Lasagna

Hey everybody, Sarah here.

I'm writing this blog post while watching Tripoli fall to Libyan rebel groups, so I apologize for all the pictures I may have forgotten to take while cooking...I was a little distracted by CNN reporters talking to the sound of machine guns in the background.

Anyways, tonight I decided to make lasagna using my grandmother's recipe, which happens to be my favorite.  I was originally planning on making Peach-Whiskey Barbecue Chicken for dinner but I was kinda prevented from doing that due to the lack of available whiskey in the entire state of Virginia on Sundays.  In this stupid state, you have to buy all hard alcohol from the state-owned ABC stores.  On Sundays, the ABC stores are only open between 2 pm and 6 pm, because of God or something.  Rebecca and I were seeing a movie between 2 and 6 pm and were thereby prevented from buying any whiskey.  We were quite disappointed.  So we decided to make Lasagna as a back-up plan.  Here's how its done:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, and start with 1 lb of Italian sausage.

Brown it in a pan over medium heat and break it up into little pieces until it looks like this:

Chop up a few cloves of garlic and add them to the pan.

Add in 1 tbsp basil, 1 1/2 tsp salt, and some pepper.

Also add in one 1 lb can of diced tomatoes, a 14-oz can of diced tomatoes, and a 12-oz can of tomato paste.

Simmer the sauce uncovered for 30 minutes.

Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water until they look done.  Note: I've found over the years from cooking too many and too few lasagna noodles that it works best to measure out first how many will fit in the pan for two layers.  For my pan, it's 8.

In the meantime, make the cheese filling.  Start with 3 cups of ricotta cheese.

Add in 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese.

Then add in 2 tbsp of parsley flakes.

Then add in two beaten eggs, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp of pepper.

Here's what it should look like when its all mixed together.

Place half the noodles in a 9x13 dish.

Spread on half of the ricotta cheese filling.  I kinda forgot to take a picture of the ricotta cheese until halfway through putting on the mozzarella cheese layer, so just look at the left side of this picture.

Add 1/2 lb of mozzarella cheese.

Then add 1/2 the meat sauce.

Repeat the layers, but this time, finish with the mozzarella cheese.

Bake in the oven for 375 degrees for about 40 minutes.  Let stand for about 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

Another picture of the finished lasagna:

Enjoy with garlic bread and salad.

Have a great week everyone, and stay tuned on events in Libya!

My Grandmother's Lasagna


1 lb Italian sausage
1 clove garlic minced
1 tbsp basil
1 1/2 tsp salt
Pepper to taste
1 lb can + 1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
1 12 oz can tomato paste
8 lasagna noodles (or however many it takes to fill your pan)
3 cups Ricotta cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp parsley flakes
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 lb shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown meat evenly, spoon off excess fat.  Add next 5 ingredients, simmer uncovered 30 minutes.  Cook noodles as on package.  Combine remaining ingredients except Mozzarella cheese.

Place 1/2 the noodles on the 9x13 baking dish.  Spread half the cheese filling; add 1/2 the mozzarella cheese and 1/2 the meat sauce.  Repeat layers.  Bake at 375 degrees about 40 minutes.  Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into squares.