Lasagna brings about images of indulgent layers of mozzarella and ricotta cheeses and sauce!
It doesn’t mater whether it is Lasagna Bolognaise, Lasagna Napolitana or your own spin on the classics, Lasagna is sure to please your family, guests and friends.
Flashback: The table was set with hand crochet table cloth and the "special" china that was passed on from generation to generation. Seated at the table were every relative that you knew and some that you never knew you had!
On the table was a gallon of Piasno or it could have been some Dago Red that grandpa made? Copious glasses of wine being drunk from fancy wine glasses which I now know as Murano glass from Venice.
The room was packed, the table and its guests were too large for the room, and three people would have to get up in order for you to leave the table.
We were all called to sit down; there was a level of anticipation! I knew it was time to eat because all the adults died out their cigarettes!
Here, entering the room as if it was a royal procession was my grandmother Selvaggio beaming as if she just painted the Sistine Chapel
.
I looked over to my father and could see the excitement on his face because he knew what was about to come! Grandma had a pan of Lasagna!
My eyes gazed on the pan that seemed at least a foot thick and full of pasta and what every child loves, cheese! She set the pan onto the table, the aroma of the melted "Scmotz", and Romano was intoxicating as if I was in some Italian Shaman's spiritual ritual.
She cut into the Lasagna and lifted the mile high slice of joy! There was so much cheese that it stretched and would not let go as if it was in defiance of being eaten!
Wait, what is that inside, there are tiny mini meatballs! As if the cheese, ricotta "gravy" and pasta layers were not enough!
Each tiny meatball was rolled by hand and fried in lard till its crusty goodness came thru! I took a sip of my "Wine mixed with 7up"(Italian Benadryl) smiled and realized that I do have a Guardian Angel!
The recipe I chose to share with you is one I personally make for my family. It uses many of the recipes that are found on Cook-Italian.com!
Continue reading "Lasagna Napolitana (Recipe)" »