BASIL!!!
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| Can't get enough of the green stuff... |
My husband is not a big fan of flowers, because he does not think they are practical. On the other hand, he loves growing things that he can actually eat-- tomatoes, peppers, etc. All spring (ahem... if I can call it that), whenever we discussed our "garden" I would always throw in, "And basil!" "And I can get a basil plant!" "Don't forget the basil!" And so it was!
I'm not sure exactly where this love affair started... I'm pretty sure it's been less than a year. I used to think basil was boring. What was I thinking?! HELLO Bruschetta, Basil Alfredo Pizza, Pesto... So many good things have basil at their core.
One of my new faves is Vietnemese Pho. You haven't had it?! Give me a call, and we'll go get some together. Once I have had a few more pho adventures, I will be fully ready to post about it's magical qualities, but for now all you need to know is it comes with a big plate of all the goodies to put in (see the below picture) and add your desired flavors, including a big bushel of basil. Yup, and some people just eat the leaf straight off the stem. You know who you are! :)
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| Basil, Limes,Sprouts, OH MY! |
So, now that my little plant is just growing up a storm, I have already embarked on a few culinary adventures. I have made a yummy pizza with ricotta and basil... and my favorite was lasagna! I have never made a real lasagna before, and I was quite impressed with myself. Or maybe it's just the recipe. :)
There is something about good basic ingredients, with great flavor, that just gets the job done. I think the essential parts of this lasagna are the basil and the Italian sausage. MMM! So good! I changed this recipe up a little bit... I used a tomato sauce mixed with alfredo, threw some spinach and mushrooms in for good karma, and voila! A masterpiece! Try it out!
Sausage Cheese Basil Lasagna
Sauce:
Filling:
Assembly:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound spicy Italian sausages, casings removed
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 3 large garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with added puree
- 1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes with green pepper and onion (do not drain)
Filling:
- 1 1/2 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves
- 1 15-ounce container plus 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1 1/2 cups (packed) grated mozzarella cheese (about 6 ounces)
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Assembly:
- 12 no-boil lasagna noodles from one 8-ounce package
- 3 cups (packed) grated mozzarella cheese (about 12 ounces)
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
- Nonstick olive oil spray
preparation
Sauce:
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add sausages, onion, garlic, oregano and crushed red pepper and sauté until sausage is cooked through, mashing sausage into small pieces with back of fork, about 10 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes with juices. Bring sauce to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 5 minutes to blend flavors. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill until cold, then cover and keep chilled.)
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add sausages, onion, garlic, oregano and crushed red pepper and sauté until sausage is cooked through, mashing sausage into small pieces with back of fork, about 10 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes with juices. Bring sauce to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 5 minutes to blend flavors. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill until cold, then cover and keep chilled.)
Filling:
Using on/off turns, chop fresh basil leaves finely in processor. Add ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Using on/off turns, process filling until just blended and texture is still chunky.
Using on/off turns, chop fresh basil leaves finely in processor. Add ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Using on/off turns, process filling until just blended and texture is still chunky.
Assembly:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread 1 1/4 cups sauce in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange 3 noodles on sauce. Drop 1 1/2 cups filling over noodles, then spread evenly to cover. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layering of sauce, noodles, filling and cheeses 2 more times. Top with remaining 3 noodles. Spoon remaining sauce atop noodles. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Spray large piece of foil with nonstick olive oil spray. Cover lasagna with foil, sprayed side down.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread 1 1/4 cups sauce in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange 3 noodles on sauce. Drop 1 1/2 cups filling over noodles, then spread evenly to cover. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layering of sauce, noodles, filling and cheeses 2 more times. Top with remaining 3 noodles. Spoon remaining sauce atop noodles. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Spray large piece of foil with nonstick olive oil spray. Cover lasagna with foil, sprayed side down.
Bake lasagna 40 minutes. Carefully uncover. Increase oven temperature to 400°F. Bake until noodles are tender, sauce bubbles thickly and edges of lasagna are golden and puffed, about 20 minutes. Transfer to work surface; let stand 15 minutes before serving
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Sausage-Cheese-and-Basil-Lasagna-103005#ixzz1QXI3rUTs
