Sausage Stuffed Shells - Siskonmakkarauunipasta

I'm not sure what siskonmakkara (literally meaning sister's sausage in Finnish) should be called in English (apparently the name comes from the French word saucisson so nothing to do with sisters). It's a kind of a sausage, which is bought uncooked, uncured and not at all spicy. Prior to cooking it's usually squeezed out of its casing. I remember hating Dad's siskonmakkara soup as a child as he cut the sausages in pieces with the casing which resulted in very odd sausage pieces: the inner parts got swollen and the casing shrank around it like a tight belt (they looked like Saturn had gotten "a bit" fat and was having difficulties with its rings... The casing was also very hard to chew and probably that's the reasons I didn't like them :D Sorry, Dad...

Ever since I made these last spring, it's been on my mind to try them with siskonmakkara sausages. The recipe has quite many steps and by using sausages instead of meatballs one gets rid of one extra step. As these siskonmakkara sausages remain very juicy and quite soft after cooking, they go well with tangy tomato sauce and chewy pasta shells. If I had to find an alternative to it, I would choose a very mild weisswurst. (Scroll down for the recipe in English and Finnish).

Edit 25.01.17: I just noted that this is my 200th post! Can't believe it!!! 

Sausage Stuffed Shells

serves two

1 small onion, finely diced
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 carrot, finely diced
1 celery stalk, finely sliced
1 can crushed tomatoes / tomato passata
1 Tbsp concentrated tomato puree/paste
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp dried basil and oregano each
salt

7-8 big pasta shells (lumaconi)
2 siskonmakkara-sausages (or other)

grated cheese (your favorite)

First, make the tomato sauce:
Heat the vegetable oil and saute onions until translucent. Add the carrots and celery and saute a couple of minutes. Stir in tomatoes, pure, herbs and sugar. Add 1/2-1 can of water (use the emptied tomato can for measurement) to make a thin sauce (it will thicken in the oven). Bring it to boil and then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer at least 10 minutes (the longer you cook, the better the taste gets). Season with salt (sparingly, sausages are usually quite salty).

Precook the shells: I cooked them for 13 minutes (the full cooking time would have been 15 minutes, so they were still firm). Drain and rinse in cold water.

Preheat the oven to 200 C (convection oven, maybe 220 C with a normal one) and start stuffing the shells. Pour half the tomato sauce on the bottom of your oven dish / pan. Spoon a generous Tbsp of tomato sauce to each of the shells and arrange them on your oven dish. Squeeze a piece of sausage out of its casing in the shells. If some tomato sauce remains, add it to the shells or around them. Sprinkle on grated cheese. Place the dish into the oven and bake it around 20 minutes covered with aluminum foil. Remove the foil and let gratinate for about 10-15 minutes. Check if the sausages are cooked through. Remove from the oven and serve straight away (the shells tend to dry out quite fast.

Siskonmakkarauunipasta

1 pieni sipuli
1 rkl rypsiöljyä
1 porkkanaa
1 sellerinvartta
1 tlk tomaattimurskaa / paseerattua tomaattia
1 rkl tomaattipyrettä
1 tl sokeria
2 tl kuivattua basilikaa
2 tl kuivattua oreganoa

7-8 isoa simpukkapastakuorta (lumaconi)
2 siskonmakkaraa

juustoraastetta (lempijuustostasi)

Tee ensin tomaattikastike:
Lämmitä öljy pannussa ja kuullota sipulia, kunnes se muuttuu läpikuultavaksi. Lisää porkkanakuutiot ja selleriviipaleet ja kuullota niitä vielä muutama minuutti. Lisää tomaattimurska, -pyree, yrtit ja sokeri. Lisää n. 1/2-1 tölkillistä vettä (kastike sakenee uunissa melko paljon). Kiehauta ja sitten vähennä lämpöä. Keitä miedolla lämmöllä ainakin 10 minuuttia. Mausta varovasti suolalla (makkaroissa on melko paljon suolaa).

Esikeitä pastakuoria muutama minuutti vähemmän kuin pakkauksessa on annettu keittoajaksi (keitin 13 minuuttia ohjeen viidestätoista minuutista. Valuta ja huuhtele kylmällä vedellä.

Lämmitä uuni 200 asteeseen (kiertoilmalla, tavallisessa uunissa n. 220 C). Kaada puolet tomaattikastikkeesta uunivuoan pohjalle. Lusikoi reilu ruokalusikallinen tomaattikastiketta sitten kaikkiin pastakuoriin ja järjestele ne vuokaan. Purista makkaramassaa pastakuoriin. Jos tomaattikastiketta jäi yli, laita loput esim. pastakuorten väliin. Ripottele päälle juustoraastetta. Paista uunissa ensimmäiset 20 minuuttia folion alla. Poista folio ja gratinoi vielä n. 10-15 minuuttia tai kunnes makkara on kypsää. Tarjoa heti (pastakuoret kuivuvat melko nopeasti).

Follow Kitchenfoxtales via Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook to not miss a post!