dawn_mo
Well-known member
From the old swap...
Ruth's La$agna
From Ruth:
No recipe but here are the basics...
Sorry Richard, I've never written this
recipe down (and I'm always sure that if I do,
it'll spoil the experience for me) but I KNOW
you're a great cook so here's the madness of my
method.....
This an all day process or a 2 day process
(I take 2 days and hope there's enough sauce
left to make lasagna......)
In a huge stockpot, using a very good quality
olive oil ---- saute one large chopped onion
(or more if you like more), and
3-4 chopped cloves of garlic (at least 2!).
Add 2 to 2-1/2 lbs mushrooms, quartered not
sliced -- it Will make a difference for a shroom
lover! (I use white button and cremini or
whatever the farmers' market mushroom guy has
that looks good). Saute this mixture until it
wilts (no need to cook completely now, it'll
finish cooking in the sauce).
Meanwhile, with 2 to 3 lbs of hot italian
sausage, remove it from its casings, crumble
and 'fry' it. You need to make sure the
sausage is completely cooked in this process,
and, because I use hot sausage, I make sure
it's crumbled in relatively small pieces.
Drain the sausage and pat dry, set aside.
Note: the 'hot' flavor will dissipate in the
sauce and amidst the cheese of the final
lasagna -- but -- if you prefer, you can make
this with half hot and half mild but it won't
be the same smileys/wink.gif.
Now, to the mushroom onion mixture, add 2-3
16 ounce cans of roma tomatoes, crushed them
between your fingers (hey! it's an elegant
dish!) - or - 2-3 lbs of fresh roma tomatoes,
large-diced. Add 1 16 oz can of tomato sauce,
a small handful of fresh basil or a few
teaspoons dried, freshly ground black pepper,
salt to taste, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, red wine
vinegar (I use balsamico and skip the sugar),
1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, fresh
parsley -- and sometimes I use a mix of other
herbs from my garden (marjoram, rosemary,
whatever I have on hand). Add the cooked
sausage to the sauce. Cook this sauce
until the majority of the 'water' is gone,
and until the flavors have blended (about
1-1/2 hours on medium heat). Note: if you need
more moisture in the sauce, throw in some good
red wine or water (you already have enough
tomatoey stuff in the sauce). Taste and
adjust the flavors throughout. Take off the
heat and let the sauce temp come to lukewarm
(or refrigerate it overnight).
To assemble the lasagna.... I gather:
2-1/2 to 3 lbs of fresh bufala mozzarella
2 lbs of medium cheddar or fresh ricotta (which
I alter slightly with some fresh herbs) --
some of my family members hate ricotta, that's
why I sometimes use the cheddar
1/3 lb romano
3/4 lb parmegiano reggiano (no substitutes!)
and
2 lbs of fresh pasta dough (in sheets, if it's
semolina dough I preboil, if it's flour
dough I don't). Sometimes I make homemade
spinach dough but there's an excellent
italian restaurant near me that makes
fresh semolina pasta sheets daily (and
if I ask nicely, he'll sell me some).
I layer the lasagna like you would any
regular lasagna (a little sauce in the dish
so it doesn't stick, a layer of noodles,
a thick layer of sauce, the cheddar or ricotta,
the bufala, the romano, the parmegiano,
and repeat).
I bake the lasagna at 425, foil on, for
about 1/2 hour, foil off for about 45 minutes
or until completely heated through. Let it
rest for 15-20 minutes before cutting. It's
a bit sloppy the first time. Often, I prebake
and then reheat for a party (it cuts easier).
This qualifies as a special occasion dish
due to the price (from $50 to 80 depending
on the ingredients I use). The mushroom
prices fluctuate, several pounds of sausage
isn't cheap - especially if I use Bruce
Aidell's fabulous italian sausage, the
cheeses, especially the bufala and parmegiano
send the price through the roof). But,
everyone in my family requests it as their
'birthday' present --- and --- our neighbors
smell it and come running...
Hope you can make sense of it! If not, I'll
fedex you some.... smileys/wink.gif
R.
Ruth's La$agna
From Ruth:
No recipe but here are the basics...
Sorry Richard, I've never written this
recipe down (and I'm always sure that if I do,
it'll spoil the experience for me) but I KNOW
you're a great cook so here's the madness of my
method.....
This an all day process or a 2 day process
(I take 2 days and hope there's enough sauce
left to make lasagna......)
In a huge stockpot, using a very good quality
olive oil ---- saute one large chopped onion
(or more if you like more), and
3-4 chopped cloves of garlic (at least 2!).
Add 2 to 2-1/2 lbs mushrooms, quartered not
sliced -- it Will make a difference for a shroom
lover! (I use white button and cremini or
whatever the farmers' market mushroom guy has
that looks good). Saute this mixture until it
wilts (no need to cook completely now, it'll
finish cooking in the sauce).
Meanwhile, with 2 to 3 lbs of hot italian
sausage, remove it from its casings, crumble
and 'fry' it. You need to make sure the
sausage is completely cooked in this process,
and, because I use hot sausage, I make sure
it's crumbled in relatively small pieces.
Drain the sausage and pat dry, set aside.
Note: the 'hot' flavor will dissipate in the
sauce and amidst the cheese of the final
lasagna -- but -- if you prefer, you can make
this with half hot and half mild but it won't
be the same smileys/wink.gif.
Now, to the mushroom onion mixture, add 2-3
16 ounce cans of roma tomatoes, crushed them
between your fingers (hey! it's an elegant
dish!) - or - 2-3 lbs of fresh roma tomatoes,
large-diced. Add 1 16 oz can of tomato sauce,
a small handful of fresh basil or a few
teaspoons dried, freshly ground black pepper,
salt to taste, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, red wine
vinegar (I use balsamico and skip the sugar),
1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, fresh
parsley -- and sometimes I use a mix of other
herbs from my garden (marjoram, rosemary,
whatever I have on hand). Add the cooked
sausage to the sauce. Cook this sauce
until the majority of the 'water' is gone,
and until the flavors have blended (about
1-1/2 hours on medium heat). Note: if you need
more moisture in the sauce, throw in some good
red wine or water (you already have enough
tomatoey stuff in the sauce). Taste and
adjust the flavors throughout. Take off the
heat and let the sauce temp come to lukewarm
(or refrigerate it overnight).
To assemble the lasagna.... I gather:
2-1/2 to 3 lbs of fresh bufala mozzarella
2 lbs of medium cheddar or fresh ricotta (which
I alter slightly with some fresh herbs) --
some of my family members hate ricotta, that's
why I sometimes use the cheddar
1/3 lb romano
3/4 lb parmegiano reggiano (no substitutes!)
and
2 lbs of fresh pasta dough (in sheets, if it's
semolina dough I preboil, if it's flour
dough I don't). Sometimes I make homemade
spinach dough but there's an excellent
italian restaurant near me that makes
fresh semolina pasta sheets daily (and
if I ask nicely, he'll sell me some).
I layer the lasagna like you would any
regular lasagna (a little sauce in the dish
so it doesn't stick, a layer of noodles,
a thick layer of sauce, the cheddar or ricotta,
the bufala, the romano, the parmegiano,
and repeat).
I bake the lasagna at 425, foil on, for
about 1/2 hour, foil off for about 45 minutes
or until completely heated through. Let it
rest for 15-20 minutes before cutting. It's
a bit sloppy the first time. Often, I prebake
and then reheat for a party (it cuts easier).
This qualifies as a special occasion dish
due to the price (from $50 to 80 depending
on the ingredients I use). The mushroom
prices fluctuate, several pounds of sausage
isn't cheap - especially if I use Bruce
Aidell's fabulous italian sausage, the
cheeses, especially the bufala and parmegiano
send the price through the roof). But,
everyone in my family requests it as their
'birthday' present --- and --- our neighbors
smell it and come running...
Hope you can make sense of it! If not, I'll
fedex you some.... smileys/wink.gif
R.