Daring Bakers- Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna

  


I’ve been inducted into the super hardcore group the Daring Bakers. Lemme tell ya, cooking and blogging…never would have thunk it. Shall I call it ..clogging or blooking? I enjoy words and writing and I immerse myself in cooking. Imagine my surprise when I realized this world of internet cook clubbing on the web! And here I am part of Daring Bakers with my first challenge!

The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.

The first time I handmade pasta was two summers ago when I made ravioli. Not painstaking but incredibly time-consuming and arm-tiring. Nonetheless, I was up to the challenge of making spinach pasta.

I mounded my flour, made the well and added my spinach and eggs. I found that I had to add 4 eggs to my mixture (large, not jumbo) before it started to come together. The entire kneading process was not too laborious, granted I felt it in my triceps the next day. Neither was the rolling part. I managed to get about 16 pieces. What was annoying however was the drying process, something I had no control over!

I should have followed a fellow DB who suggested laying the pasta flat to dry, which not only prevents shrinking but GRAVITY! Perhaps I let my pasta dry too long (overnight) but when I woke up the next morning there were some pieces on the floor that broke off while hanging! I WAS NOT A HAPPY BAKER!

Well that changed my mood throughout the rest of the process. My béchamel sauce was divine. Nutmeg is amazing! But here I was with this great white sauce and pieces of lasagne to assemble it with! With regards to the sauce, next time I will made more as the sauce really thickened towards the end of assembly.

Realizing I could not serve the lasagne as a main entrée, I used it as a side dish to some zucchin squash and a broiled fish with a cilantro-based version of gremolata (yes, I know what you are thinking lasagne and fish??).

All in all, the spinach pasta was delicious. Any alternative to just plain white flour-based pasta appeals to me. The béchamel was a nice substitute to just a ragu. Next time, I would add some veggies and or meat in between the layers.

Bottom Line: A little disappointed in the outcome of my first DB challenge. I think I’d rather buy my own pasta, make my own white sauce and maybe add some goat cheese or feta. I’m determined for the next challenge, however. Bring it on!