A Yearning

Sometimes I just get a yearning to close the garden gate, put out the "Nobody's Home" sign, tie on my apron, put on Carly Simon "I Only Have Eyes For You",and make pasta.... it's the best.

I think I already told you that I come from an italian farm family. So there was always pasta making going on at our house.

Aunt Rose's Lasagna
Pasta:

1 cup flour
1 egg
Salt

For each cup of flour, add 1 egg and pinch of salt. Knead well and roll through a pasta machine into the thinest setting.

Lasagna

Meat Sauce:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 pound italian sausage broken into pieces
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small can tomato paste
1 cup red wine
1 large can San Marzano tomatoes or Muir Glen organic
Basil
Italian parsely
Salt and pepper

Brown onion and carrot in oil. Add sausage and stir 2 to 3 minutes. Add ground beef and cook till browned. Add garlic, wine and tomato paste. Measure 1 empty can of tomato paste with water and add to the meat. Stir. Add tomatoes and season. Bring to a simmer and cook slowly 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Filling:

Mix together 1/2 pond ricotta
1 pound mozarella,grated
1 egg
Minced fresh italian flat leaf parsley

Bechamel Sauce:

5 tablespoon butter
4 1/2 tablespoons unbleached flour
4 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper

In a saucepan over medium heat melt the butter. Add the flour. Stir and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Add the milk gradually and stir with a whisk till smooth. Simmer about 7 to 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper


Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add a tablespoon or so of salt.
When boiling add lasgana noodles. Cook for about 30 seconds, drain and rinse in cold water. Dry noodles. Set aside.

In a lasagna pan, layer: tomato sauce, lasagna noodles, ricotta filling and bechamel sauce. Repeat process, ideally having about 5 to 6 very thin layers.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes or till hot and bubbling.