What Better Day than Today?

While it’s customary in our home to eat Fish on Fridays, celebrate all things Mexican on Tijuana Tuesdays and Tutto ciò che è italiano (everything that is Italian) on Thursdays, the weekends are up for grabs.

Sundays should be special, if for no other reason that it’s Sunday. However; so often Sundays are busy. Especially in the spring and fall, when festivals are in full swing. There’s that lovely lull between the New Year and the first blooms of spring that are quiet.

There is nothing I love more on those quiet Sundays than to putter in the kitchen. Another thing that gets my creative juices flowing, as silly as it sounds, is to thumb through recipes when vegging in front of the TV with a Hallmark classic as background noise. I’m not talking the Christmas movies (we’ve all had our fill), or the typical February romance tales. For true cooking inspiration, I need the movies that feature time in the kitchen almost as though food prepration were a key character. You know the ones, families trying to recreate grandma’s signature dish or grandpa’s barbecue sauce or more often than not, to save a floundering restaurant that has been a family staple since the beginning of time. Those are the Hallmark movies that inspire me to strive to reach new heights.

Just look at this delicious Lasagna. I played around with several recipes while watching Always Amore. Maybe it was all that talk of Italian recipes, or just an empty stomach, here’s the results. Enjoy!

Lasagna Bolognese with Béchamel Sauce
Bolognese
3 slices Bacon
2 Shallots
2 Celery Ribs
1 large Carrot
6 Garlic Cloves
4 Green Onions
1 lb Ground Beef
1 lb Ground Pork
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
1 cup Milk
1/2 cup Red Wine
1 (6 oz) can Tomato Paste
1 teaspoon Marjoram
1 Teaspoon Basil
1-1/2 teaspoons Fennel Seeds
2 (28 oz) cans Crushed Tomatoes
1/4 cup Heavy Cream

Stack bacon, dice into pieces. In a large pot over medium heat, fry bacon until mostly crisp. Remove from pot, drain bacon on paper towels, leaving drippings in the pot for extra flavor.

While the bacon cooks, peel and mince shallots. Clean, trim and finely dice the celery. Peel and grate carrot. Peel and mice garlic, slice onions. Set vegetables aside.

In the now empty pot over medium-low heat cook shallots, carrots and celery until tender about 8 minutes. Add ground beef and pork, stirring with a wooden spoon to bream meat into small pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until meats are browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add green onions and garlic to the mix. Scatter bacon over the meats, let simmer together for a few minutes for the flavors to mingle. Drain well.

Increase heat under the empty pot to medium-high. Add milk, bring to a boil. Add wine, stir to mix. Return meat mixture to the pot. Stir in tomato paste, Marjoram, Basil and Fennel Seeds. Pour in cans of crushed tomatoes. Lower heat, simmer for about 45 minutes for all the flavors to fully develop. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching.

Remove from heat, stir in heavy cream just before assembling the Lasagna.

Lasagna
16 oz Lasagna Noodles
6 oz fresh Mozzarella Balls
1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese
12 fresh Basil Leaves
3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles until soft but not quite fully cooked, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent pasta from sticking together.

Cut Mozzarella Balls into small pieces, place in a bowl. Stir in Ricotta Cheese, set aside. Ribbon c ut basil for garnish. Make the Béchamel Sauce while the noodles drain.

Béchamel Sauce
6 tablespoons Butter
5 tablespoons Flour
1-1/2 cups Milk
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste

Melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour, raise heat to medium. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Whisk in milk, season with salt and pepper. Lower heat, simmer , whisking constantly until Béchamel Sauce has thickened. Once thick, remove from heat and set aside.

Time to Assemble:
Rinse pasta under cold water. If any of the noodles stick together, simply hold under cold running water and gently pull apart. Lay pasta out flat.

Spray the bottom of a Lasagna Pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Begin with a layer of pasta, then a thin layer of Bolognese sauce followed by a quarter-cup Béchamel Sauce. Repeat, creating four layer that end with the Béchamel Sauce. Top sauce with the Mozzarella-Ricotta Cheese blend and finally the Parmesan Cheese.

Bake in the heated oven uncovered for 25 minutes or until heated through with the cheese melted, bubbling and golden brown. Scatter fresh basil over the top just before serving.

Let Lasagna sit on the counter for about 10 minutes or so to settle and firm up a bit before slicing. Serve with a nice salad and your favorite wine.

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Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life