Comfort Food: Mac ‘n Cheese

I think most of us have a food from our childhood that we would consider a comfort food. For me chocolate chip cookies, mom’s meatloaf with mashed potatoes and the cheap pot pies seem to rank towards to top of my list. One food though really seems to always evoke a childlike comfort more than any other…Mac ‘n Cheese.

Growing up a latch-key kid there weren’t many things that my sister and I could cook alone during the summers or after school. We ate a lot of snack food and things that simply required us to boil water. Hot dogs were great, but mac ‘n cheese was my preferred choice. To this day, seeing the blue box of Kraft takes me back to those summer days lounging in front of the tv (Is it no wonder the battle of the bulge hit me as a kid?!)

With all of the changes going on in my life right now (Qatar has been delayed...maybe up to 2 months!), I started to crave comfort foods. I decided that instead of turning to the ever reliable blue box of Kraft, I would try to expand the comfort food horizon and see if I could find a new version of the delightful pasta and cheese treat. With the recent food truck craze in DC it wasn’t too hard to find one that served mac ‘n cheese. CapMac (http://www.capmacdc.com/) is a mac ‘n cheese lover’s dreams come true. They serve several kinds of macaroni covered in cheese or other sauces, but my taste buds delighted in what they call “Balls Out.” It is their version of mac ‘n cheese with chicken meatballs garnished with crushed Cheez-its. Nirvana! It was so creamy and filling, certainly satisfies the comfort food craving. The only downside is the cost…eating from a DC food truck isn’t cheap! So my quest continued.

I decided that it couldn’t be that difficult to make mac ‘n cheese from scratch at home, and thought I'd try to bake it rather than do a stovetop version. I searched the internet and found the recipe below. It came together easily and was tasty. It’s not perfect…It wasn’t as creamy as I’d hoped for, but I’m sure it could be adapted just a bit to be pure perfection. I liked that this recipe didn’t try to get too fancy. There are a ton of recipes out there that add all kinds of things to the basic mac ‘n cheese. Heck, I was tempted to try adding in some crispy bacon, but wanted to find a good basic recipe before I started to experiment.

Give this one a try. It hit the spot and was just as easy as making mac ‘n cheese from the blue box. It was also easy to reheat and eat as leftovers for a few days.

By the way, what are your comfort foods? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Recipe: Mac ‘n Cheese
From: Very Best Baking

Ingredients
1 2/3 cups (about 7 oz.) dry small elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk
1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

Directions
PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Grease 2-quart casserole dish.

COMBINE cornstarch, salt, mustard and pepper in medium saucepan. Stir in evaporated milk, water, and butter. Cook over medium-heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in 1½ cups cheese until melted. Add macaroni; mix well. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

BAKE for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and light brown.

With Love,
Christina

Daring Cooks: Nut Butters (July 2010)

The July 2010 Daring Cooks’ Challenge was hosted by Margie of More Please and Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make their own nut butter from scratch, and use the nut butter in a recipe. Their sources include Better with Nut Butter by Cooking Light Magazine, Asian Noodles by Nina Simonds, and Food Network online.

According to Margie and Natashya, “Nutrition research suggests that nuts are good for your health. Nut butters, or pureed nuts, make it easy to use nuts in cooking. Although peanut butter is a staple in North America, most popular as the star ingredient in peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and beloved in peanut butter cookies and other sweets, it's seldom used in preparing savory dishes. Nut butters -- including not only peanut butter but almond, cashew, and walnut butters -- are common ingredients in many Asian and African countries, used in a wide array of savory dishes. Nut butters add complex & interesting flavors to dishes, provide body & thickness to sauces, and can be used to replace the dairy fats or other oils in recipes.”

The challenge this month was made a bit more interesting by requiring that we use our nut butters in a savory recipe. Margie and Natashya gave us a few recommendations and I chose to use the one for Chicken with Pecan Cream & Mushrooms.

The recipe is supposed to take 30 minutes start to finish and seemed to include ingredients that were normal and easy to deal with. The nut butter came together very easy. The food processor did all the work! The rest of the dish also seemed to come together fairly easy, though I have trouble cooking meat of any kind on the stovetop without setting off the fire alarms, turning on fans and opening doors (Did my mom teach me this method?! Love you mom!).

I doubled the cream/sauce recipe because I like my dishes to be saucy. Cooking with mushrooms can be tricky for me as well. I am not sure I have quite mastered it yet….but, after eating this dish I think I have discovered that I am not a big fan of dishes where mushrooms are the star. I do ok if they are a background flavor or ingredient, but I found myself picking around them in this dish to get to the “good stuff” … the chicken, noodles and pecans! The dish overall was very good, but I did not end up eating the leftovers because of the mushrooms...live, cook and learn!

If you want to see the other options and recipes for other nut butters, visit The Daring Kitchen’s post for this challenge. They even have a downloadable, printable PDF file there.

Recipe:
Chicken with Pecan Cream & Mushrooms
Yield: 4 servings
Recipe notes: Substitute your favorite pasta or rice in place of the egg noodles. Use fresh rosemary or parsley in place of thyme if you prefer.

Ingredients:
Pecan Cream:
3/4 cup (180 ml) coarsely chopped pecans*, toasted
1 cup (240 ml) water
¾ teaspoon (3 ml) salt, more as needed
½ pound (225 g) egg noodles or pasta
4 (6-ounce / 170 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 teaspoon (5 ml) olive oil, more as needed
Salt & pepper to taste

Sauce:
1 tablespoon (15 ml) deglazing liquid (water, broth, wine; optional)
1 teaspoon (5 ml) olive oil, more as needed
1/4 cup (60 ml) finely chopped shallots
½ pound (225 g) mushrooms, sliced
1 Tablespoon (15 ml) fresh thyme leaves
Chopped pecans, (optional garnish)

Directions:
1. Prepare pecan cream. Grind pecans in a food processor for about a minute or so until smooth, scraping down the sides of bowl as needed. Add water and 3/4 teaspoon (3 ml) salt; process until smooth, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Set aside pecan cream. (*If starting with prepared pecan butter, blend ¼ cup plus 2 Tablespoons (90 ml) pecan butter with the water and salt until smooth.)

2. Cook noodles according to package instructions in salted water. Drain, rinse, and keep warm.

3. If desired, pound chicken to ¼ inch (6 mm) thickness to promote even cooking. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Heat 1 teaspoon (5 ml) olive oil a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken; sauté 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Cook the chicken in 2 batches, adding more oil if needed for second batch. Set aside cooked chicken on a clean plate, cover to keep warm.

4. Add deglazing liquid to pan if using and stir up any browned bits. If needed, add another teaspoon (5 ml) of oil (or more) to pan for sautéing the shallots and mushrooms. Sauté the shallots and mushrooms over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and starting to brown. Add fresh thyme to the pan. Stir in pecan cream; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 1 1/2 minutes till reduced slightly.

5. Slice chicken into thin strips. Divide the noodles among serving plates. Add a scoop of the mushroom pecan sauce on top of noodles. Lay sliced chicken on top. Garnish with fresh thyme and/or a pinch of chopped pecans if desired.

Enjoy With Love,
Christina

Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff

Well my Shaking N Baking friends, it's time for another savory dish. I think this one is rather timely for those suffering the summer heat (though it's a beautiful mid-70's day here...with low humidity..when did I move to San Diego!?). This one is done in the crockpot for the most part!

I got this recipe from my mom. I'm not sure where she got it, but in classic mom form it's easy, uses normal ingredients and tastes great! You can also use "alternate" low-fat/healthier ingredients to make it even better for you.

The first step I do is mix all the "sauce" ingredients. What can be easier than opening a can of soup, a Lipton (yeah, brand name here!) soup mix packet and a container of sour cream and stirring them all together.

The next step is really hard....HA! Put frozen chicken breasts into your crock-pot! OH...and here's a tip that I'm sure most of you will already know, but in case there is that one person out there that was like me not too long ago.......Spray your crock-pot bowl with Pam (geesh! another brand name) cooking spray. This will make clean up so much easier!

SO, once you've put the chicken in, pour the "sauce" over the chicken and let it cook. Mom says 6-8 hours on low, but it will really depend on your crock-pot (which I just realized is actually a brand name for a slow cooker! Look at me name dropping in this post!).

No matter how long it takes, you'll know it's done when you can shread the chicken with a fork and it's cooked (as in not pink!). It should look sorta like this:

SO...as you're shreading the chicken, put on the egg noodles. Boil according to package directions. Once they're cooked, pour the noodles in with the chicken (or vice versa depending on the size of your crock-pot/noodle pot) and stir. Done! Dinner...or in my case, lunches are ready!

OK...so I have to suggest that you serve this with some kind of side dish that is green...get your veggies in folks! :-)

The glamour shot for this recipe shows you how I "pack" my lunches. I portion them out and then pop them in either the 'fridge (if I know I'll be taking them soon) or the freezer. This recipe actually freezes well...just let it thaw out in the 'fridge before you reheat.
The Recipe
Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 8-0z. carton of sour cream (use low-fat or fat-free if you want!)
1 packet dry onion soup mix (this is the Lipton stuff)
1 bag of wide egg noodles (use no-yolks or whole wheat...just as good!)

Place chicken in slow cooker. Mix remaining ingredients, except noodles, until smooth. Pour over the chicken. Cook 6-8 hours on low.

Cook noodles according to package directions. Shread chicken and mix with noodles. Serve!

Enjoy with Love,
Christina

Daring Cooks - Zuni Ricotta Gnocchi (May 2009)

This month is the very first installment of the new group called “Daring Cooks.” The founders of The Daring Kitchen, Lisa of La Mia Cucina and Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice, decided to add to the already established “Daring Bakers” with this group. I’m proud to say that I’m a charter member!

For our first challenge as Daring Cooks the ladies chose Ricotta Gnocchi. I’ve only had potato gnocchi once, and certainly never had ricotta gnocchi. I was a bit apprehensive about this challenge because I also did not have the best luck making the spinach pasta for the March Daring Bakers challenge. Not one to back away from a challenge though, I gathered the ingredients and set off to make gnocchi!

I let my fresh ricotta (purchased at Whole Foods Market) drain for two days in the refrigerator. It did not yield that much whey, but it also seemed to be dry enough according to the directions.

I added the other ingredients (I used nutmeg to flavor the gnocchi) and worried that my dough was too moist, but I persevered.

Gnocchi Dough

I did the test gnocchi and it turned out as described and did not fall apart so I continued to roll the rest of the gnocchi.

Rolling Gnocchi

I immediately cooked a few, so that could try them, but decided to freeze the majority of them so that I had more time and so that I could test that method as well.

Cooking Gnocchi

The few that I cooked immediately turned out pretty good. I boiled them as directed and then lightly sautéed them in the butter. The actual flavor of the gnocchi was rather bland in my opinion. I decided to hold off full judgment until I had tried the others. A few days later I cooked the frozen gnocchi. I did not thaw them as others in the Daring Cooks forum said that it was a fairly unnecessary step. This time I simply boiled the gnocchi and then topped them with a jarred pasta sauce. I must say, they turned out exactly like the fresh gnocchi. My thoughts were that the gnocchi simply took on the flavor of whatever sauce you put with it. I was not thrilled with the texture. For me it was a bit mushy. I do not know if that was due to an error or if that was how it was supposed to be.

The Finished Gnocchi

I know this is not a glowing review for this recipe, but I would encourage you to try it and see what you think.

The Recipe: Zuni Ricotta Gnocchi
Source: From The Zuni Café Cookbook.
Yield: Makes 40 to 48 gnocchi (serves 4 to 6)
Prep time: Step 1 will take 24 hours. Steps 2 through 4 will take approximately 1 hour.

Tips:
1. If you can find it, use fresh ricotta. As Judy Rodgers advises in her recipe, there is no substitute for fresh ricotta. It may be a bit more expensive, but it's worth it.
2. Do not skip the draining step. Even if the fresh ricotta doesn't look very wet, it is. Draining the ricotta will help your gnocchi tremendously.
3. When shaping your gnocchi, resist the urge to over handle them. It's okay if they look a bit wrinkled or if they're not perfectly smooth.
4. If you're not freezing the gnocchi for later, cook them as soon as you can. If you let them sit around too long they may become a bit sticky.
5. For the variations to the challenge recipe, please see the end of the recipe.

Equipment required:
• Sieve
• Cheesecloth or paper towels
• Large mixing bowl
• Rubber spatula
• Tablespoon
• Baking dish or baking sheet
• Wax or parchment paper
• Small pot
• Large skillet
• Large pan or pot (very wide in diameter and at least 2 inches deep)

For the gnocchi:
1 pound (454 grams/16 ounces) fresh ricotta (2 cups)
2 large cold eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon (½ ounce) unsalted butter
2 or 3 fresh sage leaves, or a few pinches of freshly grated nutmeg, or a few pinches of chopped lemon zest (all optional)
½ ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (about ¼ cup very lightly packed)
About ¼ teaspoon salt (a little more if using kosher salt)
All-purpose flour for forming the gnocchi

For the gnocchi sauce:
8 tablespoons (227 grams/1/4 pound/4 ounces) butter, sliced
2 teaspoons water

Step 1 (the day before you make the gnocchi): Preparing the ricotta.
If the ricotta is too wet, your gnocchi will not form properly. In her cookbook, Judy Rodgers recommends checking the ricotta’s wetness. To test the ricotta, take a teaspoon or so and place it on a paper towel. If you notice a very large ring of dampness forming around the ricotta after a minute or so, then the ricotta is too wet. To remove some of the moisture, line a sieve with cheesecloth or paper towels and place the ricotta in the sieve. Cover it and let it drain for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. Alternatively, you can wrap the ricotta carefully in cheesecloth (2 layers) and suspend it in your refrigerator for 8 to 24 hours with a bowl underneath to catch the water that’s released. Either way, it’s recommended that you do this step the day before you plan on making the gnocchi.

Step 2 (the day you plan on eating the gnocchi): Making the gnocchi dough.
To make great gnocchi, the ricotta has to be fairly smooth. Place the drained ricotta in a large bowl and mash it as best as you can with a rubber spatula or a large spoon (it’s best to use a utensil with some flexibility here). As you mash the ricotta, if you noticed that you can still see curds, then press the ricotta through a strainer to smooth it out as much as possible.

Add the lightly beaten eggs to the mashed ricotta.

Melt the tablespoon of butter. As it melts, add in the sage if you’re using it. If not, just melt the butter and add it to the ricotta mixture.

Add in any flavoring that you’re using (i.e., nutmeg, lemon zest, etc.). If you’re not using any particular flavoring, that’s fine.

Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano and the salt.

Beat all the ingredients together very well. You should end up with a soft and fluffy batter with no streaks (everything should be mixed in very well).

Step 3: Forming the gnocchi.
Fill a small pot with water and bring to a boil. When it boils, salt the water generously and keep it at a simmer. You will use this water to test the first gnocchi that you make to ensure that it holds together and that your gnocchi batter isn’t too damp.

In a large, shallow baking dish or on a sheet pan, make a bed of all-purpose flour that’s ½ an inch deep.

With a spatula, scrape the ricotta mixture away from the sides of the bowl and form a large mass in the centre of your bowl.

Using a tablespoon, scoop up about 2 to 3 teaspoons of batter and then holding the spoon at an angle, use your finger tip to gently push the ball of dough from the spoon into the bed of flour.

At this point you can either shake the dish or pan gently to ensure that the flour covers the gnocchi or use your fingers to very gently dust the gnocchi with flour. Gently pick up the gnocchi and cradle it in your hand rolling it to form it in an oval as best as you can, at no point should you squeeze it. What you’re looking for is an oval lump of sorts that’s dusted in flour and plump.

Gently place your gnocchi in the simmering water. It will sink and then bob to the top. From the time that it bobs to the surface, you want to cook the gnocchi until it’s just firm. This could take 3 to 5 minutes.

If your gnocchi begins to fall apart, this means that the ricotta cheese was probably still too wet. You can remedy this by beating a teaspoon of egg white into your gnocchi batter. If your gnocchi batter was fluffy but the sample comes out heavy, add a teaspoon of beaten egg to the batter and beat that in. Test a second gnocchi to ensure success.

Form the rest of your gnocchi. You can put 4 to 6 gnocchi in the bed of flour at a time. But don’t overcrowd your bed of flour or you may damage your gnocchi as you coat them. Have a sheet pan ready to rest the formed gnocchi on. Line the sheet pan with wax or parchment paper and dust it with flour. You can cook the gnocchi right away, however, Judy Rodgers recommends storing them in the refrigerator for an hour prior to cooking to allow them to firm up.

Step 4: Cooking the gnocchi.
Have a large skillet ready to go. Place the butter and water for the sauce in the skillet and set aside.

In the largest pan or pot that you have (make sure it’s wide), bring at least 2 quarts of water to a boil (you can use as much as 3 quarts of water if your pot permits). You need a wide pot or pan so that your gnocchi won’t bump into each other and damage each other. Once the water is boiling, salt it generously.

Drop the gnocchi into the water one by one. Once they float to the top, cook them for 3 to 5 minutes (as in the case with the test gnocchi). When the gnocchi float to the top, you can start your sauce while you wait for them to finish cooking.

Place the skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Swirl it gently a few times as it melts. As soon as it melts and is incorporated with the water, turn off the heat. Your gnocchi should be cooked by now. With a slotted spoon, remove the gnocchi from the boiling water and gently drop into the butter sauce. Carefully roll in the sauce until coated. Serve immediately.

Variations: For the gnocchi, you can flavor them however you wish. If you want to experiment by adding something to your gnocchi (i.e., caramelized onion, sundried tomato), feel free to do so. However, be forewarned, ricotta gnocchi are delicate and may not take well to elaborate additions. For the sauce, this is your chance to go nuts. Enjoy yourselves. Surprise us!!!

Freezing the gnocchi: If you don’t want to cook your gnocchi right away or if you don’t want to cook all of them, you can make them and freeze them. Once they are formed and resting on the flour-dusted, lined tray, place them uncovered in the freezer. Leave them for several hours to freeze. Once frozen, place them in a plastic bag. Remove the air and seal the bag. Return to the freezer. To cook frozen gnocchi, remove them from the bag and place individually on a plate or on a tray. Place in the refrigerator to thaw completely. Cook as directed for fresh gnocchi.

With Love,
Christina

Daring Bakers - Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna (March 2009)

It is time once again for the Daring Baker's Challenge of the month!

The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.

This challenge looked daunting. I was nervous! I have never made fresh pasta before, nor really made a from scratch meat sauce (ragu) or bechamel sauce! Just by reading through the recipe and instructions I was intimidated...and knew it was going to take me a long time to complete this recipe. BUT, I was up for the challenge (the whole point of joining this group!) and hoping to feel like an Italian Nonna (Grandmother) when I was done.

I started with the pasta. I immediately ran into problems. HA! The recipe calls for 2 eggs...I think it should have been more than that. I actually added 3 and still had to add some water (no time to measure, sorry!) before my dough would come together. I also was trying to do things by hand, but after a bit, I tossed it into the Kitchen Aid with the dough hook....it finally came together for me. It wasn't pretty though.

The next step was to roll the pasta out. I wimped out on this step and bought a pasta maker. It was hand crank, but still, I wasn't "rolling" it out by hand. It still wasn't easy! The sheets came out ok. I think they could have been a lot thinner, but the dough kept getting holes in it so I just gave up on it and figured it would have to do.

Pasta - Drying

I moved on to the Ragu - or meat sauce. This was a bit time consuming (well, compared to the normal brown meat, drain, add jar of sauce) but SO worth the time and effort. The ragu was easily my favorite part of this dish. I'd made it again anytime...well, anytime I had the time. :-) The different meats and the dry red wine give it a great flavor. Besides all the waiting and reducing it came together pretty easily.

Reducing Ragu

Next was the bechamel sauce - or white sauce. This was fairly quick and easy to make. The neat part about making this sauce was that I realized that my Grandma's famous gravy for biscuits and gravy was made the same way, only with a few different spices. I called her after I was done and told her that I think I was finally ready to attempt making her gravy now...though I still think she's hiding a secret twist from us...no one makes biscuit gravy like Grandma.

Stirring Bechamel Sauce

Back to the lasanga though. Once I had all the parts ready and it was time to assemble, I was exhausted! The pasta, ragu and bechamel had taken me about 6-7 hours to prepare...I know, crazy! Keep in mind this includes the "resting" time for the pasta and the "reducing" time for the ragu. I'm a slow chopper too...ha! BUT...even though it was now getting late, I decided to press on and assemble for baking!

I had enough pasta and ragu to make the suggested amounts of layers, but I forgot that I was supposed to end with a layer of bechamel sauce, so I ran out...with one layer to go. Since it was the easiest and quickest "part" to make, I quickly whipped up another batch so I would have enough. The pan looked great! Smelled fantastic and I was excited about putting it in the oven so I could try it!

Straight from the oven

SO...after almost 8 hours of kneading, mixing, rolling, stirring and the likes, I was able to taste my creation. I was good. I'm not saying great, the pasta was indeed a bit too thick for my liking, but the flavors were wonderful. I think if I were to ever have 8 hours to kill and was craving lasagne again, I'd break out this recipe again, but work on getting the pasta much thinner. The ragu is certainly a keeper and worth making for just plain pasta anytime thought...yummm. Alas, an Italian Nonna I am not destined to be...but hey...maybe I'll just work on being the pastry kind of Nonna, not the pasta kind....we'll see....(of course, I'd have to be Italian first...and have a husband....and kids....we'll stick to baking for now!).

Finished Lasagne

The Recipes:
Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna (Lasagne Verdi al Forno)
from The Splendid Table: Recipes from Emilia-Romagna, the Heartland of Northern Italian Food by Lynne Rossetto Kasper
(Serves 8 to 10 as a first course, 6 to 8 as a main dish)

10 quarts (9 litres) salted water
1 recipe Spinach Pasta cut for lasagna
1 recipe Bechamel Sauce
1 recipe Country Style Ragu
1 cup (4 oz./125g) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Working ahead: The ragu and the béchamel sauce can be made up to three days ahead. The ragu can also be frozen for up to one month. The pasta can be rolled out, cut and dried up to 24 hours before cooking. The assembled lasagne can wait at room temperature (20°C/68°F) about 1 hour before baking. Do not refrigerate it before baking, as the topping of béchamel and cheese will overcook by the time the center is hot.

Assembling the ingredients: Have all the sauces, rewarmed gently over a medium heat, and the pasta at hand. Have a large perforated skimmer and a large bowl of cold water next to the stove. Spread a double thickness of paper towels over a large counter space. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Oil or butter a 3 quart (approx 3 litre) shallow baking dish.

Cooking the pasta: Bring the salted water to a boil. Drop about four pieces of pasta in the water at a time. Cook about 2 minutes. If you are using dried pasta, cook about 4 minutes, taste, and cook longer if necessary. The pasta will continue cooking during baking, so make sure it is only barely tender. Lift the lasagne from the water with a skimmer, drain, and then slip into the bowl of cold water to stop cooking. When cool, lift out and dry on the paper towels. Repeat until all the pasta is cooked.

Assembling the lasagne: Spread a thin layer of béchamel over the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange a layer of about four overlapping sheets of pasta over the béchamel. Spread a thin layer of béchamel (about 3 or 4 spoonfuls) over the pasta, and then an equally thin layer of the ragu. Sprinkle with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the béchamel and about 1/3 cup of the cheese. Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used, finishing with béchamel sauce and topping with a generous dusting of cheese.

Baking and serving the lasagne: Cover the baking dish lightly with foil, taking care not to let it touch the top of the lasagne. Bake 40 minutes, or until almost heated through. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, or until hot in the center (test by inserting a knife – if it comes out very warm, the dish is ready). Take care not to brown the cheese topping. It should be melted, creamy looking and barely tinged with a little gold. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and let the lasagne rest for about 10 minutes. Then serve. This is not a solid lasagne, but a moist one that slips a bit when it is cut and served.

Spinach Egg Pasta (pasta verde)
Makes enough for 6 to 8 first course servings or 4 to 6 main course servings, equivalent to 1 pound (450g) dried boxed pasta.

2 jumbo eggs (2 oz./60g or more)
10 oz. (300g) fresh spinach, rinsed dry, and finely chopped; or 6 oz. (170g) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3 1/2 cups (14 oz./400g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour (organic stone ground preferred)

Working by hand you will need: A roomy work surface, 24 to 30 inches deep by 30 to 36 inches (60cm to 77cm deep by 60cm to 92cm). Any smooth surface will do, but marble cools dough slightly, making it less flexible than desired. A pastry scraper and a small wooden spoon for blending the dough. A wooden dowel-style rolling pin. In Italy, pasta makers use one about 35 inches long and 2 inches thick (89cm long and 5cm thick). The shorter American-style pin with handles at either end can be used, but the longer it is, the easier it is to roll the pasta. Plastic wrap to wrap the resting dough and to cover rolled-out pasta waiting to be filled. It protects the pasta from drying out too quickly. A sharp chef’s knife for cutting pasta sheets. Cloth-covered chair backs, broom handles, or specially designed pasta racks found in cookware shops for draping the pasta.

Mixing the dough: Mound the flour in the center of your work surface and make a well in the middle. Add the eggs and spinach. Use a wooden spoon to beat together the eggs and spinach. Then gradually start incorporating shallow scrapings of flour from the sides of the well into the liquid. As you work more and more flour into the liquid, the well’s sides may collapse. Use a pastry scraper to keep the liquids from running off and to incorporate the last bits of flour into the dough. Don’t worry if it looks like a hopelessly rough and messy lump.

Kneading: With the aid of the scraper to scoop up unruly pieces, start kneading the dough. Once it becomes a cohesive mass, use the scraper to remove any bits of hard flour on the work surface – these will make the dough lumpy. Knead the dough for about 3 minutes. Its consistency should be elastic and a little sticky. If it is too sticky to move easily, knead in a few more tablespoons of flour. Continue kneading about 10 minutes, or until the dough has become satiny, smooth, and very elastic. It will feel alive under your hands. Do not shortcut this step. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and let it relax at room temperature 30 minutes to 3 hours.

Stretching and thinning: If using an extra-long rolling pin work with half the dough at a time. With a regular-length rolling pin, roll out a quarter of the dough at a time and keep the rest of the dough wrapped. Lightly sprinkle a large work surface with flour. The idea is to stretch the dough rather than press down and push it. Shape it into a ball and begin rolling out to form a circle, frequently turning the disc of dough a quarter turn. As it thins outs, start rolling the disc back on the pin a quarter of the way toward the center and stretching it gently sideways by running the palms of your hands over the rolled-up dough from the center of the pin outward. Unroll, turn the disc a quarter turn, and repeat. Do twice more. Stretch and even out the center of the disc by rolling the dough a quarter of the way back on the pin. Then gently push the rolling pin away from you with one hand while holding the sheet in place on the work surface with the other hand. Repeat three more times, turning the dough a quarter turn each time. Repeat the two processes as the disc becomes larger and thinner. The goal is a sheet of even thickness. For lasagne, the sheet should be so thin that you can clearly see your hand through it and see colours. Cut into rectangles about 4 by 8 inches (10 x 20 cm).

Dry the pasta at room temperature and store in a sealed container or bag.

Béchamel
4 tbsps (2 oz./60g) unsalted butter
4 tbsps (2 oz./60g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour, organic stone ground preferred
2 2/3 cups (approx 570ml) milk
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
nutmeg to taste, freshly grated

Using a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over low to medium heat. Sift over the flour, whisk until smooth, and then stir (without stopping) for about 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk a little at a time and keep the mixture smooth. Bring to a slow simmer, and stir 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper, and a hint of nutmeg.

Country Style Ragu’ (ragu alla contadina)
Makes enough sauce for 1 recipe fresh pasta or 1 pound/450g dried pasta)

3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil (45 mL)
2 oz./60g pancetta, finely chopped
1 medium onion, minced
1 medium stalk celery with leaves, minced
1 small carrot, minced
4 oz./125g boneless veal shoulder or round
4 oz./125g pork loin, trimmed of fat, or 4 ounces/125g mild Italian sausage (made without fennel)
8 ounces/250g beef skirt steak, hanging tender, or boneless chuck blade or chuck center cut (in order of preference)
1 oz./30g thinly sliced Prosciutto di Parma
2/3 cup (5 oz./160ml) dry red wine
1 1/2 cups (12 oz./375ml) chicken or beef stock (homemade if possible)
2 cups (16 oz./500ml) milk
3 canned plum tomatoes, drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Working ahead: The ragu can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. It also freezes well for up to 1 month. Skim the fat from the ragu’ before using it.

Browning the ragu base: Heat the olive oil in a 12 inch (30cm) skillet (frying pan) over medium-high heat. Have a large saucepan handy to use once browning is complete. Add the pancetta and minced vegetables and sauté, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, 10 minutes, or until the onions barely begin to color. Coarsely grind all the meats together, including the prosciutto, in a food processor or meat grinder. Stir into the pan and slowly brown over medium heat. First the meats will give off a liquid and turn dull grey but, as the liquid evaporates, browning will begin. Stir often, scooping under the meats with the wooden spatula. Protect the brown glaze forming on the bottom of the pan by turning the heat down. Cook 15 minutes, or until the meats are a deep brown. Turn the contents of the skillet into a strainer and shake out the fat. Turn them into the saucepan and set over medium heat.

Reducing and simmering: Add the wine to the skillet, lowering the heat so the sauce bubbles quietly. Stir occasionally until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Scrape up the brown glaze as the wine bubbles. Then pour the reduced wine into the saucepan and set the skillet aside. Stir 1/2 cup stock into the saucepan and let it bubble slowly, 10 minutes, or until totally evaporated. Repeat with another ½ cup stock. Stir in the last 1/2 cup stock along with the milk. Adjust heat so the liquid bubbles very slowly. Partially cover the pot, and cook 1 hour. Stir frequently to check for sticking. Add the tomatoes, crushing them as they go into the pot. Cook uncovered, at a very slow bubble for another 45 minutes, or until the sauce resembles a thick, meaty stew. Season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy with love,
Christina