I swore I'd never make a Lasagna. I wrote that I'd never do Lasagna. Then they did Lasagna as one of those "Top Chef" dishes in the first episode this season. Damn you, Padma! We had this for pasta Sunday, and I'll be having it for lunch all week.
The flavor was good, but I had consistency issues. I think in the future, I'll cut out the turkey entirely and go for some large hunks of tomato and onions, and blend some spinach into the ricotta layer as well.
Amy on the other hand would have replaced the turkey with beef, used less ricotta- favoring the mozzarella and parmasean, and WAY more, WAY runnier sauce (she loves to hit the sauce, this one).
Percussion: fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, black peppercorns, salt, garlic
Brass: Olive oil, tomato sauce, tomato paste, onions, garlic, ground turkey
Wind: Ricotta, parmesean, mozzarella, nutmeg, parsley, basil
Strings: Lasagna noodles
Not pictured: egg
That's one lopsided cheese omelet
Toasting fennel is my new flavor of the week. For the past... since we made the mussels weeks.
Thanksgiving in July part II?
Ah, this is one of those really important things I've learned in the kitchen: brown the tomato paste before stirring it in to everything. Much tastier!
Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble...
So, what's your favorite part of Lasagna? Mine's the sauce.
Did I say sauce? No, wait, I mean noodles!
...or cheese! Yeah, cheese! Who doesn't like cheese?
Those of us who prefer the sauce, that's who!
Rock breaks scissors, but noodles cover sauce!
...but cheese is so velvety, and the parma with the nutmeg...
...get doused in more sauce!
Oh, what's the use. There's only one way to decide...
Get a fork.
And a bottle.
Brass: Olive oil, tomato sauce, tomato paste, onions, garlic, ground turkey
Wind: Ricotta, parmesean, mozzarella, nutmeg, parsley, basil
Strings: Lasagna noodles
Not pictured: egg
That's one lopsided cheese omelet
Toasting fennel is my new flavor of the week. For the past... since we made the mussels weeks.
Thanksgiving in July part II?
Ah, this is one of those really important things I've learned in the kitchen: brown the tomato paste before stirring it in to everything. Much tastier!
Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble...
So, what's your favorite part of Lasagna? Mine's the sauce.
Did I say sauce? No, wait, I mean noodles!
...or cheese! Yeah, cheese! Who doesn't like cheese?
Those of us who prefer the sauce, that's who!
Rock breaks scissors, but noodles cover sauce!
...but cheese is so velvety, and the parma with the nutmeg...
...get doused in more sauce!
Oh, what's the use. There's only one way to decide...
Get a fork.
And a bottle.
Turkey Lasagna
(Serves 8)
(Adapted from Ina Garten's Turkey Lasagna)
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp olive oil
8 ounces onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces ground turkey
28 ounce can tomato puree
6 ounce tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound lasagna noodles
15 ounces ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
8 ounces mozzarella, thinly sliced
Toast fennel seeds, pepper flakes, and black pepper in a dry skillet until fragrant. Add olive oil, onions, and garlic and gently cook until onions are translucent. Add turkey and brown. Add the tomato puree, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the basil, 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat, for 15 to 20 minutes, until thickened.
Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with the hottest tap water. Add the noodles and allow them to sit in the water for 20 minutes. Drain.
In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, 1/4 cup of Parmesan, the egg, the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
Ladle 1/3 of the sauce into a 9 by 12 by 2-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 of Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.
(Serves 8)
(Adapted from Ina Garten's Turkey Lasagna)
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp olive oil
8 ounces onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces ground turkey
28 ounce can tomato puree
6 ounce tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound lasagna noodles
15 ounces ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
8 ounces mozzarella, thinly sliced
Toast fennel seeds, pepper flakes, and black pepper in a dry skillet until fragrant. Add olive oil, onions, and garlic and gently cook until onions are translucent. Add turkey and brown. Add the tomato puree, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the basil, 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat, for 15 to 20 minutes, until thickened.
Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with the hottest tap water. Add the noodles and allow them to sit in the water for 20 minutes. Drain.
In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, 1/4 cup of Parmesan, the egg, the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
Ladle 1/3 of the sauce into a 9 by 12 by 2-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 of Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.
