Molte grazie!
Lasagna, House Of Carlo
Ingredients:
1 box lasagna noodles
1 ½ lbs of hamburger
16 oz ricotta cheese
8 oz Mozzarella cheese - grated
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
14 oz of your favorite marinara sauce(* This is mine)
1 onion - diced
4 cloves garlic - chopped up very small
4 sliced fresh mushrooms
2 eggs
1 tablespoon parsley
dash pepper
dash basil
Instructions:
In a large pot, set water to boil. Meanwhile, brown burger, onion, mushrooms and garlic. Add marinara and set aside.
Mix cheeses and eggs in a separate bowl with parsley and spices. Save back about ¼ of the Mozzarella for the top.
When water in pot is boiling add the lasagna noodles. You typically do not need to wait until the noodles are edible because they will be cooked in the oven as well. When noodles are ready (8 minutes or so) begin layering the various mixtures in a 9X13 pan. Start with the burger mixture; then add the cheese, then the noodles. Keep layering until you run out of ingredients. Add the reserved Mozzarella last.
Cover dish with foil and pop into oven at 375 degrees for an hour or so. If you want to harden off the top, pull off the foil for the last 15 minutes.
*Quick MUSHROOM PASTA SAUCE
Ingredients:
1/2 a medium sized onion, chopped
1/3 cup dried porcini mushrooms that have been soaking in about 1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 cup regular white mushrooms, chopped but not too finely
1/2 cup cream
2 tblsp butter
1/4 cup tomato paste
salt to taste
Marsala to taste (optional)
Instructions:
Soak porcini mushrooms in water for about 1/2 hour until re-hydrated. Remove from water and chop them. SAVE the water they soaked in and run it through a filter to filter out dirt or other “foreign” object that may have been stuck on the porcinis. Melt butter in pan and saute onion until translucent. Add regular and porcini mushrooms and saute with onion. Add porcini water and cream and simmer until sauce begins to thicken a bit. Add salt. About 5 minutes before it’s done, add tomato
paste. Also, now’s the time to add the marsala if you want it, but the sauce will need to simmer a bit longer to boil away the extra liquid.
GREEN GODDESS SALAD DRESSING
(4 servings)
Rub the salad bowl with a garlic clove, then add
2 cups of freshly made mayonnaise
4 minced anchovy fillets
1 green onion, chopped
2 teaspoons chopped flat Italian parsley
2 teaspoons chopped chives
1 Tablespoon tarragon vinegar (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon dried OR 1 teaspoon cut, fresh tarragon
Stir well and pour over salad greens, watercress, or seafood salad.
Gnocchi alla Italiana
2 1/2 c. mashed potatoes (or use a ricer), I like using baked potatoes
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. flour
1 recipe tomato sauce
1/4 lb of butter
1 c. Parmesan cheese
Place potatoes, eggs, and salt in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. Add 1 1/2 c. flour. Place dough on floured board and add rest of flour.
Knead dough for 3 to 4 minutes until all flour is mixed in. If dough is too sticky, sprinkle with more flour.
Cut dough into 6 pieces. Roll dough into long sausage like strips and cut into pieces 2/3 to 1 inch long. Sprinkle dumplings lightly with flour. You can roll each dumpling across a floured dinner fork to make crinkle marks if desired.
Have ready a large pan with 4 qts of boiling water to which 1 T. salt has been added. Place gnocchi in water and remove with a strainer when they come to the top.
Place in a hot serving bowl. Add sauce to gnocchi and 2/3 of cheese, mix well. Sprinkle rest of cheese on top.
Serves 4 to 6.
Variation sauce: Heat butter to browning stage and add 1/2 cup of cream. Pour over gnocchi and add Parmesan cheese.