Mike said that what I made for dinner tonight was better than any lasagna I have ever made. And lasagna is one of my specialties. So he really liked tonight's dinner. I offer this to you because when I got in my van today it was dead. This stranded us at home. I was planning on doing grocery shopping because I wanted to make beef and mushroom stew in red wine over mashed potatoes and I was missing mushrooms. But I raided my pantry, freezer and fridge and came up with some basic ingredients for a lasagna type, baked pasta dish. I listed the estimated shelf life of each ingredient so you will see how it is totally reasonable to have these ingredients on hand for a day such as this when you are pressed for time, too sick to get to the store, have sick kids or your van won't start. I think you will love it. It was a big hit with all four of us.
1 pound jimmy dean hot breakfast sausage. (this had been in my freezer for four months. I defrosted it in my microwave)
1 jar prego tomato, onion and garlic spaghetti sauce (this lasts up to 2 years in your pantry)
1 large can San Marzano diced tomatoes. Do not substitute for Hunts or Contadina. San Marzano tomatoes please! (this lasts for up to 2 years in pantry)
1/2 stick unsalted or salted butter (This was in my freezer left over from a great sale at Thanksgiving time. I had no regular salted butter so I used frozen unsalted)
1 onion diced (Onions will last almost a month if kept in a dark, cool, dry place. You could also use ore ida frozen diced onions which will last for a year in your freezer. I just found these and they are a total time saver.)
1 jar of sliced mushrooms (lasts up to 2 years in pantry)
2 cans sliced black olives (lasts up to 2 years in pantry)
1 15 oz container of ricotta cheese (surprisingly, this lasts a couple of months from the time you buy it. I have two containers. One I bought awhile ago expires on Febuary 24th and the one I just bought last week doesn't expire until April 13th. )
1/2 to 2/3 cup of heavy cream (heavy cream usually is good for about a month from the time you buy it. It never lasts that long in my fridge but it's good to know that you won't waste your money)
2 TB Dried herbs of your choice (I used basil, but Italian Seasoning or Oregano works better. You should replace your dried herbs every six months if they have been opened. But this basil I used is like two years old)
1 egg (eggs last at least a month in the fridge)
1 lb bowtie pasta (if kept in an air tight container this will last for like 5 years in your pantry)
1 lb grated mozzarella cheese (lasts about a month after purchase or freeze it for up to six months)
Brown sausage in a large skillet and crush it up as small as you can get it with spatula. Spoon meat out of the skillet and set aside. Throw away all the grease but don't rinse or wipe out the brown bits at bottom of pan. Add butter to skillet and chopped onion. Cook until onion is soft but not browned. Add mushrooms, olives and sausage back to skillet. Add spaghetti sauce and can of San Marzano diced tomatoes. Simmer gently while you prepare the rest of meal.
Bring a pot of heavily salted water up to a boil. Add some olive or vegetable oil to water. Thrown in bowtie pasta and cook until it is barely al dente. It should still have some bite to it because you are going to bake it and it will cook some more. In a bowl and with a fork, blend ricotta, cream, herbs and egg together until you have a smooth, creamy mixture.
In a deep 9x13 pan, spoon in 1 1/2 cups of sauce in the bottom. Spread 1/2 of bowtie pasta over the sauce. Top bowties with 1/2 of the ricotta cream and 1/2 the mozzarella cheese. Spoon 1 cup of sauce over mozzarella cheese. Add remaining bowties, then rest of ricotta cream and rest of mozzarella. (layer like you would a lasagna) Top with remaining sauce. Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before spooning onto plates.
This recipe works just as good with barely cooked lasagna noodles (you'll need 8 noodles) or uncooked "no boil" lasagna noodles. I think it would also work with penne, ziti or orichette. But bowtie is my family's favorite version so far.
Enjoy!
