"La La" Lasagna

This year (2012) celebrates the 46th Super Bowl Sunday.  Not to date myself, but I remember the year, my “mama” purchased a color television, so she could watch Joe Namath and the Jets, play (and WIN) the Super Bowl.  Johne enjoys watching this pro game finale, and as for myself, I could go either way… but as this is pretty much the ONLY game he watches most of the season, we indulge. John enjoys his favorite brew (a warm Guinness) and I hang out with him, play on the computer, or in this case, work on my blog.  Typically I make chili for Super Bowl Sunday, but it has been ages since I whipped up lasagna (AND I just happened to have several jars of my extra special Puttanesca sauce on hand) I decided to try my hand and create a new recipe.

As I was arranging the ingredients earlier today, to allow the flavors to co-mingle and familiarize themselves, I was thinking about the end result and thus the name “La La” Lasagna was created.

Ingredients: 

6 - 8 cups of red sauce (I use my favorite classic Puttanesca sauce)

12 -16 lasagna noodles (using 3 on the first layer, 4 second and back to three for the last layer)

15 ounces of organic ricotta cheese

2 or more cloves of garlic (this depends on your personal taste)

Basil (if using fresh, ¼ cup; or if you don’t have fresh, I used 2 of Trader Joe’s frozen basil cubes)

¼ cup fresh parsley

1 egg

½ cup grated mozzarella cheese

¼ cup gorgonzola

2 “Smart Sausage” sliced thin on the diagonal

½ cup of a fennel bulb, sliced very thin

1 pound of porcini mushrooms, sliced thin

2 cups of mozzarella cheese (for this recipe I used Tillamook Italian blend, already grated)

1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Marsala wine

Prepare the ricotta blend: mix the ricotta, egg, basil, parsley, gorgonzola and ½ cup grated cheese together, set aside.  Brown the "Smart Sausage" and set aside.  Prep all other ingredients for ease in putting this dish together.

To build the lasagna: use your favorite lasagna pan (I use an Emile Henry and LOVE it for its great baking technology and ease in clean up); drizzle olive oil in the bottom of the pan, topping it with 1/3 cup of red sauce.  First layer, using 3 uncooked noodles, spread 1/3 of the ricotta blend on the noodles, 1/3 of the sliced mushrooms, ½ of the sautéed “Smart Sausage”,  6 ounces of cheese, cover with 1/3 of the red sauce; 2nd layer, use 4 unbaked noodles, repeat the layer;  for the final layer, using 3 noodles, repeat, but switch out the "Smart Sausage" using the fennel.  Top with remaining red sauce, Tillamook Italian blend and fresh grated parmesan.  Drizzle a wee bit of Marsala wine around the edges for extra moisture. 

Bake at 350 for one hour, let sit for 15 minutes before serving.  Great with a Caesar salad and garlic bread and a bottle of red wine (of course!).

Note-for the carnivore, you can substitute your favorite spicy Italian sausage for the “Smart Sausage” or modify as you see fit.  This is just a starting point and or guideline.

Last but not least, as Julia would say “Bon Appétit!”