Lasagna For Friends

Lasagna is one of those great dishes that anyone can make their own. There are so many options for ingredients from spinach to sausage to butternut squash. You can either spend hours making it by reducing a fresh tomato sauce, or you can easily resort to delicious short cuts.

When I don’t have access to ripe tomatoes, I love to fall back on grape or cherry tomatoes. Get the oven heated to about 375/400F. Line a baking tray with foil, arrange the tomatoes, drizzle olive oil, salt and pepper and let them roast until they’re all popped. If you’d like, you can add a couple cloves of garlic and/or a bay leaf. They’ll take about 20 minutes depending on how fast your oven is.

Meanwhile, sauté some chopped onion and brown Italian sausage (which should be well seasoned already) in a large frying pan. Mix whole milk ricotta with a handful of Parmesan, black pepper and defrosted (or fresh) chopped spinach. Add a bit of tomato paste if you have it to the sausage meat and stir through. Then add the roasted tomatoes and all their juices. Season generously with salt and some red pepper flakes. If you’d like, add some chopped mushrooms now and let it all simmer.

While the sauce is going, heat a couple large tablespoons of butter in a saucepan on medium heat. When it’s bubbling, add the same amount of flour and stir about 1 minute until it’s turning golden. Using a whisk, slowly add about a 1/4 cup of milk at a time. Be sure to whisk out any lumps before adding more. You’ll use about 2-3 cups of milk depending on how much flour/butter mixture (roux) you have. Take off the heat and add a handful of shredded mozzarella.

In a large baking dish, drizzle olive oil so the lasagna sheets won’t stick. Add a layer of your sauce then a layer of pasta. Next add a layer of the spinach ricotta mixture (use all of it) and the rest of the sauce. Next add a layer of pasta and top with the white béchamel sauce. Finish with another handful of mozzarella and Parmesan! Bake for about 30-35 minutes. If it’s browning too quickly, cover with foil. ** The trick is to put the dish on a baking sheet in case it bubbles over!

Serve with buttery, cheesy garlic bread and dig in with family and friends for a truly comforting meal!

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A Rainy Weekend Needs a Good Brunch

So it’s storming here in Northern California. It’s windy and we’ve got flood warnings. Although I managed to do a “speed walk” with my sister during a break in the rain, it is definitely a perfect day to stay in.

Earlier this week we had Turkey Enchiladas to use up the last of our Thanksgiving leftovers. Since it was just the two of us, I didn’t end up using all of the corn tortillas, salsa or cheese. And what better to make with all of these ingredients on a rainy Saturday morning?? Huevos Rancheros!

This is such a comforting brunch meal and will surely send you into a food coma afterwards! Steps for this:

* Heat refried pinto beans in a small pot with some chopped onion.
* Fry some bacon and / or sausages.
* Toast the tortillas straight on a gas stove or in a frying pan.
* Fry eggs on high heat with a lid just until the top of the yolks turn white.
* While the eggs cook, plate the tortilla, beans, shredded cheese and meat.
* Place eggs on top and finish with fresh salsa, sour cream and cilantro/coriander leaves. Extra hot sauce is optional!

Highly recommend you pair this meal with a glass of orange juice and a nap! Enjoy 🙂

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