That’s Amore Italian

Welcome To That’s Amore Italian…

That’s Amore (Love)

My Stuffed Meaty Cheesy Shells With Cheeses, Spices, And Lots Of Herbs

Or A Few Shells On A Bed Of Salad Greens And Cheeses

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When I think of Italian Food I automatically think of Love and Romance.

I believe that they both go hand in hand.

No one falls in love over a cheeseburger, but I believe lots of people have fallen in love over a plate of Spaghetti.  🙂

It’s not just the food that promotes the romance, it’s the atmosphere of Candlelight, Drippy Candles, Wine, Wine Glasses, Bread Sticks, Waiters, Music, well, you get the picture.

  Only in Italy!  Or rather, Italian Inspired.

The Lady And The Tramp

Disney, 1955

A very famous scene of two lovers falling in love for the first time over a plate of Spaghetti.

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The Parent Trap, 1961

I loved this movie so much when I was younger.  I was born in 1961, but it would air on T.V. in the later years and I was always glued to it.  Maureen O’Hara was so beautiful, Brian Keith was so handsome, and Hayley Mills was so cute and adorable.  This is one of my favorite childhood movies.

After all in the story, these two fell in love over an Italian Dinner.

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1953

Dean Martin’s Debut Of This Song

My Stuffed Meaty Cheesy Shells With Cheeses, Spices, And Lots Of Herbs

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(This Is A Similar Meat Mixture Recipe That I Have Used Many Times Before.  I May Alter It Up, But The Base Is Usually The Same.)

Ingredients:

2, 19 oz. Packs Hot Italian Sausage

1, 19 oz. Pack Sweet Italian Sausage

Half a Medium Sweet Onion, Chopped

Half a Medium Red Onion, Chopped

3, Red Bell Peppers, Chopped

10-15, Garlic Cloves, Minced

(You do not have to use that much Garlic if you don’t want to.  But at least use a good 5 Garlic Cloves.)

Pats of Butter, For Cooking

Olive Oil, For Cooking

1, 28 oz. Can Whole Peeled Tomatoes

1, 28 oz. Can Crushed Tomatoes

1 T. Chopped Calabrian Peppers (Warning:  They are Hot!)

1, Box 12 oz. Jumbo Shells Pasta

1, 16 oz. Mozzarella Cheese Slices

Shredded Parmesan Cheese, To Taste

Sprinkling of Pizza Palooza Spice Mix (optional)

Bunch of Fresh Parsley

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Don’t Forget To Enjoy A Glass Of Wine Or Two While Cooking

Also, Turn On Some Nice Italian Music To Enjoy.  Atmosphere Is Key!

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The Recipe:

Begin By Chopping The Onions…

..And Then The Red Bell Peppers

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Turn Your Pan On To A Medium Heat

I Added A Few Pats Of Butter To My Wok

Sometimes I Prefer A Wok To A Frying Pan, I Like The Heat Distribution Better

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Everything Chopped And Ready

With The Butter Melted I Added My Chopped Onions To The Wok

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Mincing My Garlic Into A Bowl

(Use As Many Cloves As You Want)

Once My Onions Soften, Which Takes About 5 Minutes, Then Add The Minced Garlic. 

Sometimes I Will Add More Butter If Necessary.

Turn On To A Low Heat And Allow To Sit

(Remove The Onions From The Wok And Place Into A Smaller Frying Pan, Set Aside.)

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In A Smaller Frying Pan I Am Adding Another Pat Of Butter To Melt On A Medium Heat

When The Butter Is Melted, Add The Chopped Red Bell Pepper To Saute

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Time To Add All The Sausage

Remove The Sausage From The Casings As Well,

Place The Sausage Into The Wok To Brown

You Can Add Some Olive Oil To The Sausage To Help The Cooking Process And Add Some Flavor

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Now That The Sausage Has Browned It’s Time To Add The Tomato Products

(Sometimes If The Meat Mixture Is Too Greasy I Will Drain The Grease Into The Sink.  I Did Not Do That Here.)

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It’s Best To Break Up The Whole Peeled Tomatoes By Cutting Them With Kitchen Scissors

Next You Want To Turn The Heat Up To Medium And Allow To Simmer Away

You Want To Thicken The Sauce, Stir Often

I Placed The Onions and Garlic Into The Pan With The Red Bell Peppers, And Set Aside

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WARNING:  THIS IS HOT!!!!

I Am Adding A Tablespoon Of The Calabrian Peppers To My Sauce

You Can Also See That It Is Thickening Up

As My Sauce Bubbles Away And The Liquid Is Reduced, I Keep Turning The Temperature Down A Few Notches At A Time

I Am Now Adding My Onions, Garlic, And Red Bell Peppers To The Meat Mixture

Nice And Thick!

See The Grease In the Photo Right?  That Is Flavor.

You Can Also See The Grease That Congealed Into The Container When Placed Into The Refrigerator

I Made The Meat Mixture Ahead Of Time, Now To Assemble And Finish This Great Dinner

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Now For The Pasta Portion Of This Great Meal

Prepare A Baking Sheet With Aluminum Foil

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Fill A Large Pot 3/4 Of The Way Up With Water, Bring To A Boil

Here I Am Heating Up Some Of My Meat Mixture In The Stove Top On A Low Heat

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You Can Always Add A Bit Of Salt To The Water While It Comes To A Boil

Also, Some Olive Oil To Help Prevent The Pasta Sticking Together

When The Water Starts Boiling Add The Pasta Shells

Cook According To Package Instructions.  We Want The Pasta To Be Al Dente.

When The Pasta Is Finished Cooking, Drain Into A Colander In The Sink

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Now It’s Time To Stuff The Pasta With The Meat Mixture

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Use A Cooking Oil Spray On The Baking Sheet To Prevent The Pasta From Sticking

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Turn The Oven On 350F

When The Pasta Shells Are Cool Enough, Place Some Of The Meat Mixture Into Each One, Place Them Onto The Baking Sheet

I Sliced The Mozzarella And Placed Some In Each Pasta Shell

Time To Go In The Oven For The Shell To Cook A Bit, And The Mozzarella To Melt, About 10 – 15 Minutes

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Shredded Parmesan Cheese and Italian Pizza Palooza Spice Mix

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After The Allotted Time Remove From The Oven,

Sprinkled Some Of the Italian Pizza Palooza Spice Mix Over Them, And Add Some Shredded Parmesan Cheese,

Now Place Them Back Into The Oven For The Parmesan Cheese To Melt, About 5 More Minutes

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Time To Plate

I Added My Parsley In A Circle Around The Plate, And Then Placed My Meat Filled Pasta Shells All Around

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Add Some Additional Parsley Around The Shells,

Such A Beautiful Romantic Dinner For Two  🙂

Grazie,

Julie

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