Lasagna Experiment

There are a few things that many people make and it just comes naturally to them. Unfortunately, I am a bit lasagna-challenged. I really want to come up with a recipe that completely satisfies and makes for excellent leftovers the next day.

Why lasagna? It's a great comfort food dish as the weather turns colder. This casserole type dish that is filled with curly edged noodles, cheeses (oh, yes, it must be several types of cheese), sauce and sometimes it has meat but others it has mostly vegetables. There are so many versions of lasagna floating around in the world. Some require a bechamel sauce, others are more simplistic and just require the red tomato sauce layered with the noodles and the cheese mixture. Since this is something that can be made according to anyone's preferences then I should be able to come up with a good recipe, right?

This attempt I wanted to include a combination of fresh spinach and mushrooms. I sauteed both before incorporating them into the ricotta and Parmesan cheeses so that I could cook out as much of the natural moisture as possible. Soggy lasagna is not appealing at all, so I figured this would be a good place to begin. I also used my usual tomato sauce that I keep on hand.

Well, the verdict is that I will continue to keep trying to find the perfect combination of ingredients to create our family recipe. The sauce is a great basic sauce, but it needs some kind of punch added to it to take to the next level when it comes to using it in lasagna. I also think next time I may try the bechamel sauce version since what I've read is that it tends to make it less "goopy" and is actually the more traditional way of preparing this classic dish. I have a bit more research to do and many more recipes to check out as continue on this self-imposed challenge.

Of course, AFTER I made this lasagna I came across a cool blog that is totally focused on how to make different types of lasagna, My Lasagna Recipe. There are a few different versions in addition to the blogger's main recipe.

I'm submitting this to Presto Pasta Nights which is being hosted over at Soy and Pepper this week. Be sure to stop by there on Friday to see what pasta creations were made throughout the food blogging world.

To go along with our lasagna, My Husband was back at bread baking again last weekend! This time, he decided to make four smaller loaves. Two round ones and 2 mini baguettes. He seasoned each one with the oil dipping seasonings that we picked up awhile ago from Le Gourmet Chef that comes with 4 different choices. These are great seasoning blends for bread and really added a better flavor to each bread.

Stay tuned for more lasagna adventures over the next couple of months - it may take that long to find the perfect recipe for our family!