Tom and I have been talking about making lasagna for three weeks. The first week we realized we didn’t have the noodles, the second week we bought the noodle, and the third week we made it. We’ll Tom made it, I didn’t do anything.
Tom is the kind of cook who doesn’t feel the need to cook often, he is content to eat left overs, peanut butter, tuna fish-whatever. BUT when he cooks, he cooks well! He doesn’t wash the mushrooms in water because it makes them soggy, he read, and so he rubs each one of them softly with a paper towl. If the tomatoes would be better roasted he roasts them. Time saving techniques are needless- he enjoys every perfected step. He cuts the carrots a uniform size and the olive oil must never be cooked too long. He makes his lasagna the Italian way. Which means it is free from the abundance of cheese that so pleases us Americans. Rather, it’s sole cheese is a little Parmigiana-Reggiano (No- not Parmesan) cooked into the bechemel sauce. In otherwords “a basic rue sauce.” (wink at Mary!)
Tom’s secret ingredient this time, happened by mistake. One day he called me from Walmart- asking what groceries we needed! I told him, “Well we wanted to make Lasagna so whatever you need for that.” I had been complaining the day before about how unhealthy I had been eating and how I needed him to help me. So, being a considerate husband he bought meat, but the fat- freeist meat he could find. It looked like ground beef, but it was actually ground beef STEAK! It was some tasty meat and really classed up the dish. Tom’s other signature ingredient is a trace of nutmeg.
It was by far the best Lasagna I have ever eaten. Thank goodness for Italian missions!