Stuffed Onions with Chianti Sauce

This is a savory Tuscan side dish that rounds out any pasta meal. Serve with the leftover Chianti that isn't used for the sauce!

Peel 3 (8-ounce) yellow onions, and cut 1/2 an inch off the tops of each. Place, cut sides down, in an 8x8-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cup of unfiltered, organic, or otherwise vegan Chianti over the onions; cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Uncover, turn the onions over, and bake for 20 minutes. Finally, turn them a third time and bake, still uncovered, for an additional 30 minutes.

(Note: I had also cut a thin slice off the bottom part of each onion so they would stand flat when turned that way, too. However, this ended up sort of being a mistake, in that, when I stuffed the onions (see below) the filling could fall through. Luckily, by using a serving spoon to transfer them to serving plates, it wasn't too much of a problem).

Let the onions cool slightly before carefully scooping out their pulp, leaving a 1/2-inch thick shell. Chop the pulp (you'll have a generous quarter-cup worth), and combine with 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs, 3 tablespoons chopped parsley (the original recipe called for flat-leaf, but since I only had curly parsley at home, I used that - small difference, right?), 2 tablespoons shredded vegan cheese in place of Parmesan (I used the vegan mozzarella block from Galaxy Foods), 1 minced garlic clove, and 1/8 tsp. black pepper. Add 1/4 tsp. salt, and toss to combine. Sprinkle an additional pinch of salt over the onion shells, then stuff them evenly with the filling. Bake for 15 minutes, still at 400 degrees.

While the onions bake for the final time, make the sauce: combine 3/4 cup Chianti, a pinch of salt, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons raw sugar and 1/2 tsp. finely chopped rosemary. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until reduced to a 1/4 cup - about 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve 1 stuffed onion and 1 tablespoon of sauce for a serving of 170 calories.

Cost:
onions $1.97
Chianti $13.99
vegan cheese $3.39
rosemary $3.59