many!) times to take shortcuts  by using  prepared pasta sauces, but not with this.  It's worth making year round, and when faced with a zillion ripening summer tomatoes, it's an even more terrific  sauce to make and freeze for later.  I've heard people complain about filling pasta tubes (I don't see the problem unless you're doing 100) . But if you are one of those people instead of buying the manicotti shell, purchase the  squares of no-boil lasagna noodles, soak  briefly in hot water to make them  pliable, then roll the filling in them.  

In a large pan, over low heat saute 1 c minced onion in 1/4 c olive oil til softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add 2 lg.  fresh, ripe tomatoes, finely chopped (about 2c.), 1 1/2 cups.  canned or fresh chopped plum tomatoes, 1/2 c. red wine, 3 TB tomato paste, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp each: sugar, oregano, basil, salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Cover, simmer 20 minutes. Remove cover, cook slowly about 30 minutes more or until reduced by about 1/3.  Makes  a little less than 4 cups.

Cook 12 cannelloni or manicotti pasta shells al dente per directions, drain. Run cool water over them so they don't stick together while you prepare the filling:

Combine 10 oz.   frozen, cooked and drained spinach,  1 lb very lean ground beef or veal,  1/2 c.  grated Parmesan, 2 eggs, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/8 tsp nutmeg.  Hold the pasta tube with one hand and use a narrow teaspoon like an iced tea spoon  or a baby spoon,  or  just use your fingers to  fill them, being careful not to tear the pasta.

Preheat oven to 350.  Place 1 c. of  the sauce in  a  sprayed 13 x 9 baking dish  and arrange the cannelloni over it. Cover with 2 c. sauce, cover with foil, bake 45-50 minutes, til heated through.  Uncover, top with 1/2 c. Parmesan.   Bake  uncovered 10 minutes or til browned.  Serve with remaining sauce.

Perfect with an "Olive Garden" salad ( google that recipe), and cheesy garlic bread.    And maybe a cannoli cheesecake!