The Void and Neztra

I love entertaining. Spending an evening in the company of my friends, in the comfort of my own home is pure bliss. Cooking for my friends is a pleasure I try to indulge in whenever possible.

Last week, I decided to make, for my friends, a dish that always gets raves from diners and since I am on a summer squash kick, it truly hit the spot.

Lasagna tends to be so heavy that not long after eating, a good nap is in order. This is, as far as I can tell, because of the abundance of carbs and cheese. I tend to make a slightly lighter version. Not to say that my lasagna is more healthy than the average lasagna, just that is seems lighter on the stomach.

Paired with a salad of fresh, mixed greens, grape tomatoes, sweet onion rings, pecans, cranberries, cucumbers and topped with a light grating of Gruyere and a garlic balsamic vinaigrette, this is a great meal for a group of four or more. The bulk of the work can be done the day before, so all you have to focus on the night of the dinner is the salad and some slicing some crusty french bread if you wish.

Wine pairing: Cabernet Sauvignon or Chianti

Be prepared - the prep and cooking process for this dish is two hours. I usually prep and construct the lasagna one night and bake it the next night.

Italian Sausage and Summer Veg Lasagna

3 Tsp. Olive Oil
1 medium Sweet Onion, diced
1 1/2 lb. fresh Italian Sausage (Hot or Sweet to taste), removed from the skin if linked
3/4 cup Red wine
1 large Yellow Summer Squash, sliced 1/2" thick, then cut each "coin" into fourths
1 large Zucchini, sliced 1/2" thick , then cut each "coin" into fourths
3 cups sliced, fresh White Mushrooms
4 Cloves of Garlic, roughly chopped
6 large, fresh Basil Leaves, cut into 1/4" pieces
2 20 oz. jars of Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce (yes, I can make my own, but I usually don't bother)
1/2 package no-boil Lasagna
1 cup Ricotta Cheese
2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 cup Grated Asiago Cheese


Preheat the oven to 375F.

In a large frying pan, saute the onions in the olive oil over medium heat until the onions become soft and translucent. Add the Italian sausage, making sure to break it up into bite size pieces. Cook until sausage has browned. Add the red wine, garlic, squash, zucchini, and mushrooms. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until sausage is not pink in the middle and the veggies have softened. Remove the lid, stir in the basil and continue to simmer until the liquid has reduced to just cover the bottom of the pan.

In the meantime, spray the inside of a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish with non-stick spray. Then coat the bottom of the dish with pasta sauce. Line the bottom of the pan with one layer of lasagna noodles, then another coating of sauce.

Sparingly add pearl onion sized dollops of ricotta on top of the lasagna. I prefer to keep the dollops between one and two inches apart. Then add one layer of the meat and vegetables, covering the noodles and cheese completely. Add a very light sprinkling of mozzarella cheese. Add another light layer of sauce and more noodles. Repeat the layering steps (noodles, sauce, ricotta, meat and veg, mozzarella and then sauce) until the dish has been filled to approximately 1/8" from the top. Sprinkle on any remaining mozzarella cheese and then the asiago cheese on top of that.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven at 375F for 60 minutes. Then remove the aluminum foil, being careful not to burn yourself, and place the pan back in the oven to bake, uncovered for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted and slightly toasted on top.

Now comes the difficult part. It is best to let your lasagna rest on top of the stove for at least fifteen minutes before cutting into it. This will help all the layers come together and will be best for pretty plate presentation. If you just can't wait, that is fine too, but be prepared for burned tongues!

Either way, I hope you enjoy!

Yield: 8-10 LARGE portions