Lasagna with Italian Sausage

Ah lasagna! Now that’s amore! HARRY

1 3/4 cups marinara sauce [see recipe below]
4 1/2 ounces no-boil lasagna noodles
2 large hot Italian sausages
4 ounces log goat’s cheese, crumbled
4 ounces fresh buffalo mozzarella or regular mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Lightly grease an 8 by 8-inch baking dish. Prepare the marinara sauce below or use a commercial brand. Split the sausage casings, crumble the meat into a hot skillet, and sauté until browned. Layer the sauce, noodles, sausage, goat’s cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan, and basil, ending with noodles topped with a thin layer of sauce and Parmesan. In a length of tin foil 8 inches longer than the baking dish, make a 1-inch crease side-to-side across the center. Cover the lasagna tightly with the foil, pulling the crease apart to create a tent. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes or until browned.
Makes 4 servings.

Marinara Sauce

1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes in purée
1 large onion, peeled and halved
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 (4-inch) sprigs fresh oregano
3 (3-inch) sprigs fresh thyme

In a medium saucepan, combine the tomatoes, onion, bay leaf, oil, oregano, and thyme. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat for 30 to 40 minutes until slightly thickened. Discard the bay leaf, oregano, and thyme. Remove the onion, slice thinly, sauté in a medium skillet until very tender, and return to the sauce.
Makes 1 3/4 cups.

NOTE: If you can’t find tomatoes in puree, use tomatoes in juice, drained with the juice reserved to add as needed.

Macaroni Salad

On hot summer days, turn your favorite mac-and-cheese into a cool, refreshing salad. True, we’re adding salad-like things. And there’s not a lot a cheese. But the old, sweet comfort of macaroni is definitely the same—maybe better. ‘Come winter, we’ll figure out a way to bake macaroni salad. Hmmmm, that sounds good! SAM

8 ounces uncooked macaroni
6 large green onions and tops, thinly sliced, with 2 tablespoons of the tops reserved for garnish (3/4 cup)
2 hard-cooked eggs, roughly chopped
2 medium center ribs celery with leaves, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
4 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
1 (2-ounce) jar pimientos, sliced and drained
1/2 cup dill pickle relish, drained with 2 teaspoons of juice reserved
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
Salt and black pepper to taste
Paprika

Cook the macaroni according to the directions on the package and drain. In a large bowl, combine the macaroni, onions less the reserved tops, eggs, celery, bacon, Parmesan, pimientos, and relish. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, horseradish, mustard, and reserved relish juice. Stir into the macaroni mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with paprika and the reserved onion tops.
Makes 6 servings.