Lasagne alle Verdure – Vegetable Lasagna

Few Italian dishes have seen more variations than Lasagna, each one is delicious, each one has a distinct character.

From The Big Book of Pasta, published by Parragon Books Ltd in 2007:

Detail from photo on page 258

Serves 4

Ingredients

• olive oil, for brushing
• 2 eggplants sliced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 4 zucchini, sliced
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh marjoram
• 8 ounces grated mozzarella cheese
• 2 1/2 cups strained tomatoes
• 6 ounces dried no-precook lasagna sheets
• 2 1/2 cups Béchamel Sauce *
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmegiano cheese
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Brush a large ovenproof dish with olive oil.. Brush a large grill pan with olive oil and heat until smoking. Add half the eggplants and cook over medium heat for 8 minutes, or until golden brown all over. Remove from the grill pan and drain on paper towels. Add the remaining eggplant slices and extra oil, if necessary, and cook for 8 minutes, or until golden brown.
2. Melt the butter in a skillet and add the garlic, zuchini, parsley and marjoram. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until the zucchini are golden brown. remove from the skillet and let drain on paper towels.
3. Layer the eggplants, zuchini, grated mozzarella, strained tomatoes, and lasagna sheets in the dish; season with salt and pepper as you finish with a layer of lasagna. Pour over the Béchamel Sauce, making sure all the pasta is covered. Sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese and bake in the preheated oven 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve immediately

* Béchamel Sauce

Makes about 1 quart

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons butter (or margarine for a pareve version)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 quart milk
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper (for a more Italian flavor, add ground nutmeg instead)

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the flour until smooth. Continue stirring as the flour cooks to a light, golden, sandy color, about 7 minutes.
2. Increase heat to medium-high and slowly whisk in milk until thickened by the roux. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and continue simmering until the flour has softened and not longer tastes gritty, 10 to 20 minutes, then season with salt and pepper (or nutmeg).

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Penne with Creamy Mushrooms

Last evening I had pasta, it was absolutely delicious! I like to cook with wine and this was just a perfect experiment that succeeded fully.

Penne With Creamy Mushroom

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter (or margarine if you prefer to keep it pareve or will use use during a meat meal)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 shallots, sliced
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup Velouté sauce (or MimiCreme if you prefer to keep it pareve)
• 2 tablespoons Port wine
• 4 ounces sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
• pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 12 ounces dried penne
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnishing

Directions

1. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large, heavy bottom skillet. Add the shallots  and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally , for 4 to 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the mushrooms and cook over low heat for an additional 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, sprinkle in the flour, and cook, stirring for 1 minute.
2. Remove skillet from heat and gradually stir in the Velouté sauce (or MimiCreme) and Port wine. Return to the heat, add the sun-dried tomatoes and grated nutmeg, and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large bottom pan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, return to a boil, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain the pasta well and add the mushroom sauce, cook for 3 minutes, then transfer to a warmed serving dish. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy; I did!

CS

Homemade Lokshen

Pasta was a staple in our home as I was growing up, whether it was the influence of the Italian neighbors or something my mother learned back in Poland in her mother’s kitchen I’ll never know. The freshly made noodles, in a good old fashioned hot chicken or beef soup, were just the right food for winter days, or she’d just use them for her delicious loskshen mit rozhinkes (raisins) kugel.

Of course you can buy ready made noodles but… they’ll NEVER taste the same!!! This recipe is very simple, easy, to make:

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1/2 cup salt, plus extra for cooking
• 2-3 eggs, beaten

Directions

1. Put the flour and salt into a food processor, with the machine running add two-thirds of the beaten eggs. If the dough is too firm, add more egg, slowly and process again until a soft dough forms (the dough should be flexible, not sticky). Turn it onto a floured surface and need for about 12 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Cover it with an inverted bowl for about 30 minutes.
2. Cut the dough in half. Starting with one of the halves, roll out – on a lightly floured work surface – as thinly as possible into a 14 inch square. Transfer to a large floured baking sheet and repeat all the steps with the second piece of dough. Leave to dry for 25 minutes.
3. When the dough surface looks dry, fold the dough loosely in half then in half again and repeat until you have a loosely folded strip of dough about 2 inches wide.. With a sharp knife, slice crosswise, straight down on one movement without dragging the knife into 1/8 to 1/2 inch wide.
4. Unroll the noodles, gently shaking to separate. Leave to rest for 1 minute. If not using immediately, hang the noodles over a wooden rack to dry.
5. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add all the noodles at once, cover and return to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes for the wider noodles slighly less for the thinner ones. As soon as the noodles rise to the surface they are cooked. Drain into a colander and serve in soup, toss with butter and cheese, or refresh under cold water to use in other recipes.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Tomato Broth and Angel Hair Pasta

I always liked tomato, I always liked pasta, I always liked soup in winter. When I came across a simple, easy to prepare, recipe that combined all three, it was obvious I had to try it. When I made it last eve, I knew it would become an instant favorite. From The Big Book of Pasta:

Tomato Broth and Angel Hair Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb 2 oz ripe tomatoes, peeled and halved.
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, slightly crushed
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 bouquet garni
• 2 inch strip thinly paired lemon rind
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 10 oz angel hair pasta
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Put the tomatoes, garlic cloves, onion, saffron, sugar, bouquet garni, and lemon rind into a large, heavy bottom pan. Pour in the stock and bring the to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 25-30 minutes, until the tomatoes have disintegrated.
2. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool slightly. Remove and discard the garlic cloves, bouquet garni and lemon rind. Ladle the tomato mixture into a food processor or blender and process to a purée.
3. Return the purée to the rinsed out pan and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the olive oi, add the pasta and bring to a boil. Cook for 2-4 minutes, until tender but still firm to the bite.
4. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Ladle the broth and pasta into warmed soup bowl and serve immediately.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

A Simple Favorite Pasta Dish

A recipe need not be elaborate to make a tasty dish, especially in these hot days, there is no need to spend a long time in the kitchen. Here’s One of my favorite ways to prepare a simple but delicious pasta and it’s great for the Nine Days or anytime.

Spaghetti with Oil and Garlic

Ingredients

• 1 lb spaghetti
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh, chopped, parsley
• Salt and pepper
• chilli pepper flakes (optional)

Directions

1. In a large pan boil some lightly salted water. Add the spaghetti and boil again, cook for 8 – 9 minutes or until tender but still a bit resistant to the bite (al dente).
2. In the meantime, while the spaghetti is cooking, heat the oil in a skillet, add the garlic and a pinch of salt cooking over low heat. Stir constantly for 3 – 4 minutes or until golden brown. Do not let the garlic become brown for it will adversely affect the taste. Remove from heat
3. Drain the spaghetti and put on a large, warmed, serving dish. Pour in the olive oil, add the
4. For a bit more color and an extra kick in taste, sprinkle sparingly with chili pepper flakes.

Yields 4 Servings

Easy to make and truly delectable. Sometimes, when the mood strikes me, I’ll add some finely grated parmeggiano and will then skip the chili pepper flakes.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS