How To make Baked Stuffed Tufoli

MEAT BALLS:

=

1 1/2 lb ground beef chuck
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 c chopped onion
1/4 c minced parsey
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
2 tb bread crumbs
2 tb oil
2 eggs
1 Clove garlic; minced
2 ts salt
1/4 ts pepper
olive oil
:

TOMATO SAUCE

= :

1/4 c oil
1/4 c chopped onion
1/4 c chopped green pepper
1 Clove garlic; minced
1 cn (6-oz) broiled mushrooms
4 cn (6-oz) tomato paste
1 cn (#2-1/2) Italian plum
-tomatoes 1 ts sugar
2 ts salt
1/4 ts pepper

MAKING THE CASSEROLE:

= --- 1 lb tufoli (large tube macaroni)
meat balls from step #1 1 -(up to)
1 1/2 pk frozen chopped spinach
1 ts salt
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
1 egg
tomato sauce recipe
Mix all ingredients for meat balls together thoroughly, except the last, olive oil. Form into medium sized balls: brown in oil. Set aside and cook in tomato sauce later.
To make tomato sauce: Heat the oil: add onion, green pepper, garlic, mushrooms (drained and halved) and saut=82 until golden. Stir in tomato paste; cook for 4 minutes. Press plum tomatoes through a strainer; add an equal amount of water. Combine with tomato paste mixture. Add sugar, sal= t and pepper. Bring to a boil; add meatballs and cook over low heat 1-1/2 hours or until sauce thickens slightly. Remove meatballs and put aside.
Cook tufoli in 6 quarts boiling, salted water for 12 to 15 minutes or until almost tender. Mash meat balls in a bowl. Add spinach (drained an= d finely chopped), salt, 2 tablespoons cheese and the egg, mixing well. Stuff this mixture into cooked tufoli. Cover bottom of a large casserole with half of sauce and arrange alternate layers of stufted tufoli and sauce, sprinkling each layer with cheese; finish with sauce. Cover dish and bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for 30 minutes. Serve with extra sauce and cheese. Serves 6 very generously.
Source: A Taste of Louisiana.
From Glen Hosey's Recipe Collection Program, hosey@erols.com
-----