October 17th is National Pasta Day #NationalPastaDay. I need to purchase groceries today. I was thinking I would pick up a box of Shell Macaroni and make my mom’s Macaroni & Cheese. But being National Pasta Day I also was thinking Lasagna would be good.
The kids should all be here this evening and we could make Lasagna together then we could watch a Halloween Movie together which David would enjoy. Would you like to join us? I think I will have David make a pan of Brownies for dessert. I have Milk and Sweet Tea unless you want something else to drink.
When we think of Pasta there is Fusilli, Penne, Spaghetti, Capellini and Fettuccine, Pasta which we all know comes in a myriad of shapes and sizes. Pasta acts as a sort of blank canvas for the almost infinite variety of Sauces that can be made to pair with Pasta. National Pasta Day is the perfect time to learn more about Pasta while celebrating all things Pasta!
Did you know Historians don’t completely agree on the origins of Pasta. Many people believe that Pasta originated in Italy, while others say Pasta came all the way from China when Marco Polo was on his adventures in the 13th Century.
Still other historians claim that Pasta is actually much older than that, and that Pasta goes back to the 4th Century BC. In fact, in the place that is now Italy, an Etruscan Tomb shows pictures of natives making something that appears to be Pasta.
Even Greek mythology gets involved in the stories about the origination of Pasta. The God Hephaestus, known as Vulcan, made a device that would create long strands of Dough, which some people think may have been a version of Pasta or Spaghetti.
Not long before he became the President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson is believed to have brought Pasta to the US after a trip to Paris in the late 1780s. After eating what Thomas Jefferson referred to as “Macaroni” in France, Jefferson brought two cases back with him and helped influence its popularity in America.
Recipe for Lasagna
Prep Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 2 hours 30 mins Additional Time: 15 mins Total Time: 3 hours 15 mins Servings: 12
Ingredients
Original recipe (1X) yields 12 servings
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
- ¾ pound lean ground beef
- ½ cup minced onion
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
- 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil leaves
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 12 lasagna noodles
- 16 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- ¾ pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
- Gather all your ingredients.
- Cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic in a Dutch oven over medium heat until well browned.
- Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and water. Season with sugar, 2 tablespoons parsley, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, and pepper. Simmer, covered, for about 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water.
- In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining 2 tablespoons parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- To assemble, spread 1 ½ cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce, overlapping slightly. Spread with 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 ½ cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
- Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes.
- Rest lasagna for 15 minutes before serving.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
