It is another chilly day here in Saint Paul. Thursdays are usually a good day for cooking a nice meal, but today it is a busy one. Lots of picking up and dropping off and waiting around. I realized last night that with Vilde's piano lesson @ 5pm (not our normal time), it would be tricky to get dinner made, so again I had to find something that can be made earlier in the day, and ready to serve when we all get home around 6pm. My plan was to make Chicken tetrazzini, a chicken spaghetti casserole with mushrooms, but when I arrived at Super Target, I discovered I had forgotten my shopping list and my Cooking magazine containing the recipe. So, what to do? I went to the magazine rack and picked up the latest issue of Rachael Ray's magazine. I looked through it and decided to make her Lazy Bolognese-style Lasagna, with some modifications. She didn't specify what kind of ground beef to use, so I mixed 1lb of lean ground beef with 1/2 lb of extra lean. In addition, I used low -sodium beef stock. I also had a half of a green pepper that needed to be used asap., so I added that too. Since there is no layering involved here, this dish comes together really quickly. Love that! I will keep it warm in the oven until we are ready to eat. A green salad and Ciabatta rolls are also included. Can't wait to dig in!
Lazy Bolognese-style Lasagna
Salt and pepper
1lb wavy lasagna noodles, broken into irregular pieces
1 T extra- virgin olive oil1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1 onion, finely chopped
2 to 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small carrot, grated
1 sprig rosemary, finely chopped
A sprinkle ground cloves
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 cup white wine
2 cups low sodium beef stock
3 T butter
2 rounded T flour
2 cups whole milk
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
Freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it (optional), add the pasta and cook until al dente.
In a dutch oven, heat the olive oil, over medium high heat.
Add the beef and brown well. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, rosemary, cloves and lots of salt and pepper and cook until tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute, then stir in the wine for 1 minute. Stir in the stock and simmer for a few minutes longer.
In a sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, then the milk, and let thicken enough to coat a spoon; season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Toss the pasta with the meat sauce and arrange in a baking dish. Pour the sauce over the top in an even layer. Top with cheese. Broil in oven (middle rack) until golden brown.
Quick tip: For easy release of the tomato paste, coat your measuring cup with cooking spray before use.
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