Baked Cannelloni (Florentine)

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package cannelloni pasta
• 8 oz vegetarian ground beef
• 2 carrots, chopped
• ½ stalk celery, chopped
• ½ yellow onion, chopped
• 10 oz spinach, rinsed and chopped
• salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1 (16 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, chopped
• salt and pepper
• 4 leaves fresh basil, chopped

Method

1. Preheat oven to 500º. In a 9 x 13 baking dish, stir meat, carrots, celery, onions and spinach, salt, pepper, olive oil, and white wine. Roast for 30-40 minutes until meat is brown and vegetables are soft, stirring frequently and reduce heat if needed.
2. Cool mix 15 minutes, then chop finely in processor. Return to pan and stir in cream, tomatoes, Parmesan, Italian seasoning and basil. Bake 20 minutes and cool.
3. While mix cools, purée canned tomatoes with juice in processor until smooth. Sauté garlic and chopped onion. Stir in puréed tomato, salt and pepper. Cook 5-10 minutes until no longer watery. Add basil leaves and cook another minute.
4. Boil pasta in salted water, a few at a time, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to cold water then put on a flat surface.
5. Reduce oven to 350º. Stuff pasta with mix, 2-3 tablespoons per shell. Place shells in 9 x 13 baking dish, cover with tomato sauce and bake 20 minutes, until sauce is bubbly.