FRESH Ingredients. Now I Get It! ULTRA CHEESY LASAGNA RIBBONS

FRESH.

Fresh this and Fresh that.......
Every spare minute I have, I'm searching for recipes, and reading food articles, or watching the Food Network channel.

And over the years, especially most recent, I hear chatter about "Fresh Ingredients".

"Use Fresh whenever possible".   "Fresh ingredients make such a difference".  "Always buy Fresh".

I use to tilt my head to the side like a dog who's not understanding, and think to myself, "Who the heck would use stale ingredients?  Of course you're suppose to use Fresh. Duh."

To me, "Fresh" was going to the grocery store on Monday.........and using the ingredients on Tuesday!

Heck, how much more "Fresh" can you get than that?

It hasn't been until recently that I'm finally starting to get it.

I'm finally starting to appreciate what these Television cooks mean by "Fresh".

Fresh means buying something that's literally made Fresh.  Something you have to use pretty quickly because it's not pre-packaged and filled with all sorts of preservatives.

Fresh means, well......Fresh tomatoes instead of canned, Fresh spinach instead of frozen......Fresh mushrooms instead of canned.  You get the picture.

I am literally stunned at how incredible this Lasagna recipe is, all from changing my old habits, and using fresh.

If you were a fresh gal like I use to be, where fresh meant buying my groceries on Monday and using them on Tuesday, then do me a favor and please try this. 

That light bulb will go on, and you won't believe you've been making lasagna with bagged and boxed ingredients for the past 20 years.

Note: No, I didn't make my own noodles, or make my own fresh Mozzarella and Ricotta.  (However, my local Whole Foods Market actually has classes on how to do this - but I had laundry to do, and floors to mop, so instead, I just bought everything fresh.  And you know what, it really really really does make a difference.

*All items were purchased from Whole Foods Market.  If you do not have a Whole Foods in your area, I'm sure you have a similar style market or Italian market close by.  Many large city Farmers Markets have vendors selling fresh pasta and cheeses as well.  Take the time and make the extra trip, trust me, you won't believe the difference.

1 package Fresh Lasagna Noodles (four noodles)
8 ounces Fresh Ricotta Cheese
8 ounces Fresh Mozzarella
1/2 C. Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
Fresh Baby Spinach (optional)
Spaghetti Sauce (See Below)
Olive Oil

Freshly made pasta lasagna noodles come in a package normally containing about 4 wide ribbons.

Fresh pasta only needs to be boiled for about one minute in boiling water.

Do as the directions on the package says. Mine said to drop into salted boiling water for one minute, then place in a bowl of iced water for one minute then strain. I did this separately, four times, with the four ribbons of pasta.

After each was finished, I placed on a cutting board and dabbed it dry with paper towel.

Once this is done, set them aside to dry for a bit.

In a bowl, combine your Ricotta cheese and 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese and with your wooden spoon, combine it really well.

You will INSTANTLY notice a difference in the fresh Ricotta.

I have used the regular store-bought Ricotta cheese for over 20 years, and I can't believe what a difference in taste and texture fresh is.

I can't believe what I've been missing all these years.  Mama Mia!

Now take your fresh Mozzarella.

Try to get the kind of Mozzarella that's in the little containers of water, not the ball that's wrapped up.

When it's in water like that, it's packed in purified water with no preservatives or additives. Just so ya know.

I got the bite-sized Mozzarella balls and diced them in little round medallions.

Take your lasagna noodles and if they are the extra wide kind, fold them in half to create the normal store bought size.



Now sprinkle the little darlings with some Olive Oil.

Now schmere on the fresh Ricotta and Parmesan mixture.

Now place those yummy little slices of fresh Mozzarella right on top.

Take your baby spinach leaves and lay them real pretty like, on top of your cheeses.

Now is the time I take a little tiny sprinkling of Kosher Salt and spread it like fairy dust on top.  But that's totally optional.

Ever so gently, take the noodle with both hands, and fold it like a ribbon, or if you want, you can just roll it like a haystack.  No rules here.

Now here is where I refuse to make my own sauce.  Please don't judge me.

Kansas City has the best, and I mean the BEST pasta sauce made by the Cascone family.

The Cascone brothers opened their restaurant 40 years ago in Kansas City, and now they sell their pasta sauce in a jar.  This stuff is like gold. I kid you not.

I literally refuse to make my own, because it doesn't get any better than this.

This is a "sweet" pasta sauce.  It completely compliments the fresh cheeses and the spinach, and really makes this dish incredible.

If you do not live in the Kansas City area and they don't have this in your local grocery store, and you're really feeling adventurous, then here's the link to their online store. 

Their ORIGINAL flavor is simply incredible.

http://yhst-66035517443956.stores.yahoo.net/sauces.html?action=view&current=body01.jpg

Pour some of your sauce of choice, in the bottom of 9 x 9 casserole pan, and place your little ribbons or haystacks on top of the sauce.

Once they are all in place like good little ribbons, pour your sauce over the top.

Do we dare put some more cheese on top.....of course we do.



Cover and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes.  Take off the foil and bake for about 10 minutes more.

Take out of oven and let sit for at least 15 minutes.



Please, give me a moment to compose myself.

Ok, I can't even talk right now.

You get the picture.

Minimal ingredients because when it's fresh, the tastes speaks for itself.

White, ooey gooey cheese that's freshly made (no preservatives).

Tender, melt in your mouth fresh pasta (again no preservatives because it doesn't have to sit on the shelf for 8 months).

Food Network Stars.... NOW I get it. 

I guess that's why you're on TV and I'm not.

I think they're onto something.

Move Over Lasagna. DEEP DISH RAVIOLI is in Town!

When you think of Italian food, what comes to mind instantly.  Lasagna right?

If you had to make an Italian meal, I'm guessing you would make Lasagna or Spaghetti.

Poor Ravioli!  Always overlooked!

Like the middle child.  Has all the qualities, if not more, but never recognized.

Well today, Ravioli is making a comeback.  What does Lasagna have that Ravioli doesn't?

I mean heck, Ravioli already has the Ricotta cheese built in!  Take THAT Lasagna!

Well today things are different.

Move over Lasagna, cause Ravioli's in town.  And he's gonna show you who's who!

DEEP DISH RAVIOLI

Here are Ravioli's Friends:

1 bag (1 lb) frozen Cheese Filled Ravioli
1 lb. hamburger
1 jar store bought Spaghetti Sauce
1 can Petite Diced Tomatoes
Chopped Onion (see below)
Chopped Garlic (see below)
Fresh Mozzarella Ball
Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese
Garlic bread (of course)

Preheat oven to 350.

First I fry up the hamburger in a large pot, not a fry pan (I'll tell you why later).  I am a bit partial to frozen copped onion.  It's easy cause you can grab a handful of already diced onion out of the freezer, and plop it into whatever you need it for.  Without all the chopping and tearing up.  Plus there is no pressure to hurry up and use the fresh onion in fear of it going bad because you don't feel like cooking.

After all it says "Recipe Helper" on the bag!

So I threw in a handful of frozen chopped onion (but that's totally up to you).

Again, something easy, I buy the jar of chopped Garlic in the produce section. The kind you keep in your refrigerator and use whenever you want it.  My niece would KILL me if she heard me say that.  But I'm in a hurry today, plus I didn't have a fresh clove of garlic on hand.

So I took my cute little wooden spoon and added about a teaspoon of the chopped garlic.

Now fry up the hamburger with the onion.  Once it's brown, I like to add a pinch or two of Kosher Salt.

Now I add the can of diced tomatoes. Be sure to drain the tomatoes of all the juice.  Make sure it's pretty well drained.  We don't want juicy pasta.

Once the hamburger is all cooked and the onion is tender and you've mixed in the tomatoes and they are warm, strain it all so you get rid of any excess juice and grease.  You don't want a greasy and runny Deep Dish Ravioli.  Lasagna would LOVE it if Ravioli failed.

Put the hamburger mixture in a bowl and set it aside.

I use frozen ravioli, I suppose you could use the fresh kind, but it's a bit more expensive.  This is the size I use.  There was a time that I could find these LARGE round Ravioli, the size of a tennis ball around, but I can't find them anymore.  I love those, but no one carries those anymore.  So this is the size I get.

Now, I just take the large pot that I fried the hamburger in, and fill it with water and get it ready to boil for the Ravioli.  I'm all about using the same pots and pans to avoid lots of stuff to clean up.

Get the water good and boiling and throw in the frozen ravioli.  Watch these babies because you don't want to over boil them.  They cook up really fast!  You don't want them to over-cook where the ricotta starts to squirt out (I've done that and it ain't pretty).

It's ok if they are slightly undercooked because they are going in the oven anyway.  So as soon as they start to float to the top and they look just about done, take them off the stove and gently put them in the strainer.

I use a 2 quart casserole dish for this recipe.  It's square and the sides are about 3 inches high.  You don't want a larger dish cause you want it to be sort of "deepish".  Thus DEEP DISH Ravioli.  Get my drift?

Now, I take my jar of spaghetti sauce.  Yes I am using sauce from the jar.  Don't judge me.  And I pour about 1/3 of a cup of the sauce in the bottom of the casserole dish.  Then I layer 1/2 of the Ravioli in the dish, nice and pretty.

Then I spread Half of the hamburger mixture on top of the ravioli and then sprinkle the top with fresh Parmesan cheese.

Now comes the best part.  I use FRESH MOZZARELLA.  Not the cube kind that you grate, but the WHITE fresh stuff.  Normally comes in a ball.  Like this.

I got this at Walmart Grocery Store, so you don't have to go to a fancy schmancy place to get this.  They normally don't keep it with the cubed cheese, it's normally in the Deli section.  Just ask if you can't find it.

A little tip:  I like to throw this baby in the freezer while I'm frying up my hamburger, because it's much much easier to slice.  If it's room temperature, FORGET IT.  You will never get nice round slices. It's super soft and if it's room temperature, all you will be able to do is get mushed up round slices.  But don't FORGET it's in the freezer!

 Now layer the round slices of this goodness on top of the hamburger and Parmesan mixture.

Then pour the sauce on top of the Mozzarella.

Now layer the last half of the Ravioli on top of this.

Then the last half of the Hamburger mixture on top of the Ravioli.

Then sprinkle Parmesan on top of the hamburger.

Now lay more slices of the fresh Mozzarella on top and then pour the remainder of the spaghetti sauce on top  of that.

Place the casserole dish on a cookie sheet, in case it overflows.

Cover with foil VERY LIGHTLY.  You don't want the foil to stick to that wonderful cheese. Basically make a foil tent and lay on top.

Bake for 30 minutes.  Take off foil and bake another 10 minutes.  Take out of oven and set aside. 

Oh Ravioli, look at you!

Now let this set on the counter for at least 15 minutes.  This is the time that I like to put the Garlic Bread in the oven. It gives the pasta and sauce to sort of calm down and not be so overly hot and run all over the plate.

Once your garlic bread is done, about 15 or 18 minutes, you should be able to dish this gloriousness out onto your ever-waiting plate.

Look at that Cheese!  You are not going to get that from the package kind!

Ahhh Ravioli, you are my hero!  I'm glad you're back in town, I missed  you!

Dean's Kick in the Head SPICY CHEESY Pasta

Dean Martin is my Hero, and I believe he said it best when he sang...."Ain't that a Kick in the Head".

I LOVE Pasta.  So did Dean. (He's Italian after all)

I LOVE Cheese. So did Dean.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE anything spicy....with a "Bite"...a "Zing".......a....how you say.....  "A Kick in the Head" .

So this dish is named after my hero, Dean Martin.  I love you Dino!

Dean's Kick in the Head Spicy Cheesy Pasta

Look who's trying out for the part:

1 (16 ounce) box Penne Pasta
2 cans Rotel Original
1 (16 ounce) container Sour Cream
1 (16 ounce) box MEXICAN Velveeta (not regular!)
1 very small can Chopped Jalapenos (You will only use 1/4 of this can but ya gotta have em)

In one large pot, get your water starting to boil for your pasta.  Cook as the pasta package directs you to.

Start dicing up your Velveeta in cubes.  It's easier to melt this way.  See all the little specks in there?  That's the Mexican Velveeta.  Be sure to get that and not the regular Velveeta.  It's a little hard to find, but ya gotta have it!

Now, add the sour cream and the 2 cans of Rotel.  Now comes the best part.

Open up that can of Diced Jalapenos.

And scoop in a fourth of the can into the Velveeta mixture.



This is how much I normally put in.  And trust me.  This is a good Kick in the Head.  Not so hot that you can't eat it.  But not for the faint of heart either. 

This is how much is actually left in the can.

Now after the dish is all combined, and if you want even more of a Kick, by all means, add more!

Personally, I would add more, but I don't want my family members yelling and screaming and tearing up on me.

Once the pasta has finished.  Strain and put back into the large pot.

Your Velveeta goodness should all be mixed together and melted by now.

Pour sweetly over the waiting Penne.

Start combining the two.  Warning, at this point your mouth starts watering and you might break out into a Dean Martin song.

At first it might appear a bit runny, but after it sets about 5 minutes, it will thicken up just perfectly.

Here's to you Dean!  That's AMORE!

Isn't he so handsome?

I love ya Dean!





Yummy Goodness

I'm not alone I know it, but I just LOVE the month of October.
Living in the Midwest, it's probably the best time of year.  Football, Crisp Cool Weather (A welcome to the terribly hot month of August), Flannel Shirts, Scarves, and of course, Fall Cooking.
October is probably the one time when people just throw diets out the window.  Afterall, we need to pack on a few pounds and get ready to hunker down for a long cold winter.

I love this gal, The Pioneer Woman.  Her recipes are great, simple, and she's just awesome over-all.
I mean who does not want to immediately start stuffing your face with this?

Pasta Alla Marlboro Man is her recipe, and trust me when she tells you, it will get you a marriage proposal.

Go here now!  Welcome Fall/October with open arms!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/03/monday-night-dinner-pasta-alla-marlboro-man/