After Patti left the At Home crew to start her own bakery, Arlene began inviting other friends in to the kitchen to help her cook. Laura Comanici was a regular guest who helped cook all kinds of tasty things, but as an Italian, she had a real flair for pasta dishes. In this episode from 2012, she makes a faster version of lasagna that rolls the noodles up instead of stacking them, and she shares a tasty recipe for “panzanella,” known in English as “bread salad.”
Italian Lasagna, Laura’s Style
This clever recipe makes lasagna easier to make and easier to serve and eat!
Ingredients
- 1 box lasagna noodles (12 strips)
- 1 jar your favorite tomato pasta sauce (24 oz)
- 1 pound Italian sausage (loose)
- 1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (10 oz)
- 2 cups shredded provolone cheese
- 4 cups ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cups grated Romano cheese
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pour 1 cup sauce into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Place a large frying pan, filled with water, over medium high heat until water is boiling. Lay noodles criss-cross in the water and allow to cook for 6 minutes, until noodle bends easily. Do not overcook! Carefully remove from water and set aside to cool.
- In a large skillet, cook and crumble sausage. Pour off excess grease and add garlic and parsley and cook for 1 minute. In a mixing bowl, combine strained spinach, ricotta, sausage, provolone and Romano cheese. Mix well and add beaten eggs, mix thoroughly.
- Lay out one noodle and spread heavily with mixture. Take one end and start to roll to other end. Place rolled noodle, seam side down, into your baking dish and continue to do all 11 rolls. Twelve rolls will fit nicely in pan. Top with sauce and Romano cheese.
- Cover pan with foil that is sprayed with cooking spray. Place in preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake for 15 minutes more. Makes 12 servings. Enjoy!
Laura’s Panzanella Bread Salad
The combination of crusty bread and juicy tomatoes makes this an irresistible salad.
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 pound loaf of good crusty bread
- 4 ripe plum tomatoes, cubed
- 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 large handful fresh basil, torn into pieces
Dressing
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cut bread into 1-inch cubes, and toast on a cookie sheet in the oven at 300 degrees until brown and crunchy on the outside, but still chewy on the inside.
- Allow bread to cool, then combine salad ingredients together in a large salad bowl. Mix gently.
- In another smaller bowl, combine all ingredients for dressing and beat dressing with a whisk or fork until it is" thick". When it thickens, you will know it is thoroughly mixed. Drizzle dressing over salad mixture, toss well, and serve immediately. Makes 8 to 10 servings. Enjoy!
- Note: If your bread is too crunchy, it will soften as the salad sits.
Transcript
The transcript from this program is not available.
Thank you so much for making these recipes available. I have looked for Arlene’s cookbooks many times and never found one. I am sure I am not the only one that appreciates the recipes. I watch At Home every day. Thanks again !!!
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