"Back in the day" (I love that expression), we designated Sunday evening as our family time. I would cook something a little more elaborate than my weeknight meals and we would enjoy a meal that wasn't rushed at our family table. Afterwards we would watch a movie. Not only did Brad and I look forward to those evenings, but the girls did as well.
Fast forward a few years, and Sunday has become another chaotic evening. My oldest daughter is a senior and will be heading to college soon. She also has a part time job that keeps her busy (and responsible) . Soon she will be gone, and our family will once again make a shift to accommodate the change.
So I'm reclaiming (or attempting to reclaim) Sunday Suppers. Things have gone quite smoothly since I've made this announcement, with little to no resistance or gnashing of teeth. I'm quite happy about it. Some Sundays are better than others, and some Sundays still fall apart with school projects that are due and my oldest daughter's work schedule. But it's a start.
A few weeks ago I made one of my family's favorites: lasagna. My recipe is a combination of many recipes with a few of my own adjustments. It's actually quite simple to make. Once again, I must apologize for my lack of precise measurements in my recipes. Hopefully I'll get better at this as I attempt to log recipes out of my head, which is where most of them are stored!
Lasagna
For the sauce:
2 small cans of tomato paste
2 small cans of water
2 16 oz cans of tomatoes
1 lb. of sausage, preferably Italian, but I've been known to use whatever I could find!
1.5 lb. of lean ground beef
1 cup onion, finely diced
Fresh basil, chopped
Sugar, about 1/2 cup
2 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Oregano to taste
Cheese mixture:
Parmesan cheese
Mozzarella cheese
Small container of part skim ricotta cheese
2 eggs
Splash of warm water
Barilla no boil lasagna noodles
Starting with the sauce, brown your meat and drain. Sauté your garlic and onion, and add your tomatoes, tomato paste and water. Add meat and spices. I like my sauce a little on the sweet side and the sugar cuts the acidity from the tomatoes. Bring to a low boil and let it simmer. I usually don't let this simmer for too long, mainly because I'm impatient and I'm going to be baking this dish for an hour in the oven.
Oh yes, that reminds me! Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Now for the cheese filling. Please don't get too technical with this. It's really hard to mess up! In a large bowl, add your ricotta cheese, eggs, some grated mozzarella (about 2 cups) and some parmesan cheese, grated. Add a splash of warm water to create a thinner consistency. Not too thin, just enough to be able to stir it without getting a hand cramp! Sometimes I add a package of chopped spinach to my cheese sauce for a little something different, but to each his own. I also like to grate extra parmesan and mozzarella in between my layers, but I like my lasagna pretty cheesy, (like me).
Now to assemble!
Let's pause for a moment so I can share with you how much I love this brand of pasta. This is the closest you will get to fresh pasta, and the fact that you don't have to boil them is a huge bonus. I also prefer the thin sheets to the grooved thicker ones because they're more like authentic homemade lasagna noodles.
I start with a little sauce at the bottom of my pan, followed by the pasta. Don't overcrowd the pasta because it will expand in your dish. Next is your cheese mixture, followed by an extra dose of grated parmesan or mozzarella cheese (if you're into that sort of thing). Keep this process going until you get pretty close to the top of your pan, ending with sauce and a good helping of mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Cover and bake for an hour. After an hour remove the foil and bake another 7-10 minutes. Let it cool for another 5 minutes, and you're good to go!
I would love to hear some of your favorite lasagna recipes, and I hope you get the opportunity to enjoy mine!
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