Margi Cintrano
Washing Up
The mountainuous rural Umbria Marches ( north east ) region of Italia has a lovely Adriatic coastline and a mountainous terrain which has developed a taste for thick soups, beans, lentils and farro or spelt, a strain of wheat that has survived since Roman times. Furthermore, the province is rich is cheeses, dried fruits, salumi deli cold meat, fruity olive oils, focaccia style breads, Adriatic fish, wildboar sausage and lasagnas with both bechamel or white sauce and Ragù, a tomato and meat or chicken sauce.
This recipe hails from my Grandmother Margherite.
Vincigrassi - Lasagna with Chicken Ragù :
( serves 6 to 8 and works wonders for leftover lunches on a Monday)
Bechamel or white sauce:
1 bay leaf
1 small onion
2 cups heavy cream
freshly ground nutmeg
salt and blk pepper freshly grounded
3/4 cup freshly grated imported Reggiano Parmesano ( 3 ounces )
*** Lasagna sheets ( Barilla ) or one can make their own with 1/3 cup Marsala dry or Vin Santo added to the all purpose and semolina flours blended.
Ragù:
3 tblsps olive oil extra virgin
2/3 cup minced onion
6 ounces fresh mushrooms chopped
4 ounces sweet Italian sausages with casings removed
2 oz. pancetta chopped finely ( or one can employ bacon )
1/2 cup minced celery
1/3 cup minced peeled carrot
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1/2 inch pieces
( I only use breast, however, one can use thigh meat too )
1 Bay leaf
1 cup dry Marsala wine ( available at Italian Delís and Wine shops )
1 large garlic clove ( In Italia, less garlic is used than in the USA )
14 1/2 oz. vine ripe red tomatoes ( can use Italian canned ) peeled, de-seeded, drained and crushed
1 cup chicken stock ( I use homemade )
3 pinches of ground cloves
1 tbslp tomato paste
6 oz. chicken livers ( or turkey livers ) diced
a shot glass of Milk
1) Heat 2 tblsps of olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium high heat
2) add onion, mushrooms, sausage, pancetta, celery and carrot and sauté until onion is pale gold, 5 to 6 minutes
3) add chicken, bay leaf, and garlic and continue to sauté until chicken begins to go golden, stirring often, about 8 minutes
4) add all but 2 tblsps of Marsala and the shot glass of milk and bring to boil
5) scrape up brown bits and reduce heat and simmer until you have very little liquid stirring occasionally 10 minutes
6) transfer mixture to heavy 4 quart saucepan
7) add tomatoes, stock, tomato paste and cloves
8) simmer until moist, NOT soupy, stirring often - about 35 to 40 minutes
9) heat remaining 1 tblsp olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat
10) add livers and sauté until just tender firm
11) add remaining 2 tblsps of Marsala and bring to simmer
12) mix livers into the Ragú
The Cream Sauce:
Cook the first 3 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until the liquid is reduced by 1/3. Stir occasionally about 20 mins. Season with salt and pepper. Strain cream sauce into bowl and let cool on counter.
Lasagna:
Cook pasta in large pot of salted boiling water according to directions, until tender however, firm about 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sheets of lasagna to bowl filled with ice water. Repeat with remaining pasta in two more batches. Arrange the pasta in a single layer on kitchen towels.
The Oven:
Preheat to 350 degrees farenheit.
1) lightly grease 9 Inch square baking dish with 2 inch high sides
2) pour 1/4 of the white cream sauce into bottom of prepared baking dish
3) cover with a single layer of lasagne sheets
4) top with Ragù and then cover with another layer of the lasagna sheets
5) pour 3 tblsps of the bechamel over
6) sprinkle with Parmesano
7) cover with a single layer of lasagne again, then, 3 tblsps of bechamel and then the Ragù, then the Parmesano
8) To complete, top with 1/4 of the Ragù and cover with a single layer of lasagna sheets
9) pour 3 tblsps of cream sauce over
10) now, cover again with lasagne sheets and top with remaining Ragù
11) cover with remaining cream sauce
12) sprinkle remaining Parmesano
13) cover the baking dish with aluminum foil for 1 night in the refrig to firm up
14) Let stand 10 mins. the next day, and bake for 35 mins. to 45 minutes uncovered
15) Let the Lasagna stand with open oven door for 15 minutes, and do not move it ... the ingredients shall settle ... Then, it is ready to serve, with warm oven Italian style bread and a good red wine ...
Enjoy,
Courtesy of writer: Margaux Cintrano.
This recipe hails from my Grandmother Margherite.
Vincigrassi - Lasagna with Chicken Ragù :
( serves 6 to 8 and works wonders for leftover lunches on a Monday)
Bechamel or white sauce:
1 bay leaf
1 small onion
2 cups heavy cream
freshly ground nutmeg
salt and blk pepper freshly grounded
3/4 cup freshly grated imported Reggiano Parmesano ( 3 ounces )
*** Lasagna sheets ( Barilla ) or one can make their own with 1/3 cup Marsala dry or Vin Santo added to the all purpose and semolina flours blended.
Ragù:
3 tblsps olive oil extra virgin
2/3 cup minced onion
6 ounces fresh mushrooms chopped
4 ounces sweet Italian sausages with casings removed
2 oz. pancetta chopped finely ( or one can employ bacon )
1/2 cup minced celery
1/3 cup minced peeled carrot
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1/2 inch pieces
( I only use breast, however, one can use thigh meat too )
1 Bay leaf
1 cup dry Marsala wine ( available at Italian Delís and Wine shops )
1 large garlic clove ( In Italia, less garlic is used than in the USA )
14 1/2 oz. vine ripe red tomatoes ( can use Italian canned ) peeled, de-seeded, drained and crushed
1 cup chicken stock ( I use homemade )
3 pinches of ground cloves
1 tbslp tomato paste
6 oz. chicken livers ( or turkey livers ) diced
a shot glass of Milk
1) Heat 2 tblsps of olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium high heat
2) add onion, mushrooms, sausage, pancetta, celery and carrot and sauté until onion is pale gold, 5 to 6 minutes
3) add chicken, bay leaf, and garlic and continue to sauté until chicken begins to go golden, stirring often, about 8 minutes
4) add all but 2 tblsps of Marsala and the shot glass of milk and bring to boil
5) scrape up brown bits and reduce heat and simmer until you have very little liquid stirring occasionally 10 minutes
6) transfer mixture to heavy 4 quart saucepan
7) add tomatoes, stock, tomato paste and cloves
8) simmer until moist, NOT soupy, stirring often - about 35 to 40 minutes
9) heat remaining 1 tblsp olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat
10) add livers and sauté until just tender firm
11) add remaining 2 tblsps of Marsala and bring to simmer
12) mix livers into the Ragú
The Cream Sauce:
Cook the first 3 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until the liquid is reduced by 1/3. Stir occasionally about 20 mins. Season with salt and pepper. Strain cream sauce into bowl and let cool on counter.
Lasagna:
Cook pasta in large pot of salted boiling water according to directions, until tender however, firm about 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sheets of lasagna to bowl filled with ice water. Repeat with remaining pasta in two more batches. Arrange the pasta in a single layer on kitchen towels.
The Oven:
Preheat to 350 degrees farenheit.
1) lightly grease 9 Inch square baking dish with 2 inch high sides
2) pour 1/4 of the white cream sauce into bottom of prepared baking dish
3) cover with a single layer of lasagne sheets
4) top with Ragù and then cover with another layer of the lasagna sheets
5) pour 3 tblsps of the bechamel over
6) sprinkle with Parmesano
7) cover with a single layer of lasagne again, then, 3 tblsps of bechamel and then the Ragù, then the Parmesano
8) To complete, top with 1/4 of the Ragù and cover with a single layer of lasagna sheets
9) pour 3 tblsps of cream sauce over
10) now, cover again with lasagne sheets and top with remaining Ragù
11) cover with remaining cream sauce
12) sprinkle remaining Parmesano
13) cover the baking dish with aluminum foil for 1 night in the refrig to firm up
14) Let stand 10 mins. the next day, and bake for 35 mins. to 45 minutes uncovered
15) Let the Lasagna stand with open oven door for 15 minutes, and do not move it ... the ingredients shall settle ... Then, it is ready to serve, with warm oven Italian style bread and a good red wine ...
Enjoy,
Courtesy of writer: Margaux Cintrano.
