Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Lasagna Jill


This is the pasta roller I found in the back of a bottom cabinet of the last house I rented in Santa Barbara when I moved out. Left behind by one of the many interim roommates my roommate had in between me living in the house. I was her first and last roommate in that house, but there were a few others between those stints! I am guessing the metro-Italian roommate forgot that this was in there and is probably wondering to this day what happened to this thing. Needless to say it got boxed up with my things and began its long journey of moving from one house to the next with me. Never once being opened or used. For 10 years. But hey, these can be expensive and I knew I would use it someday. Maybe.

While I was searching Smitten Kitchen for a basic tomato sauce recipe, I found this yumminess and I was inspired. Since I have been making other ridiculous things from scratch recently, I decided I would break this puppy out. So my trusty travelling companion (the pasta roller) and my favorite helper (preschool face paint included!) got started on making some noodles!

I was pretty impressed with this little guy and pretty happy I had carted him around for ten years.

I was pretty impressed with this little thing too! She rolled ALL of the noodles. By herself, of course, because that is what four year olds do. Everything, by herself.
Noodles. Check.

I sauteed up some deliciously fresh veggies (unfortunately not from my sad little garden, but I am holding out hope for things non-squash related).

I cut up some of the mozzarella I had made the day before. I know. I know. I said I have been making ridiculous things from scratch recently.
I am afraid to tell you that there is more.

This is the ricotta cheese that I made after I made the mozzarella. Did you know that ricotta is a by-product (so to speak) of the mozzarella? I did not either. But after you make your mozz, you boil the crap out of the whey that is left in the pot for 10-15 minutes. Dump it into a flour sack lined colander and what do you know, ricotta! The funny part is, I like the ricotta better than I do the mozz!

This is the Basic Tomato Sauce that caused all this crazy-business in the first place. Mmmm.


And the final melty-cheesey-saucey-goodness. And yes, you would be correct if you asked why it looks like there is not any melty-cheesey goodness on one side of that beautiful lasagna. And the would be because the boy can;t have dairy. So I just left a little off one of the edges for him to eat.

The lesson for today is - do not throw out valuable appliances because you never know if you might use them. Once every ten years.

2 comments:

tj said...

I love my pasta machine. It too has not seen too many busy days since 2001 (but that was a busy year for the little machine)Just recently we bought it out of the back of the cupboard and cranked it up. THere really is no comparison to fresh pasta. Your lasagne looks delicious and WOW I'm very impressed with all the homemade products. Miss you. Love TJ

HalfAsstic.com said...

Geeze! Color me impressed! Home made mozzarella? I am doing good to BUY the correct cheese for my recipes!