The Great Lasagne Contest
Who would cut your hair for a buck,
Though he was good
At cooking most food
With lasagne, he had no luck.
About five years ago, while having dinner with his father-in-law, Chuck mentioned that he made great lasagne. Well, his father-in-law replied that this was nice, but that he made greater lasagne. Chuck gently reminded his father-in-law that he was Italian and that everybody knows that Italians make the best lasagne. The father-in-law, being Sicilian, took exception to this. Well, after a number of "does too" - "does nots", an oven mitt was thrown. The Annual Lasagne Contest was born.
Great idea! But, who would judge the contest?
Chuck's wife couldn't. Her loyalties were torn between the man who gave her life and the name who gives her loves. So, they began to solicit neighbors and friends - but as they described the situation, those very friends and neighbors told Chuck and his father-in-law that they considered themselves to also be great lasagne makers and wanted to enter the fray. Great - now they had a bezillion lasagne makers. What started out as a simple dinner statement turned into the mother of all lasagne contests.
How did Chuck do? Well, the first year, Chuck made his regular lasagne and lost. The second year, he devised a new recipe: he cooked the noodles the day before and marinated them overnight in a secret sauce. The resulting lasagne was mooshy because the marinated noodles disintegrated. As you can guess, Chuck did not win.
For year three, Chuck developed a different strategy. Knowing that the best part of lasagne was the sauce and cheese, he would eliminate the noodles. He developed another secret sauce, threw in bread crumbs and sought out the perfect cheese. Chuck figured that the bread crumbs would soak up the juice from the wonderful sauce and combine with the perfect cheese to form a magnificently textured and flavorful lasagne. What he got was a lasagne pan of goop. Tasty goop, but goop none the less.
Chuck has gracefully retired from lasagne competition. He now just hosts the party. Oh, the father-in-law? He never did enter the contest!
Now that I have you all set for the really great lasagne recipe, here it is. How do I know? Well, first of all, it's not Chuck's - It's mine, and it won this year's Lasagne Contest!!!
Tricolor Lasagne
Serves 12.
16 ounces lasagne noodles
2 pounds Italian sausage
6 cups spaghetti sauce
1 can black olives -- chopped
1 cup pesto sauce
32 ounces ricotta cheese
24 ounces mozzarella cheese -- shredded
Use your favorite commercially prepared spaghetti sauce. Pour spaghetti sauce into a heavy bottom sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer until sauce reduces and is slightly thickened. Brown sausage and add to thickened sauce. Add black olives. Continue to simmer for 30 to 60 minutes. Blend pesto with half of the ricotta cheese. Blend the remaining ricotta cheese with half of the mozzarella cheese. Prepare noodles according to directions on the package.
In a deep lasagne pan, spread a small amount of spaghetti sauce/sausage mixture in the bottom. Cover with lasagne noodles. Spread a layer of spaghetti sauce/sausage mixture on top of noodles (keep 1 cup of mixture in reserve). Sprinkle with 2/3rd of remaining mozzarella cheese. Cover with lasagne noodles. Spread ricotta/mozzarella mixture on top of noodles (keep one cup of mixture in reserve). Cover with lasagne noodles. Spread a layer of pesto/ricotta mixture (keep one cup of mixture in reserve). Cover with lasagne noodles. Spread reserved mixtures on top of noodles so it resembles the Italian flag. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
NOTES : Depending upon the size of your lasagne pan, you may have left-over sauce.