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Lasagna

I haven’t made lasagna in awhile and sauce season was a perfect excuse to bake one. I haven’t used fresh pasta for lasagna in a very long time. I’m really glad that I did---I should go to the effort more often.

I rolled out the pasta and cooked it in two batches. I tried to use enough flour to keep the sheets from sticking to themselves without making them tough. I was moderately successful.

This is a three cheese lasagna with three layers of pasta. The bottom layer was ricotta and a little Parmesan; the top layer was mozzarella and a little more Parmesan. The top layer received a final dusting of Parmesan shavings just below the sauce.

Everything about this lasagna was delicate. The sauce was floral with tomato, carrots, celery, and onions. The fresh pasta nearly melted in my mouth. The cheese layers were thick enough to be hearty but not dense. And the best part is that I look forward to two or three more meals from this beautiful casserole.

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