Another twist with Bolognese sauce, this time with large pasta shells stuffed with vegan cheese.  Don’t let the long cook time put you off, most of the time is hands off. 

Ingredients
750/800g mince (I use Vivera or quorn) 
2 tbsp olive oil 
2 medium onions, finely chopped 
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 
250ml red wine 
2 tbsp tomato purée 
2 tins of tomatoes chopped or pulped  
1 tsp mixed Italian herbs 
1 tbsp sugar 
1 vegetable stock pot  
Pecorino or Parmesan style cheese 2 tbsps grated plus 100g more, grated 
250g Conchiglioni pasta (very large pasta shells) 
250g mascarpone or mascarpone style cheese 
250g mozzarella cut into small chunks, or mozzarella style cheese grated 
Salt 
Pepper

Method
Put 1 tbsp oil in a pan that can go into the oven and cook the mince until brown - expect this to take 5-10 mins.  Add the remaining tbsp of olive oil and the onion and cook for a few minutes until translucent, add the garlic and continue to cook for a few minutes.  The bottom of the pot will be browning and caramelising on the bottom. 

Add the red wine and scrape the caramelised bits from the bottom.  Cook for a few minutes until the liquid has almost gone and add the tomato purée.  Mix well and cook for a few minutes - this is to remove the raw tomato taste.  Add the tins of tomatoes, herbs, stock pot and sugar.  Mix thoroughly, add your pecorino or Parmesan style cheese and cook on a medium heat for at least an hour until it has reduced. 

20 mins before serving preheat the oven to 180c and bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook your pasta according to the packet instructions - that being said, I find that this pasta takes a few minutes longer than the packet recommends, this is personal choice. 

While the pasta is cooking, combine the mascarpone, mozzarella and parmesan, season with black pepper and carefully mix. 

When your pasta is just cooked, drain and cool down with cold water.  Drain well.  You now want to take the cheese mixture and fill the pasta shells. 

Remove the parmesan rind from the sauce, and put into a large oven dish.  Top the ‘Bolognese’ sauce carefully with the shells ensuring the shells all remain upwards so that the cheese does not melt out of the shells.  Bake for 25-30 mins until golden.