homemade lasagna

This has to be one of my all-time favorite meals. Lasagna is one of those dishes that's very specific to each person who makes it. I've tried a lot of different kinds, but like any good son, my heart belongs to my mom's recipe. It definitely takes a bit of time, but it's so, so worth it. Here's what you'll need:

For the Sauce:

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• ½ lb. spiced bulk Italian sausage
• 1 med. Onion, chopped
• 1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 (28 oz) cans of crushed tomatoes
• 2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• Pinch dried basil & oregano

For the Filling:

• 15 ½ oz. ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs
• 8 oz. mozzarella cheese, grated
• ½ cup of Parmesan or Romano
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 6 oz. jar pesto

Building the lasagna:

• 1 # box Barilla no-cook lasagna noodles
• Grated mozzarella

For sauce: Over medium heat, cook the ground meat & sausage, then drain. Add the onion & garlic and continue cooking until the garlic is lightly browned. Put the meat mixture in a sauce pan, then add the crushed tomatoes and paste. Fill paste can with water; add to the sauce along with the spices. Simmer covered on low for 1 hr.

Side note: Last time Dan and I made this, we accidentally quadrupled the meat (seriously - the proof is in the photo). Like all my dishes, one mistake doesn't ruin the whole thing. We just added an extra can of crushed tomatoes, then split it up into two dishes with two layers each (instead of three).

For the filling, combine the ricotta, eggs, mozzarella, parmesan, pepper & pesto. You're now ready to build the lasagna.

Begin by using a thin layer of sauce to moisten the bottom of a 9 X 13 inch baking dish. Then build the lasagna: noodles, sauce & cheese; repeat.

Bake covered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove the cover, top with mozzarella and bake for 15 minutes more, or until cheese is melted.

You can also prepare this the night before, refrigerate overnight and then bake the next day. This is also one of those amazing dishes that gets better reheated days later. I don't know why...my mom's just good like that :)

eggplant parmesan and/or lasagna

So, I'm going to be a bad Italian for a moment and admit that I'm not sure what this dish should be called.  I make two variations of it, and I like them both so much that I could actually care less what the proper name is.  Here's what you'll need:

• 1 eggplant
• A couple eggs (2-3 maybe? Idk.)
• Italian style bread crumbs
• Lots of olive oil
• Pasta of your choice (I dig Angel Hair)
• Cheese (I use mozzarella, which I'm aware negates the "parmesan" in the title, so feel free to use parm if that suits your fancy)

Start by heating up a good amount of oil in a decent size pan (you need enough to cover the eggplant slices.  Slice up the eggplant horizontally so that you get circular slices.  I usually like to get them around 1/8-1/4" thick.  Don't go too thick, or they won't fry properly.  Beat the eggs in a small bowl, and pour some bread crumbs out onto a plate.  Dip each slice of eggplant completely into the egg, then coat with the bread crumbs.  Plop them in the hot oil, flipping every few minutes until done.  When done, place them on a place over a paper towel (to absorb excess grease).

While that's going on, heat up some of your favorite pasta sauce (I usually like a tomato basil with a lot of added pepper).  When the pasta's done, drain and plate.  Add some eggplant slices on top, with some sauce on top of that.  Finish with the cheese of your choice and let melt for a few minutes.  Done.

The other variation to this is to go for an eggplant lasagna.  All I do here is take a 9x9" baking dish, and alternate layers of eggplant, cheese and sauce until I run out.  Then I cover and bake for awhile on 350 degrees (say 30 minutes) and then another 10-15 minutes uncovered.  I serve this on top of pasta with a little extra sauce.  It's also amazing the day after.