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The Best Lasagna

August 13, 2012 by Mom on the Make 4 Comments

Best Lasagna

Best Lasagna Ingredients

I love lasagna.  My whole family loves lasagna.  In fact, this might be one of the few dishes that my entire family is really excited to see on the dinner table.

We use several different lasagna recipes, but the one below is our favorite.

I think it is because of the unique ingredients including goat cheese, fresh basil leaves, and sliced mozzarella.

My brother and his family were in town over the weekend, so I decided to make this favorite for everyone.

I found the recipe in my “Ina Garten Barefoot Contessa Family Style Cookbook”.

Here’s the low down on how to make this special lasagna.

LASAGNA WITH TURKEY SAUSAGE

2 T olive oil

1 cup chopped yellow onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed

1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes in tomato puree

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

Follow these steps:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a large (10-12 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 8-10 minutes, or until no longer pink.

Best Lasagna

Onions and Turkey Sausage cooling in olive oil

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.

tomato sauce thickening

Tomatoes, tomato paste, fresh chopped basil and parsley, onions, Italian turkey sausage simmering together for 15-20 minutes until thickened.

Meanwhile, fill a bowl with the hottest tap water.  Add the noodles and allow them to sit in the water for 20 minutes.  Drain.

Lasagna Noodles in hot water

Lasagna Noodles in Hot water for 20 minutes to soften up

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, goat cheese, 1 cup Parmesan, the egg, the remaining two tablespoons of parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Set aside.

Cheese mixture

Mix ricotta cheese, goat cheese, 1 cup parmesan, the egg, parsley, salt and pepper

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 Parmesan cheese.

Layers for Lasagna

Layers for Lasagna: sauce, pasta, mozzarella, ricotta

 

Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.

Can you believe, I forgot to take a photo of the finished product?! :0  Well, I can tell you it was beautiful and absolutely delicious.  This lasagna was gobbled up quick.  No leftovers.

Enjoy!

Filed Under: Dinner, Recipes Tagged With: dinner, italian, lasagna, pasta, recipes

The Perfect Macaroni Salad

July 5, 2012 by Mom on the Make Leave a Comment

Perfect Macaroni Salad

Perfect Macaroni Salad

July 4th was looming and I had not found a macaroni salad recipe that I was excited about yet.  I had found a few that I was considering, but nothing that I knew would be a slam dunk.  Then, I ran into a recipe on The Pioneer Woman blog that sounded exactly like what I was looking for to complement our picnic.

I made the salad, with a few changes to the ingredients and measurements, and we ALL loved it.

The best part about this salad is that it is light.  There is not a lot of goopy mayonnaise and grease surrounding the fresh pasta and veggies.  The sauce is just the right amount to lend a great taste with no grease.

 

Steps to the Perfect Macaroni Salad

Macaroni Salad Ingredients

Perfect Macaroni Salad Ingredients

The pieces to the perfect macaroni salad puzzle:  red peppers, olives, spring onions, mayonnaise, relish, elbow macaroni, salt, pepper, pickle juice, distilled white vinegar, and sugar.

Perfect Macaroni Salad Pasta Cooking

Perfect Macaroni Salad Pasta Cooking

Boil the elbow macaroni until it is at a perfect softness.  I go past the al dente stage.  I like it to be softer.  After finished, strain the noodles and run cold water over it, and set aside.

Perfect Macaroni Salad Sauce

Add 1/2 mayonnaise, 1T white vinegar, 3t sugar, 1/4t salt and pepper and stir

To make the sauce pourable, we will add milk next.

Perfect Macaroni Salad

Add 1/4 cup milk or more to make it pourable.

Perfect Macaroni Salad

Add a splash of pickle juice to the sauce for a little kick-YUM!

Now, time to mix the noodles and sauce together…..

Perfect Macaroni Salad

Add the sauce to the noodles and stir well.

Perfect Macaroni Salad Chopped Veggies

Chop two red peppers and 4 green onions

Perfect Macaroni Salad Add Veggies

Add the chopped red pepper and spring onions to the noodle and sauce mix.

My family LOVES olives, so we added an 8 ounce can of sliced black olives as well as relish for a kick.

Perfect Macaroni Salad Add Olives

Add 8 oz can of sliced black olives and stir. We also added in 4 tablespoons of relish.

Perfect Macaroni Salad All ready for the Picnic

The Perfect Macaroni Salad All Ready for our Picnic!

Here’s the recipe with all of my alterations today…..

8 cups elbow macaroni

2 Freshly Chopped Red Peppers

8 oz of sliced black olives

4 Chopped Green Onions

4T Relish

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1T distilled white vinegar

2T pickle juice – adjust to your taste

3t sugar

1/4t salt

Black Pepper – as much as you like

Boil the Macaroni until soft, then strain and run under cold water.  Set aside.

Mix mayonnaise, distilled white vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, and milk to create sauce.  Pour sauce into noodles and stir well.

Chop the red peppers and spring onions, then add to the noodle and sauce mixture.  Add can of olives and stir well.

At this point, you can do a taste test and decide if you would like to add more relish or pickle juice.

SO, SO YUMMY!!!  Enjoy!

Follow the instructions above and you will be all set with the perfect macaroni salad for ANY occasion.  So light and refreshing. Absolutely Delish!!

 

Filed Under: Lunch, Recipes Tagged With: macaroni salad, pasta, recipes, salad

Sour Cream Noodle Bake Is Scrumptious

June 15, 2012 by Mom on the Make Leave a Comment

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

I found a Delicious, comfort food recipe on The Pioneer Woman blog that I just have to share with you as soon as possible.

Who doesn’t love egg noodles, cheese, and sour cream?  This is an amazing recipe that everyone in the family will love.

…

Read More »

Filed Under: Dinner, Recipes Tagged With: noodles, pasta, recipes, sour cream

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