There's No Place Like Home

Animals never cease to amaze me.  I constantly see and hear stories which further illustrate my long-held belief that animals are much more intelligent, sensitive, loyal, emotional and clever than many people give them credit for.  Here's a good story I saw today.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/19/dog-returns-home-5-years_n_810370.html

Butternut Squash Lasagna Mouthgasm

This girl was right.  This recipe is a complete pain in the ass to make, but well worth the results that, I should mention, last for days!   Perfect for a cold winter's night.

Ingredients

Squash Filling

3-5 pounds of butternut squash (2 large squash will do)
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp sage
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp freshly nutmeg
15 oz/425 grams ricotta
1 cup/230 grams Parmesan
2 eggs

Bechamel Sauce

64 oz/1900 mL milk (I used unsweetened soy and it was perfect)
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp sage
2 tsp garlic
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg

To Assemble

1 lb/1000 grams pasta sheets (fresh or no boil)
1 lb/1000 grams mozzarella (sliced or shredded)

1 cup/230 grams Parmesan

Instructions

- Preheat oven to 400F/205C

- Using a vegetable peeler, remove the skin of the squashes

- Cut off the tops and bottoms of each squash and then cut them lengthwise

- Scoop out the seeds with a spoon

- Cut up the squash into 1/2 inch chunks

*Or say fuck it and just buy some already diced squash :)

- Put the chunks into a mixing bowl

- Add the olive oil, sage, half the salt, nutmeg and pepper

- Toss to evenly coat the squash chunks

- Line 2 baking sheets with foil and then place squash in single layers on each sheet

- Roast for about 45 - 50 minutes, or until the squash is soft and starting to brown

- Once finished roasting, remove the squash and allow to cool a little

- Turn the oven down to 375F/190C

- Puree the squash until smooth (I used a hand blender, a food processor would also work great)

- Combine the squash with the ricotta, Parmesan, eggs, the remaining salt, and the pepper

- Cover and refrigerate the mixture until you're ready to assemble the lasagna

- To prepare the bechamel sauce, bring the milk to a slow simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat

- In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat

- Add the sage and garlic to the butter and cook for 30 seconds

- Gradually whisk in the flour

- Slowly add about 3 cups of the milk, and whisk vigorously to prevent lumps

- Bring to a boil, while whisking continuously

- Add the remaining milk and whisk again

- Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg

- Lower the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes, whisking frequently

- Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature

- To assemble the lasagna, butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish

- Pour 1 or 2 ladle(s) of the bechamel into the dish and spread to coat the bottom

- Place a single layer of the pasta sheets on top of the sauce

- Spread some of the squash mixture evenly over the pasta sheets

- Place 1/3 of the mozzarella on top

- Add 1 tablespoon of Parmesan over the mozzarella

- Evenly pour 2 or 3 ladles of the sauce over the mozzarella/Parmesan layer

- Repeat the above steps until all ingredients are used and the the pan is nearly full

- Finish with the squash puree and mozzarella/Parmesan on top

- Cover with foil and bake in the middle of the oven for about 45 minutes

- Remove the cover and continue to bake for another 15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and bubbling

- Allow lasagna to sit for 5-10 minutes before devouring

Happy Christmas!

I made this for you because I thought you would like to have a forum to be creative and post stuff about your life over there and over here too.  Enjoy!