I have had the most fabulous accidental morning. I forgot to set my alarm last night. Usually this is not a big deal, because I either wake up on my own when it would normally go off, or DH's alarm wakes me up. I like to get up a solid 45 minutes before the kids do, so I have time to get myself dressed, start their breakfasts, and have a moment to savor a cup of coffee before chaos reigns. No such luck this morning - I didn't wake up until I heard the pitter patter of little boy feet on the stairs. Yikes!! Let me tell you, there is nothing like an extra 45 minutes of sleep and the shot of adrenaline you get when you realize you've overslept to knock you into high gear.
And here's the best part: Carpool Mom was driving this morning. Usually I drive on Thursdays, but this has been a juggling week for her, so she was taking the kids in. This meant that not only did I have 45 extra minutes of sleep this morning, I also had a full extra hour to do what ever I wanted before sitting down to work. Let me tell you, once I got those kids out the door, I have been a crazy woman. I changed the duvet cover on the guest bed. I straightened some bookshelves that have been bothering me. I started laundry. I made beds. I packed up summer clothes and put them away. I put away dishes, wiped down counters, and responded to some overdue emails. Now a quick blog post. All without a second cup of coffee. Whew! I'm going to wear myself out.
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Our family is a big group of lasagna fanatics. I make 3 different versions, depending on what we're in the mood for. I've blogged spinach lasagna before, which is my go to version when I'm on a This Family Has Got To Eat More Veggies kick. I also have my mother-in-law's lasagna recipe, which is a classic, hearty, meaty version (I promise to post it down the road). And we love (of course) Ina Garten's turkey sausage lasagna. That's the one I made last week, and we dove into it so fast I didn't get to take a picture of it before it was cut. Which I do realize makes it appear as if I've posted a picture of our dirty dishes, instead of our fabulous dinner. Sorry. Here's the recipe. It does wonderfully if you make it the day before, and I've also made it ahead and frozen it (before baking). Love it love it.
Turkey Lasagna
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in tomato puree (I like Muir Glen or Cento)
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound lasagna noodles
15 ounces ricotta cheese
3 to 4 ounces creamy goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced (Fresh mozzarella can be tricky to slice. I've learned that a long serrated bread knife does the best job, just saw it back and forth very gently rather than trying to cut straight down. You'll get gorgeous thin slices this way.)
And here's the best part: Carpool Mom was driving this morning. Usually I drive on Thursdays, but this has been a juggling week for her, so she was taking the kids in. This meant that not only did I have 45 extra minutes of sleep this morning, I also had a full extra hour to do what ever I wanted before sitting down to work. Let me tell you, once I got those kids out the door, I have been a crazy woman. I changed the duvet cover on the guest bed. I straightened some bookshelves that have been bothering me. I started laundry. I made beds. I packed up summer clothes and put them away. I put away dishes, wiped down counters, and responded to some overdue emails. Now a quick blog post. All without a second cup of coffee. Whew! I'm going to wear myself out.
***
Our family is a big group of lasagna fanatics. I make 3 different versions, depending on what we're in the mood for. I've blogged spinach lasagna before, which is my go to version when I'm on a This Family Has Got To Eat More Veggies kick. I also have my mother-in-law's lasagna recipe, which is a classic, hearty, meaty version (I promise to post it down the road). And we love (of course) Ina Garten's turkey sausage lasagna. That's the one I made last week, and we dove into it so fast I didn't get to take a picture of it before it was cut. Which I do realize makes it appear as if I've posted a picture of our dirty dishes, instead of our fabulous dinner. Sorry. Here's the recipe. It does wonderfully if you make it the day before, and I've also made it ahead and frozen it (before baking). Love it love it.
Turkey Lasagna
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in tomato puree (I like Muir Glen or Cento)
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound lasagna noodles
15 ounces ricotta cheese
3 to 4 ounces creamy goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced (Fresh mozzarella can be tricky to slice. I've learned that a long serrated bread knife does the best job, just saw it back and forth very gently rather than trying to cut straight down. You'll get gorgeous thin slices this way.)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a large (10 to 12-inch) skillet. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the sausage and cook over medium-low heat, breaking it up with a fork (I find it helpful to break it up with my fingers first a bit, before adding it to the pan), for 8 to 10 minutes, or until no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat, for 15 to 20 minutes, until thickened.
Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with the hottest tap water. Add the noodles and allow them to sit in the water for 20 minutes. Drain. (Tip: The recipe will use 9 lasagna noodles. When you're prepping the noodles, put 2-3 extra in the hot water in just in case one tears or you have a corner of the pan that needs a little more noodle.)
In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, 1 cup of Parmesan, the egg, the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
Ladle 1/3 of the sauce into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch rectangular baking dish, spreading the sauce over the bottom of the dish. Then add the layers as follows: half the pasta, half the mozzarella, half the ricotta, and one 1/3 of the sauce. Add the rest of the pasta, mozzarella, ricotta, and finally, sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.
