OVEN-BAKED PASTA SHELLS FILLED WITH WINE AND ROSEMARY BRAISED FENNEL CREAM

Cold but beautiful day here so I better start up the oven soon because I feel that is a cool day indoors too. Working on the computer in this house during the winter is not easy, this year I think I will get gloves without the fingertips just to see if it works. But I can't complain right now because it's not that cold indoors yet, it's just me not being used to it and therefore a bit over-sensitive to any change of temperature. I need to harden myself, I need to be like my children who have been brought up in this house and never seem to suffer the cold.
I better get on with the recipe then. I like this very much but then I have a soft spot for fennel braised in white wine together with onion and carrots, I think it brings out the best in all three of them.





OVEN-BAKED PASTA SHELLS FILLED WITH WINE AND ROSEMARY BRAISED FENNEL CREAM
4 servings

32 (or more, it's 8 each) giant pasta shells or conchiglioni
6 small fennel bulbs
1 large onion
1 large carrot
1 sprig of rosemary, the leaves only
1-1 1/2 glass of dry white wine
parmesan, freshly grated
salt
extra-virgin olive oil

- Slice the fennel, onion and carrot and cook them slowly in olive oil. Add salt.
- After about 2-3 minutes add the wine and the rosemary and go on braising until the liquid is gone and vegetables are soft and slightly golden.
- Run the vegetables in a mixer until creamy, it doesn't have to be perfectly smooth.
- Cook the pasta shells al dente, it can be useful to put a little olive oil into the water as it makes it easier to separate the shells later.
- Drain the shells and spoon the fennel cream into them.
- Put the filled pasta shells into an greased oven-proof form, top each of them with parmesan and add a little water to the form, just to cover the bottom of it.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven (200°C/390°F) for about 20 minutes or until they are slightly browned.