Lasagna has always been one of my favorite foods. My mom makes a killer lasagna. I find that the way we eat growing up shapes our palate when we're older.
For instance, one of my mottos is that I will try just about anything once. (exceptions being anything with blood in it and probably cockroaches... Even covered in chocolate I don't think I could stomach that!) this probably comes from my dad.. He is pretty adventurous with what he eats. And he ate all of our leftovers. In fact, even today if the grand kids don't finish their food they get a lecture... And then he finishes it for them.
But, back to lasagna... Growing up I always remember my mom slaving over lasagnas. Boiling the noodles, wrestling the noodles into the pan. Sometimes she would even add pepperoni! And everybody makes lasagna a different way. My Mom's lasagna is made with cottage cheese. In fact, i always love an extra serving of cottage cheese along with it. The cool creaminess with the warm, saucy, cheesiness--yum! My husband likes both, but prefers ricotta... probably because that's how his mom made it.
When I make lasagna now it just depends what I have on hand since we really do like it both ways. But i always use no-boil noodles! No wrestling the noodles for me! They cost about the same, and they make a labor intensive meal into an easy meal.
Last week a friend had us over for dinner and made 2 different lasagnas. It was her first time making lasagna, but she did very good. One was a chicken and broccoli white lasagna and the other was a red sauce lasagna with squash and mushrooms. There are so many ways you can spice up a lasagna. One of my favorite new ways to make it is Lasagna Soup. It is loosely based on a recipe I found in a Family Fun magazine.
LASAGNA SOUP
1 jar spaghetti or marinara sauce
1 box chicken broth
1 tub ricotta cheese
1 box rotini or other small pasta
Mozzarella or other melty cheese
Salt, pepper, garlic
*In a small bowl combine ricotta, mozzarella, and spices to taste and set aside.
*On the stove, mix together spaghetti sauce and chicken broth to desired thickness (You want it to be fairly brothy). Bring to a boil and add pasta. Cook about 10 minutes or until pasta is cooked.
*Spoon ricotta mixture into individual bowls then top with soup and garnish with a little extra cheese or some fresh herbs and voila! A quick lasagna inspired dinner :)
So what do you love or hate about lasagna? Have you tried any unique lasagna recipes? What do you think of the Lasagna Soup? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
