I'm back after a protracted hiatus, having secured gainful employment once again. Things have settled into a nice groove, so I am able once again to return to the pots and pans that bring me back to various places around the world. So, let's travel...
During the conflict in Kosovo, back in 1999, I had the opportunity to travel there. Twice. The first time was to shoot a documentary for PBS about Mercy Corps, who was doing relief work in the refugee camps in Macedonia. The second time was with the U.S. Army. And on the way over, we stopped over at Air Force bases in the Azores and Sicily. Now, being half italian, I was excited about visiting the motherland. Alright, my family isn't from Sicily, but much further up the boot, and there a lot of italians that would argue that being sicilian isn't really being italian, but I''l leave that argument for another time.
Anyway, I was understandably excited about the prospect of enjoying some real italian food. A group of us went to little town just outside Sigonella AFB. I ordered one of my favorite dishes in the world, linguini alle vongole, linguini and clam sauce. Red clam sauce to be specific. Now, we hear a lot about al dente pasta here in the US, but unless you've been to Italy, you don't know from al dente. I was shocked how al dente the pasta was. Nevertheless, it was delicious.
But I'm not here to recreate that classic shellfish and pasta dish today. What I want to do is explore MY family's traditions. And one of those traditions takes the form of lasagna Napolitano. If you've ever had the sloppy, flavorless lasagna that's peddled by local pizza joints and left feeling cheated, then this recipe is for you. It takes a little time to make (from the sausage sauce to the ricotta-based filling to the assembly), but the result is well worth the time and effort. I promise you you'll never settle for pizza parlor lasagna again.
LASAGNA RECIPE
The Sauce
4 or 5 sweet italian sausages
32 ounce can of whole tomatoes in sauce (preferably San Mazano)
Olive oil (for frying sausages)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1 dash of crushed pepper flakes
1/2 cup red wine
Heat oil in sauce pot and prick the skin of the sausages with a knife.
Fry sausages on medium heat until brown on all sides
While the sausages are frying, in a bowl, hand crush the tomatoes and add the bay leaf, pepper flakes, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
When the sausages are browned, add the wine to the pan and reduce wine by about half.
Add tomatoes and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 45 minutes to an hour. Remove the sausages about ten minutes before the sauce is done and let them cool. They'll be easier to slice.
While the sauce is cooking, make:
The Ricotta Filling
1 15 ounce container of whole milk ricotta
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated imported parmigiano reggiano
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1 egg
Mix all the ingredients except the egg and taste for seasoning.
Add egg and stir until filling is completely blended.
Also, while the sauce is cooking, hard boil and slice 2 eggs
Assembling the Lasagna
9 or 10 lasagna noodles I prefer Barilla brand lasagna noodles, they taste homemade.
More shredded mozzarella.
More grated parmesan.
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced.
20 minutes before assembling, lasagna noodles in hot water to soften them.
Slice the sausages lengthwise into roughly 1/8 inch slices. You should get around 4 slices per sausage.
In a standard loaf pan, spread some of the sauce on the bottom to prevent the noodles from sticking.
Place a noodle on the bottom of the pan.
Next, spread about half of the filling over the first noodle.
Place another noodle on top of the filling. You may have to cut another noodle to cover the filling.
Next, lay the sliced sausages down and cover with sauce and some grated parmesan cheese.
Another noodle layer.
Add a layer of shredded mozzarella.
Another noodle layer.
Lay the sliced hard-boiled eggs down and cover with sauce and parmesan cheese.
Another noodle layer.
Another layer of filling.
Another noodle layer.
Spread sauce over the top and cover the loaf pan with aluminum foil.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes. If you re using a glass loaf pan, you will see the sauce bubbling.
Remove the aluminum foil, add shredded mozzarella to the top and continue baking, uncovered, until the cheese browns.
Let the lasagna rest for about 10 minutes to allow it to firm up.
Slice and serve with any remaining sauce.
The inclusion of hard boiled eggs may have surprised you, but trust me, they add something special, and, as far as I know, nobody else adds them. Maybe back in Italy, but I've never seen it here. Try it and let me know how you like it. Until next time, Ciao e buon appetito!
