Hearty Man-Pleasing Lasagna

Earlier this week my husband requested lasagna.  I haven't made it in a long time because of the time required; plus, the calorie count is not exactly weight-loss friendly.  Since he's been a good sport about Project Real Food I decided yesterday morning to pick up a few things at the grocery store and make a lasagna for dinner.  He just finished his semester at school with two good grades, and I felt like he deserved a little something special.  I figured I'd just sub whole wheat noodles for regular noodles and replace the pork sausage with chicken sausage.  Everything else should work, right?  Ahem...

I realized once I got to the store that my typical lasagna recipe was not going to work.  Have you ever looked at the ingredient list for ricotta cheese?  Ruh roh.  So right there in the aisle at SuperTarget I put my thinking cap on and came up with this.  I served it with homemade garlic popovers, a tossed green salad with balsamic vinaigrette, and finished it up with a dessert that I'll blog about later.  

Anyway, this was a huge hit!  Such a hit, in fact, that while we were at Costco today I noticed he was lost in thought and when I asked him what was going on he said, "I'm just thinking about having leftover lasagna for lunch...".  Wife of the Year!  Yesssssss!

No, it is not low fat.  No, it is not simple and easy.  It's a special occasion, lazy rainy day kind of recipe.  And I think it's worth every calorie, fat gram, and dirty dish.

This is pre-baked. (ie. pre-cheese on top).  I was so excited about eating this that I forgot to take a picture of the finished product.  I was also distracted by the raging thunderstorm outside and the wimpy terrier that had taken root on my lap because of said storm.  Oh well...

For the tomato sauce:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound Italian sausage (I used Isernio's chicken sausage)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 cup red wine
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (28 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 tbsp dried basil
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
handful chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

For the béchamel
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups whole milk
1 tsp salt
Dash of nutmeg, to taste
Freshly grated pepper, to taste

For assembling the lasagna
whole wheat lasagna noodles (mine were oven-ready)
freshly grated mozzarella cheese
freshly grated Parmesan cheese


Brown the meat, drain, set aside.  Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook until tender and golden, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Add the meat and the wine.  Cook on medium high for a few minutes until the wine reduces a little bit.  Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes.  Bring to a simmer.  Cook uncovered on low heat for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and the flavors have melded.  If the sauce gets too thick add a little chicken broth.  About 15 minutes before assembling the lasagna stir in the parsley and adjust the seasonings if necessary.

In a small saucepan melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the garlic and cook until it sizzles.  Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens, 2-3 minutes.  Slowly whisk in the milk.  Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Simmer over low heat until the mixture is thick and bubbly, 8-10 minutes.

To assemble spread a thin layer of béchamel on the bottom of a 13x9 pan.  Then layer as follows:  pasta, tomato sauce, béchamel, mozzarella.  Finish with pasta, tomato sauce, and béchamel.

Cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 45 minutes.  Uncover, top with mozzarella and Parmesan, and bake uncovered for 15 minutes more until the cheese is melted, the sauce is bubbling, and the noodles are tender. Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Spaghetti Bolognese

Wednesday night I made Spaghetti Bolognese.  I rarely stray from my tried and true spaghetti recipe, but I was inspired to branch out when I found this recipe on Pinterest.  And, wow, am I glad I did.  Like all recipes I ended up adjusting it to my tastes, so I'll give you the original link as well as my changes.  Don't skip the Gorgonzola Garlic Bread (find the recipe by clicking the link).  It's amazing!!

Spaghetti Bolognese (click here for the original recipe)

1 Tbsp Olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound Italian sausage
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1 Tablespoon dried basil
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
Pinch of hot red pepper flakes
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup cream
1 large can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 large can crushed tomatoes
salt and pepper
If you have a rind from a Parmesan cheese add it to the pot to simmer along with the sauce.  I read this tip on the recipe's website and I tried it.  Yum!

Saute chopped onions and celery in olive oil until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the meat and saute until no longer pink. Add cream and simmer until it has evaporated.  Add 1/2 cup white wine and simmer until wine has evaporated. Add the dried herbs. Add tomatoes and simmer for at least 2 hours on low heat.  Stir in the parsley during the last 30 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
Serve over spaghetti with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

NOTE:  If the sauce gets too thick while simmering add a little chicken broth.

Simple Sausage-Tortellini Soup

I wanted something simple tonight.  Dinner was late, I was hungry, and I could tell it was going to be a heartburn kind of night.  So I made up this recipe and it - along with a nice baguette - hit the spot.

Ingredients
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
4-6 cups chicken broth (make it as thick as you like it)
15-20 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1 large package cheese tortellini
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Directions
Brown the sausage in a large soup pot.  Drain the fat and return the sausage to the pot.  Add the garlic and the tomatoes.  Cook over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes until bubbling and hot.  Add the chicken broth and basil and bring to a boil.  Add the tortellini and cook according to the package directions.  Serve with freshly grated cheese and a crusty baguette.

Hint:  Wait until the broth is heating before you slice the basil.  This will prevent the edges from turning dark.

To snazz this up a little bit, chop some onion and celery and cook it with the sausage.  Replacing the basil with chopped baby spinach gives it a different twist.  You can also add a little crushed red pepper and a splash of red wine if it won't send you and your 24 week pregnant belly running for a bottle of Tums.

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Wednesday my husband and my brother drove to Fort Worth to do a job. (They install windows for anyone who doesn't know that). When they got to Fort Worth the windows they were supposed to install were not where they were supposed to be, so they basically looked at each other and said "Well...let's go fishing". Okay, maybe it wasn't quite like that, but they did end up at the lake eventually.

So I planned a meal that involved fresh catfish. And I waited for said fish to arrive in the hands of my hubby. Said fish did not arrive until 8:30pm, and by that time I had succombed to my hunger and defrosted some leftover spaghetti sauce. The catfish will be consumed tonight provided he gets home before midnight. Seriously. It could be midnight. It's been a week like that.

While eating my spaghetti sauce I realized I hadn't yet posted that recipe here and I decided that was a situation I need to remedy. This is not your typical marinara spaghetti sauce. This is a thick, hearty meat sauce that needs time to simmer and let the flavors meld. Try it on a weekend when you have time to relax and let it happen.

Here's what you need:
1 pound Italian sausage (mild or sweet)
1 pound lean ground beef
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
2 6 ounce cans tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Here's what you do:
Remove the casings from the sausage and tear it into small chunks. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat until it's very hot. Add the sausage and cook until brown. Resist the temptation to stir it around too much. You want to get some of that lovely dark brown crust on it. Drain the sausage and set aside.

Add the ground beef to the skillet and let it cook until brown. Again, don't stir it too much. I break up the block of meat a little bit and then move it around every now and then until it's cooked evenly. Drain the ground beef and set aside.

Heat a large pot (I use my 8 quart so I have plenty of room) over medium heat. Once the pot is hot add the olive oil and heat until it shimmers. Drop in the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but not brown.

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Sidenote: Have you seen Pioneer Woman's post on how to chop an onion? I love this method and I use it all the time. Super Easy!

Sidenote 2: Have you noticed yet how often I mention Pioneer Woman? I need therapy.

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Once the onion is tender add the garlic and cook until fragrant (no more than 1 minute).

I should mention here that 4 cloves is merely a suggestion. I can't remember the last time I only used 4 cloves of garlic in my sauce. In my opinion there is no such thing as too much garlic. Does anyone have a mint? Seriously though, fresh garlic will mellow as it cooks and this sauce will simmer for awhile so don't be afraid. Embrace the garlic!

PS...If you don't have a garlic press you need one. That's all I have to say about that.
So now you have tender onion and fragrant garlic and you're going to dump the crushed and diced tomatoes into the pot. Don't drain anything. Just dump it in juices and all. Add the tomato paste and stir to combine.

Add the red wine, sugar, basil, fennel seeds (trust me, don't skip this!), Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.

Stir in the sausage and ground beef, lower the heat to low, cover the pot, and walk away. Don't touch it for at least 30 minutes. At that point you can start your taste testing and add extra seasoning as needed. You'll probably want to add salt and pepper, but depending on what kind of wine you use it might not need extra salt. Sometimes I throw in some oregano if I'm feeling feisty.

After it's simmered for about an hour uncover, stir, and let it simmer uncovered for another 30 minutes or until it thickens to the consistency you like. The condensation from the lid is going to have added quite a bit of liquid so this could take some time depending on how thick you like it.

About 15 minutes before you are ready to serve the sauce add a handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley.

Serve over penne, farfalle, or another chunky pasta sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

This recipes makes a ton of sauce, so invite a crowd. Or you could keep it all to yourself and freeze the leftovers. Either way......Enjoy!

Bow Ties with Italian Sausage, Tomatoes, & Cream

NOTE:  This post was written pre-Weight Watchers, but it is one of my all time favorites and therefore shall remain here for all to see.  Don't ask how many points this contains.  Because I haven't even looked for fear of passing out cold.  Let's just suffice it to say that this is a splurge that should be reserved for a day when you're either really depressed (comfort food!) or really celebrating something (calories don't count on special occasions!).  Anything between the two extremes could cause severe trauma. 

There is a sign in my kitchen. It says "There's a skinny girl who lives inside of me who's trying to get out, but I can usually shut her up with cookies". I could very easily replace the word "cookies" with the phrase Bow Ties w/Italian Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cream.

I sincerely apologize to those of you who are dieting. I try to eat healthy. I really do. But sometimes what I'm about to show you is just absolutely necessary.

I will forever remember the night my husband pulled out the cookbook and said "this looks interesting".

"Sausage and tomatoes with CREAM?!", I thought. That sounds odd. But being the submissive wife that I am we made the recipe. And can I just say....Oh. My.

Six years later we still turn to this one as our favorite "splurge" in the calorie department. And I'll never again be afraid to try ingredients that sound strange to me.

Please make this. Just plan to wear your stretchy pants the next day, grate up plenty of Parmesan cheese for topping, and go for it!