The last time I made lasagna completely from scratch (including the noodles) was over a year ago for the March 2009 Daring Bakers Challenge. I have hand rolled pasta my whole life. That’s not to say that I’ve been making LOTS of homemade pasta. I have to admit that hand rolling my noodles has been a big deterrent in me making homemade pasta on a frequent basis. I find hand rolling tedious. In fact lately the only time I ever do it is to make Mr. Fuji’s grandma’s recipe for noodles to go in chicken noodle soup. They are so good that I am extra motivated to spend the time and effort making them. I now no longer have any excuses, because last week I made lasagna from scratch using a pasta maker for the first time and it was EASY and heavenly!
This past week Squirrel attended her first day of preschool and her first day of a dance class (ballet/tap/jazz).
It was a big week for both her (and me!), and so I decided it called for a celebration. Squirrel and I threw ourselves a pasta making party. We used a recipe for Spinach Goat Cheese Lasagna from Italian Food Forever. I figured I couldn’t go wrong with ingredients like spinach and goat cheese!
Making the dough was extremely easy—the instructions in the recipe were very approachable. I substituted 1/2 cup of semolina flour for 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour, because Deborah writes that this gives the pasta more texture and firmness.
As opposed to what I have experienced in the past, rolling out the dough was the best part of making this lasagna.
Squirrel even got to help with this part and was very proud of her beautiful noodles.
After we let the dough rest we ran it through the pasta machine, cut the strips, boiled them briefly, and then set them out to dry. Then we made the tomato sauce and started building the lasagna!
The lasagna came out beautifully and was delicious.
Definitely a great way to celebrate a big week!
One of you can throw your own pasta party! To celebrate the third “Webisode” of Into The Heart Of Italy, Bertolli is offering one La Fuji Mama Reader a Pasta Prize Package worth $125! The winner will receive:
- An Imperial Pasta Machine (color not determined)
- An Emile Henry 2.5 Quart Lasagna Baker (color not determined)
- A coupon for a free Bertolli Frozen Meal For 2 that will “transport you to Italy in 10 minutes”
To Enter: Leave a comment here telling me what your favorite Italian dish is. The contest will end on Thursday, April 22, 2010 at 10pm PST. The winner will be announced on Friday, April 23, 2010. US Residents only please. The winner will be chosen using Random.org.
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If you need some lasagna inspiration, the third webisode Into The Heart Of Italy premiered last week: The Secrets of the Pollaio. In this webisode, Chef Rocco DiSpirito, Marisa Tomei and Dan Cortese track down Italy’s “Egg Man” and learn to cook a traditional rustic dinner. There is one particularly hilarious moment in this webisode. See if you can guess which one I’m talking about!
Disclosure: The nice folks at Bertolli sent me the same prize package as the winner will receive. Thanks Bertolli!
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I love brucciloni! I have never made homemade pasta so I could really use the pasta maker!
My favorite Italian dish is a manicotti I found on the web a long time back (I don’t remember who I got it from). It was a recipe from a darling woman’s childhood neighbor from Italy. A manicotti that is made using crepes instead of noodles which is what appealed the most as I have been nervous about attempting a hand rolled noodle…lol.
Your spinach and goat cheese lasagna looks amazing! My favorite Italian dish is any type of risotto or gnocchi dish. But, after I have the chance to make your lasagna, it might be your recipe. :)
Yum, that looks amazing! My favorite Italian dish is stuffed shells with fresh spinach!
My favorite dish is home made alfredo sauce poured over chicken, broccoli and fettucine. NOM!
My favorite dish is definitely gnocchi. The best I ever had was at this Italian restaurant in Austria and it was a 4 cheese gnocchi. To die for!
Gnocchi with gorgonzola, preferably shared with Squirrel and Bug.
Baked Ziti…hands down. I also really love lasagna from my Baker’s Edge pan.
I’m going to have to say polenta with cheese and pasta sauce over the top or homemade gnocci! Both dishes that my grandma used to make!
I love love love basil pesto with tons of Parmesan cheese and garlic bread!
You can’t beat homemade pasta. It is so cheap and easy to make…and fun too! I love homemade gnocchi with pesto. Mmmm!
That lasagna looks so fresh and full (not squished and sad like the lasagna i’ve had in the past)! Love the cross-section shot!
I’s have to say it’d be Tiramisu — I’m a dessert kinda gal~
This looks absolutely heavenly! I have a hard time finding goat cheese here in Tokyo and this has definitely made me crave more than usual. Since I’ll be back in the US for the summer, I thought I could take my chances at the giveaway! Congrats to Squirrel on her first day of preschool and her dance class! And to you for having such a lovely daughter. I love how involved she is in cooking- I hope that when I have kids I can do many of the things you have done. Thanks for being a great role model!
Any pasta dish is delicious, especially with homemade pasta! I think my favorite is spaghetti carbonara, but a simple pasta tossed with olive oil, pepper and good parmesan is also awesome.
Wow your lasagna looks delicious! Sadly, no one in my house would eat spinach or goat cheese except for me. They have broadened their acceptance of different foods over the past 12 years that we have been a family. We do all love gnocchi, especially that made by an Italian chef that married a local girl, moved here and opened a FANTASTIC restaurant. He serves it on Wednesdays with an out of this world mushroom sauce.
Love lasagna – any way or any form!!
I love eggplant parmigiana… I need to get my family on board with eggplant so I can make it and not be the only one to eat it!
Spaghetti tossed with a simple homemade tomato sauce and served with spicy Italian Sausage– and don’t forget the garlic bread! Love it!
Oh yeah, it has to be lasagna, it’s my Italian husband’s favorite. I do love it and will have to try your recipe. But I do absolutely love my mother in law’s recipe for Canederli. I made it once myself and it was good, the 2nd time it flopped!
Okay for the pasta maker contest. I am making a comment. I have had a wonderful Lasagna recipe I have used for years. I make the sauce totally from scratch. I have mastered the sauce quit well. One day after getting a new pasta maker. I decided that I would really make a awesome Lasagna making the pasta totally from scratch too. First I got the sauce simmering and then next I was going to attempt for the first time making the pasta. The book of instructions that came with the machine was totally ridiculous. Too make a very long attempt to make noodles short; either I had a faulty machine or I was just missing a huge link in my brain to how to use it. I bent something in the machine so there was no turning back to start over and trying again. The entire machine went in the garbage and I was left with having to use store bought noodles. I haven’t bought a new machine again in fear of failure. Your great web site showed me several thing I did wrong in the process of making noodles. Thanks Julee Brice
Wow, you are amazing! I’ve never hand-rolled pasta, unless of course you count rolling pierogi dough.
My favorite Italian dish is Pasta Primavera or anything vegetarian with lots of veggies. I also love a simple rigatoni with parmesan, peas and butter. Yum!
I like plain ol’ spaghetti and garlic bread. with lots of fresh parm grated on top. Yummmmmmmm….
That lasagna looks fabulous! My favorite is pasta puttanesca.
I like Meatball Lasagna!
digicat{AT}sbcglobal{DOT}net
My favorite dish is chicken parmesan. Yay on this giveaway!!
I just saw this on F.B. It looks so good! By the way, Squirrel is a real cutie!
I love all Italian! my new favorite dish that I love to cook is lasagna shrimp rolls.
My favorite italian dish is pasta primavera with lots of veggies!
What a beautiful colorful lasagna! What perfect ingredients, spinach and goat cheese. Yummy! My dad taught me how to make noodles for his chicken and noodles dish. I don’t make it that much, I really should show my daughter! You inspire me to do that! :)
My favorite Italian dish is portobello ravioli, and stuffed shells! Oh, how’d that second one slip in there?
Dang, that little Squirrel is a cutie! And that lasagna is absolutely beautiful – chock full of goodness. I have been wanting to buy an Emile Henry baking dish like that for quite some time.
My favorite pasta dish – Spaghetti with Italian Sausage & Mascarpone Cheese Sauce. It’s my go-to comfort dish.
My favorite dish is spaghetti puttanesca. I love anything with anchovies in it.
The best meal I have ever eaten in Italy was simply spaghetti with a fresh and simple tomato sauce.
gosh I love to make raviolli with my girls…YUM!
I love anything with cheese but I would have to say fettucini alfredo.
My all time favorite will always be classic fettucine alfredo. Delicious.
I would love to win this. I have been dying to try making my own pasta but can’t quite get the gumption up to do it (I live where ingredients would be hard to find as well).
My favorite Italian pasta dish? Hmm…I love a good Parmesan chicken over angel hair pasta with Marinara sauce. Yum.
My favorite is lasagna made with any kind of Italian sauce made from fresh ingredients.
My favorite Italian dish is Baked Cannelloni! I would love to learn to make my own pasta! I’m a sucker for all things pasta!
I love a simple pasta carbonara…
Favorite pasta dish has to be gnocci in a tomato basil cream sauce, especially when eaten in the Campo de Fiori in Rome, listening to Irish fight songs from the pub across the square.
I LOVE Eggplant Parmesan:)!
Pasta Puttanesca slays me with its deliciousness every time, my weakness for olives is well documented.
Definitely ravioli for me! :)
Oh am I thrilled to have come across this recipe. It sounds like heaven and I’ve already printed it out to give it a try this next week.
I would also be thrilled to win your giveaway!
My favorite is by far is cheese lasagna! So I feel like I’m already a winner by getting your recipe.
Hugs,
Joanne
My favorite is pasta with veal piccata! Love that tang
It has to be alfredo sauce with fettucine!
I am just COMPLETELY drooling over your lasagna right now!
I love angel hair pasta with pesto and vegetables. And lots of parm :)
My favorite Italian dish is Gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce.
That looks yummy! My favorite Italian dish is linguine with clam sauce.
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