Well hello hello my lovely ladies
I am reporting to you live from McBride after weeks away in the great North (QC) and the wild west (Denver) for my debut blog. (hold applause)
While in CO celebrating my littlest sister’s 21st birthday, she and I decided to make my mom’s new lasagna recipe (I think an Ina Garten aka Barefoot Contessa) recipe. This recipe is great because first of all, it uses goat cheez…mmmmmm….and second third and fourth turkey sausage, home-made sauce, GREAT noodle cooking technique. details to follow.
the recipe is:
LASAGNA WITH TURKEY SAUSAGE
serves 8
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound lasagna noodles
15 ounces ricotta cheese
3 to 4 ounces creamy goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
Heat the olive oil in a large (10-to 12-inch) skillet. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the sausage and cook over medium-low heat, breaking it up with a fork, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat, for 15 to 20 minutes, until thickened. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with the hottest tap water. Add the noodles and allow them to sit in the water for 20 minutes. Drain.
In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, 1 cup of Parmesan, the egg, the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
Ladle 1/3 of the sauce into a 9x12x2-inch rectangular baking dish, spreading the sauce over the bottom of the dish. Then add the layers as follows: half the pasta, half the mozzarella, half the ricotta, and one third of the sauce. Add the rest of the pasta, mozzarella, ricotta, and finally, sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.
To make ahead, refrigerate the assembled, unbaked lasagna. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until bubbly.
After making this recipe for the second time I have several suggestions. There never seems to be quite enough sauce for the incredibly huge and awesome amount of chzzzz mixture you end up with, so I would suggest just dbl’ing the sauce mixture. You could also easily substitute you’re favorite sauce recipe. A great way to really AMP up this dish is adding layers of spinach or roasted (or raw) veggies of your liking. I definitely plan to try the spinach myself next go around, I’ll let you know how it goes
Also want to comment on the noodle cooking method, IT’S AWESOME. Because you don’t technically “cook” the noodles before assembling the lasagna, the sauce finishes them off nicely while in the oven and you end up with perfectly al dante layers every time. Really adds a nice texture to the soft ingredients of the lasagna. Even if you don’t end up trying this recipe, I would strongly suggest trying the noodles.
Glad spring has sprung and summer is around the corner. Paul’s grilling marinades to follow (i promise)
cheers!
Riane
The Story of Riane
Told by Mo
One of the first and most memorable meals I shared with Riane was over a bottle of chilled chardonnay and a steaming pot of fondue. With nearly ten women on her guest list, Riane whipped up the yummiest beer and mustard fondue I’ve ever had. This cook must have known the way to a crow’s heart is undoubtedly through cheese! Needless to say, our friendship continued to grow from there.
Hailing from the great state of Oregon Riane Welch grew up loving the outdoors. Her love of Mother Nature shows in her cooking, as Riane is one of the fiercest grilling machines that ever walked the earth. Combining summer sun with a grilled meal can only lead to success as Riane has showed us with dishes such as giant portobellos topped with manchego and spinach, juicy flavorful burgers and seafood skewers. The adventurous Riane has also been known to add a little Asian flair to her meals with her spring rolls, hand-rolled sushi and delicious stir-frys.
Have I mentioned this Crow’s love affair with mushrooms? As far as Riane is concerned, the more mushrooms the merrier! The same can be said of her company-Riane loves to cook for big groups (as all Crows do) and whether it’s fondue, sushi or a big mushroom soup, this crow can whip up a family style meal in two shakes of a lambs tail! Her adventurous attitude towards food and her generous nature make cooking with Riane a true pleasure to anyone who has the chance to team up with her in the kitchen.
http://crowsinthekitchen.com
Paul Makes the best grilled chicken EVER- that batch he made on the roof deck on Mark St is forever embedded in my taste buds.
hmmm I am going to try this this weekend…
This method of noodle cooking reminds me of using rice based noodles…I’ll let you know if I can recreate it!