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Thursday, June 26, 2008

First day back in Louisiana... (with lasagna)

Fishing stories are on their way...


but I feel I must first set the culinary mood with a brief synopsis of our first day in Louisiana. Even without seeing the "welcome to Louisiana" sign on the highway, I unfailingly know we've arrived in Louisiana when life suddenly begins to revolve, with leisurely bliss, around the kitchen. On our way from Georgia to Louisiana we drove through nearly the whole night, leaving our house in the evening after my last day of final exams, and arriving around 4AM (thanks to Zach's incredible ability for wakefulness while driving, a skill that I unfortunately do not possess). Emerging sleepy-eyed, we were greeted with trout almondine for brunch, along with crisp-fresh green beans, and a bountiful salad with garlicky, homemade, green-goddess dressing. Such a culinary delight surely could have kept us in raptures the entire day, but Miss Sharon (Zach's step-mom) soon observed that "y'all have just come home from a long school year - you should have something cozy for supper, don't you think?" Along with another salad, this time with homemade Italian dressing and fresh tomatoes from Mr. Alden's garden,



Miss Sharon served us a luscious, bubbling, warm, piquant lasagna... Now, I've been evolving my lasagna recipe for a while now, starting with my grandmother's already flawless recipe, and adding a few more touches along the way, but after tasting Miss Sharon's lasagna last night, I've revised the recipe once again... Here, then, is my amalgamation of our latest ideal lasagna recipe... and our first taste of coming home.

Three-Generation Lasagna

1 lb. turkey sausage, casings removed, OR 1 lb. vegetarian "sausage" style soy crumbles plus 2 T olive oil
2 ½ lb of your favorite marinara sauce
2 lbs. part-skim ricotta cheese
8 oz. cream cheese
2 tsp sugar
2 eggs
a pinch of nutmeg
1 lb. frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
1 ½ lb mozzarella, shredded
1 lb provolone, shredded
1/2 lb. cheddar, shredded
1 box “no boil” lasagna pasta

~ Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
~ In a large skillet, brown the sausage or vegetarian "sausage style" crumbles. Stir in the maranara sauce, remove from the heat, and set aside.
~ Combine the ricotta, cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and nutmeg, and beat until smooth and creamy.
~ Fold the spinach into the ricotta mixture.
~ Toss the shredded mozzarella and provolone together until mixed.
~ In a 15X9” baking pan, spread a layer of marinara sauce. Top with a layer of pasta. Spread a generous layer of the ricotta mixture on top, then top that with some shredded cheese. Continue layering in this fashion (marinara, pasta, ricotta, shredded cheese) until the pan is full, making sure to end with the shredded cheese layer (I can fit 3 complete layers in my pan, but it varies, of course).
~ Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top layer of cheese is melted, slightly set, and just barely beginning to brown on top. Remove from the oven, and allow to sit for 10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy! (preferably with garlic bread or fresh-baked focaccia...)

10 comments:

  1. What a FABULOUS time you had!! And wow, talk about a hearty, delicious lasagna :0)

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  2. That sounds like such a lovely trip--and what a welcome! Those tomatoes are gorgeous. And I can actually hear Miss Sharon's voice through your writing!

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  3. VeggieGirl, thank you! :-) It was quite a hearty lasagna - it probably could have been lunch and supper too... :-)

    Ricki, thank you so very much! Your comment delighted me - I'm so glad Miss Sharon came though! :-)

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  4. Sounds like you had a brilliant time. Lasagne sounds perfect.

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  5. It's such a bliss to have a home! It's such a bliss.

    As always, your writing is spectacular and touching! And the food, too. :)

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  6. sounds so perfect! A winning dish!

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  7. Jeena, thank you so much!

    Anya, as always, you make my day with your exceptionally kind words! So true about home...

    Big Boy's Oven, many many thanks!

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  8. That lasagna sounds tasty. I like all of the cheese in it.

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  9. Kevin, thank you! One can almost never have too much cheese, at least in lasagna, right? ;-)

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