Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it generously and cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the package. Reserve 1-2 cups of pasta water before draining.
Meanwhile, heat a large, deep pan or a Dutch oven over medium heat and melt the butter in it. Saute the shallots and garlic for 2-3 minutes until they soften.
Add the red chilli flakes, then pour in the red wine and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes until the alcohol mostly evaporates.
Stir in the passata (tomato sauce) and bring to a simmer. Add the double cream and milk and allow the sauce to bubble for 1-2 minutes.
Next, stir in the fresh basil leaves and grated Parmesan, season with freshly ground black pepper, then transfer the cooked pasta to the pan. Toss to cover the pasta in sauce, then stir in the fresh parsley.
Season to taste and serve immediately with some extra grated Parmesan on top if you like.
Stuffed Bell Peppers:
Ingredients:
6 bell peppers, of roughly equal size
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
¾ lb. ground beef
½ lb. ground Italian sausage, spicy or mild
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt/Pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon brown sugar
14.5 oz. diced tomatoes, undrained
1 ½ cups marinara sauce, I love Rao’s
½ cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1.5 cups cooked rice
1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add 1 ½ cups water to a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Cut the tops of each pepper and remove the seeds/membranes.
Place the whole peppers top-side-down in the casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove water from the casserole dish once finished and set the peppers aside.
While the peppers steam, prepare the filling.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and sausage and season it with salt and pepper. Cook and crumble it for 3 minutes. Add the onions and cook for 5 more minutes, or until the meat is brown and cooked through. Drain grease. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic and Italian seasoning.
Add the tomato paste and brown sugar and stir to combine. Add the diced tomatoes, marinara sauce, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let it bubble gently and reduce/concentrate for 15 minutes or until little excess liquid remains. Stir in the cooked rice and heat through for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Fill each pepper with an even amount of filling and place in the casserole dish. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Remove cover and top with cheese. (If there is any excess space around the edges of the pepper, I like to push cheese down into those spaces.) Bake for 10 more minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the peppers are tender. Serve!
