Recipe(tried): Ma Ziti's Stuffed Shells, Mamma's Sauce and Meat Sauce from Dom Deluise's Eat This! Here it is!

This recipe is from Dom DeLuise's Eat This!...It'll Make You Feel Better! cookbook.

MA ZITI'S STUFFED SHELLS
Servings: 6-8

2 quarts Mamma's Marinara or Meat Sauce (recipes below)
2 eggs
1 pound ricotta cheese
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 Tablespoons parsley
few leaves of basil, chopped
dash of pepper
24 giant ziti shells
grated cheese for the top

Make Mamma's Sauce (or whichever one you decide on) and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, parsley, basil and pepper; set aside.

Cook giant shells in lots of boiling water until al dente. Careful! Don't overcook. If they are too limp, it's harder to fill these suckers.

Drain and stuff each shell with a few tablespoons of the cheese mixture.

Cover the bottom of a large baking dish with about 1/2 inch of Mamma's sauce. Arrange stuffed shells side by side in the sauce. Dribble the remaining sauce over the top and down the center of the shells. Sprinkle the additional Parmesan cheese over the top.

Bake, covered, in a 350 degree F. oven until hot and bubbly.

Delicious with a green salad and hot, crusty bread.

VARIATIONS:
1. Saute 1 minced garlic clove and 1 finely chopped onion in a bit of oil until golden brown. Add 1 package (10 ounce) of frozen shopped spinach, thawed and well drained; cook briefly with garlic and onion and combine with the cheese mixture. Add sauce as above.

2. Saute 1 pound lean ground beef or veal, 1 minced garlic clove and 1 finely chopped onion and add to cheese mixture.

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MAMMA'S MARINARA SAUCE

4 Tablespoon olive oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (28 ounce each) ready-cut tomatoes or 5 pound fresh tomatoes, peeled and sliced
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
4 Tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (optional)
10 fresh basil leaves
pepper
grated cheese

In a deep 10-inch frying pan, heat the olive oil and gently saute the garlic. Add tomatoes, tomato paste and sun-dried tomatoes, if you are using these.

Put on medium heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Tear basil leaves into small pieces and sprinkle on top after adding to pasta. Add pepper and grated cheese to taste.

This sauce is fabulous with fish, scallops, shrimp or broiled chicken, etc.

ALTERNATIVE:
Add 1 medium onion, finely chopped and saut the onion with the garlic until limp.

Each step makes a different sauce that is delicious, fresh and unique.

Note: If fresh tomatoes are used, put them in a pot of boiling water for about 10 seconds until the skin can be easily peeled off. Discard skin. Cut tomatoes into pieces and add to frying-pan mixture. Add tomato paste and sun-dried tomatoes.

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MAMMA'S (AND MICHAEL'S) MEAT SAUCE
Makes about 2 quarts of sauce

4 Tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (28-ounce each) ready-cut tomatoes
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1 pound lean ground beef
1 teaspoon thyme
10 fresh mushrooms, diced

In a saucepan, heat oil and lightly brown onion, carrot and garlic.

Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, pepper and sugar. Simmer gently for about 30 minutes.

While sauce is simmering, brown ground beef in skillet over medium-high heat, drain off fat.

Add meat and thyme to tomato mixture. Cover and simmer 1/2 hour, stirring occasionally.

Add mushrooms and cook another 10 minutes.

Great with 1 pound of pasta, cooked al dente.