Drinking to December; a toast to Miss' first dinner party!

When I was a very little miss I used to dream of events that would happen later on in my 'big-kid-grown-up-life.' Tucked up at home with Aladdin playing in the background, I'd daydream about living in my very own house and imagine the parties I'd have and the friends who'd come over.

Last night, for the first time since I've moved into my very own piece of downtown:

I hosted my first dinner party!

It so far exceeded my expectations that I haven't been able to stop beaming all day. I had around ten people over so I cooked one of the most delicious things I could think of that would feet ten mouths with minimal work - an authentic italian lasagna with three cheeses, fresh herbs and my classic marinara. As some of my friends are vegan, I asked around and we decided to make a second main dish: a vegetable pasta with gluten-free brown rice noodles. It worked out so well - I didn't want to jeopardize the authentic taste of the lasagna by substituting for both the cheese and the pasta, but my wonderful friends were so accommodating and agreed to eat the vegan/gluten free alternative entree.

The Meltiest, Freshest Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 package lasagna noodles

1 bottle of organic tomato purée (look for the ones without any additional ingredients)

1 can of organic crushed tomatoes

1/2 of a sweet onion

3 cloves of fresh garlic

fresh parsley & fresh basil (I keep fresh basil potted in my kitchen and a 'vase' of fresh parsley in my fridge. I suggest you do this too, they smell beautiful.)

italian seasoning

2 eggs

2 tubs of ricotta cheese (the creamier your cheese the more decadent the lasagna)

2 balls of mozzarella

1 wedge of Parmigiano Reggiano

Begin by making your sauce:

• Dice your onion and prepare your garlic cloves, I like to cut my cloves into thirds. Lightly sauté your onion in olive oil over medium heat. When your onion begins to
  become translucent, add your garlic (don't add the garlic at the beginning or it will burn.)
• Saute with italian seasoning to taste and cook until the onion is golden and transparent. Add your tomato sauces and fresh herbs (a good handful of both basil and parsley) and turn your heat up. Stir continuously, then turn down to a simmer and let it cook through one low heat, remembering to stir every now and again ^^

With your sauce done, prepare your cheeses!

• It also helps to set your pasta water on to boil so that you can put your cheesey efforst to good use immediately afterwards. I was lucky enough to have a team of eager graters. Grating your cheeses is a pain (especially the hard Parmigiano), but the flavor is absolutely worth it. Enlist a friend and turn a blind eye to the shavings that mysteriously go missing ^~
• Prepare the ricotta by placing the contents of both tubs into a small bowl. Add two eggs and stir. Add 3-4 sprigs of finely chopped parsley to the ricotta-egg mixture and give the whole thing another quick stir to incorporate. Place your Mozzarella in a bowl and your Parmigiano in another. If you're as much of a sucker for fresh herbs as I am, add some fresh parsley to the Parmigiano too.
• Your sauce is ready, your cheese is set and hopefully your noodles are good to go!

Now comes the fun part - layering

• Place one layer of sauce down in a casserole dish. Then follow this 'formula':

Pasta

Sauce

Ricotta

Mozzarella

Parmigiano Reggiano

repeat :3

• I usually repeat this twice for the depth of my dish. For the final layer, omit the ricotta so be sure to ration your cheeses so as not be stuck with excess!
• Before you bake your lasagna, cut through where you want your pieces to be. This is a little trick that makes serving the dish much easier, and it allows more liquid to evaporate.
• Bake, covered, for half an hour at 375 degrees.
• Remove and bake for about another twenty-twenty five minutes. You're looking to sweat most of the liquid from the top of your casserole. It should be moist, but not swimming.

Enjoy with your favorite red wine and your favorite people!

❤ Miss

image credit: foodnetwork.com