My Goodness! What Can't That Woman Do With Pesto?!
I hosted yet another wonderfully delicious dinner party tonight.
The food was was delicious in a high-butter-content, heart-attack-inducing way, and the conversation was also delicious-- due mainly to the high percentage of charming foreign accents. Music was vintage calypso and old Bollywood tunes from the fifties and sixties.
The menu:
L's Tropical Salad (mixed greens, cucumber, hearts of palm, sweet red grapefruit, etc.)
L's Lovely Lasagna (with fresh pesto!)
L's Kick-Ass Carrots
French bread with butter
Made-from-scratch orange zest bundt cake with fresh strawberries and blueberries
Red wine, white wine, sweet tea
People keep asking for the lasagna recipe, so here it is:
L's Lovely Lasagna
Ingredients (for about 8 servings)
Approximately 1 pound of fresh spinach
1 cup minced onion
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup fresh grated parmesan
the amount of fresh pesto made from the recipe below
2 pounds ricotta cheese (about 4 cups worth)
approximately 24 lasagna noodles (give or take a few)
1 and a half pounds of mozzarella cheese slices
salt and pepper, according to taste
Steps:
1. clean spinach and remove the stems.
2. use 3 tablespoons of the olive oil to saute the onions in a very large skillet (until soft)
3. add a bit of salt and pepper then remove from heat
4. stir raw spinach into hot onions and stir it around a bit
5. add 1/2 the grated parmesan, all the pesto, all the ricotta and mix thoroughly with some extra black pepper if you like
6. place a layer of cooked noodles in the bottom of oiled lasagna/cake pan
7. spread one-third of the spinach mixture on top of the noodle layer
8. place a layer of mozarella cheese on top of that
9. place another layer of noodles
10. spread another one-third of the spinach mixture on top of that
11. place another layer of mozarella cheese
12. place another layer of noodles
13. spread the remaining spinach mixture
14. place the remaining layer of mozarella cheese
15. place a last layer of noodles
16. sprinkle the remainder of the parmesan on top and drizzle with a bit of olive oil
17. cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 40 minutes
The Pesto!
Ingredients:
at least 3 cups fresh basil leaves, tightly packed
5-6 large cloves of garlic (or more, depending on your mood)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pulverized pecans (or pine nuts)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup melted butter
black pepper, to taste
steps:
1. just blend everything all together in the blender until it's a big green, soupy mess.
***note: you can prepare the lasagna the night before, if necessary.
The food was was delicious in a high-butter-content, heart-attack-inducing way, and the conversation was also delicious-- due mainly to the high percentage of charming foreign accents. Music was vintage calypso and old Bollywood tunes from the fifties and sixties.
The menu:
L's Tropical Salad (mixed greens, cucumber, hearts of palm, sweet red grapefruit, etc.)
L's Lovely Lasagna (with fresh pesto!)
L's Kick-Ass Carrots
French bread with butter
Made-from-scratch orange zest bundt cake with fresh strawberries and blueberries
Red wine, white wine, sweet tea
People keep asking for the lasagna recipe, so here it is:
L's Lovely Lasagna
Ingredients (for about 8 servings)
Approximately 1 pound of fresh spinach
1 cup minced onion
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup fresh grated parmesan
the amount of fresh pesto made from the recipe below
2 pounds ricotta cheese (about 4 cups worth)
approximately 24 lasagna noodles (give or take a few)
1 and a half pounds of mozzarella cheese slices
salt and pepper, according to taste
Steps:
1. clean spinach and remove the stems.
2. use 3 tablespoons of the olive oil to saute the onions in a very large skillet (until soft)
3. add a bit of salt and pepper then remove from heat
4. stir raw spinach into hot onions and stir it around a bit
5. add 1/2 the grated parmesan, all the pesto, all the ricotta and mix thoroughly with some extra black pepper if you like
6. place a layer of cooked noodles in the bottom of oiled lasagna/cake pan
7. spread one-third of the spinach mixture on top of the noodle layer
8. place a layer of mozarella cheese on top of that
9. place another layer of noodles
10. spread another one-third of the spinach mixture on top of that
11. place another layer of mozarella cheese
12. place another layer of noodles
13. spread the remaining spinach mixture
14. place the remaining layer of mozarella cheese
15. place a last layer of noodles
16. sprinkle the remainder of the parmesan on top and drizzle with a bit of olive oil
17. cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 40 minutes
The Pesto!
Ingredients:
at least 3 cups fresh basil leaves, tightly packed
5-6 large cloves of garlic (or more, depending on your mood)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pulverized pecans (or pine nuts)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup melted butter
black pepper, to taste
steps:
1. just blend everything all together in the blender until it's a big green, soupy mess.
***note: you can prepare the lasagna the night before, if necessary.
posted by L at 10:20 PM
10 Comments:
The food was devine, as was the hostess!
i'll have to imagine both. i may try this lasagna one day though.
That recipe looks great. If only my girlfriend liked either pesto or lasagna...
mmmm...lasagna!!!
Wow, L, I love that recipe. It may slam shut the arteries but what a way to go!
holy yum, that looks good!!!
Your party sounds absolutely delightful.
Are we all invited next time?
I suspect that recipe makes a damn fine lasagne. I make a groovy one myself with lentils and red pepper instead of spinach... but it sounds like the same principle.
Doctor: thank you, my good man
Mr. Anigans: I do highly recommend the lasagna
Addled One: hmmm... I may be posting a different yummy recipe soon after my next dinner party
Brenda Love: yes, it's my favorite
Comfort Addict: it's better to die happy
that girl: it's a great recipe for feeding several people, and it appeals to even picky people
Ms. Vile: let me know if you are ever in Florida & I will DEFINITELY throw a little dinner party with you as the guest of honor
Jim Bliss: it is very yummy, but your recipe sounds delicious too
I still don't know what pesto is but I'm copying down your lasagna recipe. It looks more intricate (and tasty) than the one I currently have.
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