Gift of Lasagna

[fitfool]

I love it when other people cook for me. I was also surprised to find that I enjoyed cooking for other people too (well, once I started making things that were edible). There's something very nourishing and nurturing about it that I hadn't thought would appeal to me. I like hearing the compliments on how it tastes and I like it even more when someone polishes off what's on the plate and glances back at the kitchen, hopefully wondering if there's enough for seconds. Growing up, I had been such a tomboy that I paid little attention to cooking and thought of it as a chore or something that could be replaced by ordering takeout.

As long as I'm rambling, read the short story "A Small, Good Thing" by Raymond Carver. It's a 30-page story in the collection of short stories called Cathedral if you want to read it in printed form. The final page makes me weep every time I read it. There's a line in there where the baker thinks, "It was better to be feeding people." That line's the first time I really thought about how I find it personally satisfying to share home-cooked food.

The other day a friend brought us some lasagna he had made. When he dropped it off, he apologized ahead of time saying he was disappointed that the sausage had had some gristle. I waved off his apologies since he's enough of a food snob that I don't think he would've shared it with us at all if he didn't think it tasted good. It tasted great and I didn't get any gristle in my piece. Gooey delightfulness with the perfect zing in his seasonings. So cheers to my friend and his lasagna and cheers to cooks everywhere!







My Friend's Lasagna
He says he cooks it up a little differently every time and doesn't really have a recipe. Here are the general steps for what he did this time around.

Cheese Mixture:
Ricotta cheese 3 cups
Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
pepper (to taste)
Italian spices - in the cheese mixture (sorry - I just do it by feel)
   (include oregano, thyme, rosemary, basil, and maybe savory and marjoram)

Lasagna noodles (I actually use the no boil kind because it's easier)
Mozzarella cheese 16 oz (I slice it and layer it)
Lots of Garlic (minced) sauteed in olive oil (Mmmm Garlic)
A lot of sausage (cooked up beforehand)
Onions (caramelized in olive oil)
Mushrooms(sliced thin and sautéed in butter)
Jar of spaghetti sauce (used Classico)

Note: For the sauce, you can use a can of tomatoes and some tomato paste, or a jar and a half of tomatoes sauce, or make your own sauce and add some of that. I have a good sauce recipe but it's very time consuming. This time I used jar sauce. Just use a jar of classico sauce and you'll be good to go

1. Coat the 13x9x2-inch baking dish or lasagna pan with spray-on cooking spray
   
2. Place a layer of noodles in bottom of a pan
   
3. Cover with a layer of mozzarella cheese then spoon half of the ricotta mixture over the mozzarella.
   
4. Spoon a layer of a sausage over the cheese
   
5. Spread the onions and mushrooms evenly across the top of the sausage layer by hand.
   
6. Cover with tomato sauce.
   
7. Sprinkle half of the minced garlic over the sauce, Jackson Pollock-style.
   
8. Repeat layers
   
9. Cover it up and bake it for 50 minutes. [I assume he meant cover it with tin foil.]
   

thread at cooking
thread at food_porn

Comments

[mforbes321.livejournal.com]

What a wonderful friend to bring you something so delicious!

[tigrrgrr.livejournal.com]

Wow on so many levels. Sliced mozzerlla!! I never thought of it. This post goes in my memories for the day I can afford all the nummies ( or stockpile them )

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

I was shocked by that too. I'll definitely be trying it that way next time I make lasagna.

[mschlock.livejournal.com]

Another secret is to have the deli slice it for you -- no effort, and you can buy quantities smaller than 1 lb. The only problem is the deli usually has it in part-skim only...

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

so...which kind is the more desirable kind?

[mschlock.livejournal.com]

I like the whole-milk mozzarella -- maybe I'm imagining it, but I like the texture better (a little creamier and meltier, less rubbery).

The major shrinkwrapped brands usually also do a whole-milk version (or so I've found in the stores over the last couple of years -- didn't use to be that way).

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

So the sometimes rubbery texture I get is from the whole-milk vs. skim-milk content? I had thought it was because I skimped on the brand.

[cwhf.livejournal.com]

I need lasagna now. I'm pretty fond of butternut squash and sage lasagna. Think I know what I'm making Sunday to serve on my new dining room table and buffet.

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

Please share your recipe! That sounds like it could be a delicious combination!

[cwhf.livejournal.com]

This was adapted from a Bon Appetit recipe that had way too much cheese and really didn't focus on the squash so I tweaked it significantly to come up with this. This is one of my favorite fall winter dishes.

1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 pound crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, sliced (about 5 cups)
5 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/4-inch-thick pieces (about 10 cups) usually 1 large squash or save yourself the hassle and buy 2 bags of trader joes prepeeled and diced.
1 14-ounce can vegetable broth
4 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, divided---can use dried
4 tablespoons sliced fresh sage, divided ---fresh advised
1 15-ounce container light ricotta cheese
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese, divided
1 ¼ cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 large eggs
Olive oil
1 9-ounce package no-boil lasagna noodles

Toss squash with 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil and roast in oven at 350 F for 45-60 minutes until slightly softened and caramelized.

Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté until soft, about 8 minutes. Increase heat to high; add mushrooms and cook until tender, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer mushroom mixture to bowl; set aside.
Add squash, broth, 3 tablespoons thyme, and 3 tablespoons sage to same skillet. Cover and simmer over medium heat until squash is just tender, about 6 minutes. Uncover and cook until squash is very soft but still retains shape, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Mix ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, and remaining 1 tablespoon thyme and 1 tablespoon sage in large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper; mix in egg.
Brush 13x9x2-inch (deeper if you have it or make 2 dishes and freeze one---it freezes beautifully) glass or ceramic baking dish with oil. Spread a layer of ricotta mixture over bottom of dish. Arrange 3 noodles on top. Spread a layer of the ricotta mixture over noodles. Arrange a generous layer of the squash mixture over that. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup mushrooms and ¼ cup mozzarella. Top with 3 noodles, then repeat layers until dish is full, ending with noodles topped with the remainder of the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle remaining parmesan on top. Cover with oiled foil.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake lasagna, covered, 35 minutes. Uncover; bake until heated through, about 25 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. (The lasagna can be assembled one day ahead and refrigerated and baked the next day; it also freezes beautifully).

Do let me know if you try it!

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

LJ has given me way too many new recipes to try recently but I'm grateful for the bounty. Thanks for typing this up. This is going on my Must Try list!

[deltamiss.livejournal.com]

I love lasagne! This looks scrumptious!

[dejablu503.livejournal.com]

FYI, any noodles are no boil noodles when it comes to lasagna. Layer your lasagna using uncooked noodles, and when done add boiling water to just below the top layer, cover with foil, cut 3 vent holes and bake...the noodles cook to perfection, the water steams off...and it is perfect every time.

[cwhf.livejournal.com]

Yep---I've never boiled a lasagna noodle in my life. Or manicotti either---same thing works.

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

oh wow...so...don't the noodles and layers come apart in the water? I guess they don't if you and cwhf do it this way. Neat. Thanks for the tip!

[champion.livejournal.com]

Must...make...that...now...

[chipleduff.livejournal.com]

OMG...that's so mean to put on here. It's 0505, and i'm starving:)

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

Heh...I get that feeling a lot too. Sometimes I'll log in after dinner and then be hungry all over again when I see other people's food pictures.

[haha-dumbass.livejournal.com]

oh wow, this looks so amazing.
i'm trying this tomorrow or something.
thanks for posting.

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

So...did you get a chance to try it out this weekend? I'll be headed to your neighborhood this weekend. I'll be part of the mob that makes traffic a mess on Sunday.