Me Cook Pretty One Day

[plumtreeblossom]

Here's a question for the many fine cooks on my f'list:

A good while back, I improvised a white lasagne with the ulterior motive of gaining the admiration of that shiny new tomato-hating boy who I'd just started dating, beowabbit. The lasagne was pleasant (and I think the boy took a shine to me), but the flavor was definitely on the bland side. Components, in addition to the pasta, included riccota, mozzella, parm/romano mixture, ground sweet Italian sausage, crimini mushrooms sauteed with onions, red bell pepper, garlic pesto and alfredo sauce (both sauces store-bought, but upscale). I might have thrown in whatever basil or oregano was on the shelf.

I want to try this again, but it needs more cowbell. I want it to have kick. I'm thinking increase the garlic, and maybe add white pepper (tell me if that's a bad idea), but what else? You can put almost anything in lasagne, but my creativity is a little more stunted in the kitchen than in the theatre. The only must-avoids are tomato and cilantro, but anything else is a Go. Any ideas for giving a white lasagne more attitude?

(BTW, no need to work around my own diet. I can eat anything so long as I control my own portions. The Wabbit, on the other hand, can eat the world if not stopped. :-)

Comments

[koshmom.livejournal.com]

1. Get super high quality pasta
2. Use whole milk RIcotta and whole milk mozzeralla for layers
3. Heat the sauce in a pan before using it between layers/on top. Read the ingredient list on the sauces, and add in more fresh cheeses of the same types on the ingredient lists, and a little Light Cream (not just plain milk) and melt together, slowly, mixing constantly, until the consistency is "right". Remember, you don't want it too thick nor too thin, and heating what's in the jar will thin it out. Use light cream if it starts to get too thick.
4. Toss (in the sauce?) some ground italian red pepper for "bang".

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

CAN I EAT AT YOUR HOUSE? :-)

[koshmom.livejournal.com]

Actually, you don't want to. While I know how to make things taste super-fabo, I've been on a diet for the past year and all this is a distant memory.

[moonshadow.livejournal.com]

Goat cheese in lasagna gives it a lot of kick. You might also get some mileage from roasted some of the ingredients in advance (like the veggies) to give it a more smokey flavor.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I'll have to ask him if he likes goat cheese. That could be interesting...

One cheese he adores is bleu cheese, but that's one cheese I won't eat. I would totally make him a personal-sized bleu cheese lasagne, but I wouldn't be able to taste-test to see if it was good.

It needs more cowbell!!

[weegoddess.livejournal.com]

I'm watching this with interest because I *can't* have tomatoes. Nor bell peppers, but I could always just leave those out.

Re: It needs more cowbell!!

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I mostly put the red bell peppers in for color, and to add an extra veggie. They're totally not necessary, though.

[kalliejenn2.livejournal.com]

fancy salt (or even regular) always adds fun - usually when something doesn't have enough "taste" - it's because there's not enough salt in there.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

We loves us some salt! Yeah, it definitely could have used more salt, in it as opposed to on it.

I just googled "hot salt" and got this. It looks tasty and I've never seen it in stores. I might just get it to try. :-)

[bedfull-o-books.livejournal.com]

I bought some lemon pepper at Trader Joe's the other day. It comes in its own grinder bottle. It has salt, lemon, pepper, garlic and other stuff. Yummy.

I like to add spinach to white lasagna too.

[dpolicar]

earthier mushrooms -- shitake, for example.
fresh basil.
bitter greens (arugu;a. etc)
more flavorful sausage -- chorizo, etc
ginger

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

All excellent ideas! He loves chorizo and ginger, especially.

[komos.livejournal.com]

I like wild mushroom and primavera variants, but there a lot of different ways to go with a white. Generally, I don't use ricotta just because I've found that where it adds an interesting contrast in reds, it tends to leech flavor out of the whites (or at least enhances the elements that need to be balanced more...)

White pepper and seasoning in general will help. I think you'd also see a marked improvement if you make your own alfredo or other fortified bechamel and were to switch over to spicy Italian sausage. You can also look into things like roasted bell pepper or eggplant. Also, always use the best cheese you can get... and I will actually recommend a trip to Formaggio for this since so much rides on the cheese. I tend to use parm, moz, and fontina liberally.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Ah, I've never used fontina. That's something to try. And I did think while buying the sweet sausage that I'd be better off with spicy. I wonder how prosciutto would be?

[komos.livejournal.com]

As a general rule, very few things aren't improved by the addition of cured pork products.

[treacle-well.livejournal.com]

You could always use both sweet and spicy sausage. When I cook with Italian sausage that's usually what I do.

And I agree with those who suggest roasted veggies as a way to add good flavor.

And yeah, salt. I mean, I do like blander, mellower things sometimes but when I'm feeling that something is just not flavorful enough (even though it tastes good), a little more salt really does pick things up.

[spwebdesign.livejournal.com]

Why not throw in some finely chopped spicy Italian chili pepper or something.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

That sounds yummy! I think I'll try that. :-)

[wolfkitn.livejournal.com]

hmm, i wonder...

i'm half hungarian, and so i'm imagining the hungarian version of a lasagne. thanks for the inspiration!

(by this, i mean, potentially: definitely green and red bell peppers, but mostly green; sauteed onions; strong paprika (possibly the spicy kind); hungarian sausage (this comes in mild and spicy variants; it's hard to describe what makes it characteristic, but it does have a certain type of flavor); good noodles, ideally with eggs in them; and, i dunno, maybe cabbage? the real question would be whether or not there is room to include sour cream anywhere...).

i can't decide whether this sounds wonderful and should be tried, or scary and should be run away from.

[scholargipsy.livejournal.com]

Here's a question for the many fine cooks on my f'list

At first I read the third letter in "cooks" as the third letter in the alphabet. Made me want to respond, if only out of pride.

artichokes and orange stuff

[trouble4hire.livejournal.com]

I like artichoke hearts in my white lasagna.
I have also have really good luck making squash lasagna. goat cheese, white sauce, roasted squash (like butternut), toasted pine nut, etc. There are a lot fo recipes online. It's very tasty and filling, and would work really well with spiciness for kick.