INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

EGG PASTA: Combine the flour and the salt in a bowl, make a well in
the middle, add the egg and the olive oil. Using your fingers,  lightly
and gradually work the egg into the flour so that it is  completely
distributed throughout. When it is well combined, press  the mixture
together to form a dough. Turn it out onto a counter and  begin to work
it together. If it is too dry, add drops of water, a  few at a time, to
moisten the dough and help it come together. Knead  the dough for about
10 minutes, until it feels smooth and supple. Put  it in a plastic bag
or wrap it in plastic, and set it aside to rest  at least half an hour,
preferably an hour before rolling it out.  LASAGNE: Prepare the pasta
dough and set it aside to rest. Grate or  slice the cheese; then
prepare the tomato sauce and spinach-cheese  filling. Heat the oil in a
wide skillet, add the onion, garlic and  marjoram or oregano and saute
until the onion is transparent and  soft. Season with salt; then add
the tomatoes and wine. Cook slowly  until the sauce is thickened. If
the tomatoes are overly tart,  correct the acidity by adding a pinch or
two of sugar. Once they are  cooked, pass them through a food mill;
then season to taste with a  few drops of vinegar, freshly ground black
pepper and more salt if  needed.  SPINACH-CHEESE FILLING: Remove the
stems from the spinach; discard any  bruised or yellow leaves. Wash the
spinach well in 2 changes of water.  Roughly chop the leaves into small
pieces about an inch square. In a  wide pan, heat the oil and saute the
onion for several minutes; then  add half the garlic, the spinach
leaves and a sprinkling of salt.  Cook until the spinach is wilted;
then remove it to a bowl and  combine it with the ricotta, eggs,
Parmesan, the remaining garlic and  the parsley and lemon peel.  Season
to taste with salt, freshly  ground pepper and a scraping or two of
nutmeg.  BECHAMEL: Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour, and
cook over  low flame for 2-to-3 minutes, stirring continuously. Scald
the milk  in a separate pan, then pour it into the flour-butter
mixture,  whisking as you do so. Season with salt, pepper and a
scraping of  nutmeg and continue to cook the sauce for 15 minutes over
low heat,  giving an occasional stir. Roll the dough thin, and cut the
final  strips into pieces that will fit your baking pan. Bring a pot of
water to a boil and add salt. Have ready a large bowl of cold water.
Cook several pieces of dough at a time. Remove them when they rise to
the surface, and put them in the cold water to cool; spread on a
kitchen towel. Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking
dish and spread half the bechamel over the bottom. Piece together
several strips of the pasta so that they cover the bottom and hang
over the edges of the baking dish. (Later they will be folded over  the
top, effectively sealing in the fillings.) Spread 1/2 the tomato  sauce
over this first layer of pasta and cover with 1/2 the  mozzarella. Put
down another layer of pasta and cover this with 1/2  the spinach-cheese
filling. Continue with more pasta, tomato and  mozzarella, pasta and
spinach-cheese filling. Finish by laying 1-or-2  strips of pasta down
the center and folding the overhanging edges  over the top. Cover with
the remaining bechamel sauce. Cover the  lasagna with foil and bake for
20 minutes. Remove the foil and  continue baking for another 15
minutes, or until the top is puffed  and browned. Let the lasagne rest
for a few minutes; then cut it into  pieces and serve.  NOTE: Lasagne
can also be made by using commercial fresh pasta sheets,  which will be
thicker than those you make at home. These commercial  pasta sheets
often come in pieces about 9-by-13-inches, each weighing  about 4
ounces; 1 1/2 pound should be more than enough. Use 4-or-5  sheets and
do not try to overlap the bottom layer as in the basic  recipe. Though
fresh pasta makers often say the lasagne sheets need  not be precooked,
the lasagna will be moister and lighter if they are.  DEBORAH MADISON -
PRODIGY GUEST CHEFS COOKBOOK  From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster
collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini

A Message from our Provider:

“Love is the doorway through which the human soul passes from selfishness to service. #Jack Hyles”

Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients)
----------------------------------------------
Calories: 376
Calories From Fat: 158
Total Fat: 17.9g
Cholesterol: 118mg
Sodium: 618.1mg
Potassium: 432.7mg
Carbohydrates: 31.1g
Fiber: 2.1g
Sugar: 5.4g
Protein: 22.1g