Vegetable and Ricotta Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Tomato Sauce

Serves 4

Preparation time is 15 minutes, cooking time 1.5 hrs

Ingredients

For the sauce

• 1 cup chopped onion – (500ml)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter – (45ml)
• 3 tablespoons dry red wine – (45)
• 2 cups plum tomatoes, drained and chopped – (500ml)
• pinch of sugar
• ¼ teaspoon crumbled dried rosemary – (1.25ml)
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled – (2.5ml)
• a pinch dried hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar – (30ml)

For the rolls

• 1 Red & 1 Green cabbage
• 2 cups container of whole-milk ricotta – (500ml)
• ½  pound whole-milk mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch dice – (250grams)
• 1 large egg, beaten lightly
• 2 small red bell peppers, chopped
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed and patted dry –(250ml)
• ½  cup thinly sliced scallion – (125ml)
• ¼ cup thinly sliced scallion – (60ml)

 Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. For sauce, melt a tablespoon of butter into a saucepan over moderately low heat, and add chopped onions.   Cook until softened, add wine, and simmer the mixture for 2 minutes. Add the sugar, tomatoes, balsamic, red pepper flakes, oregano, rosemary, and salt and pepper.  Leave to slowly simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and the liquid is almost evaporated.
3. For preparing rolls, bring two pots of water to boil.
4. Using a sharp knife cut deep cone-shaped incisions into bottom of each cabbage.  Removes cores.  Add whole green cabbage to one pot of boiling water.  Add red cabbage to the second pot of boiling water, boil for 10 minutes or until softened.  Place cabbage into an ice bath, remove and drain on paper towel and let cool. Once cooled, gently pull off the leaves and remove the thick ribs from the leaves.  In a large bowl, mix together ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan, egg, bell peppers, corn and scallion.
5. Spread a thick layer of sauce onto the bottom of a shallow baking dish.
6. Pat your cabbage leafs dry and scoop 2 tablespoons of the cheese sauce into the top end of the leaves, then tuck in the ends and roll.  Arrange rolls on top of the sauce.  Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in the middle of the oven for 50min at 375°F.
7. While hot, stir parsley into the sauce and pour it over your rolls.
8. Serve and enjoy!