Lasagna

This week I’m talking all things, Lasagna. It is definitely one of my favourite Pasta dishes and reminds me of family and celebrations. It has just been added to the shop and sold very well last week, so for that I am so incredibly grateful. Growing up, making Pasta with Mum was something we did pretty frequently, but making the Lasagna was always made for Birthdays, Easter, Christmas and any other special occasions. The day before any of these celebrations, Mum would spend most of the day preparing lunch/dinner for us all to share. Everyone would usually bring something as well, but Mums job was always the Lasagna. Every element was made by her- the Pasta, the Sugo (Sauce) and the Bechamel. As we got older and started to help out more, she’d usually get us to grate the Cheeses-three different types. Which is probably the worst job, so I understand why she would get us to do it! Every pot had its own place on the stove (Sugo on the top left, Bechamel on the bottom left and the pot of water on the top right), the bench next to the stove would be cleared (bowl and strainer next to water pot, Cheeses lined up against the window and the baking dish in front of the Cheeses), so too was the island bench and the kitchen table cleared to make space for all the Pasta. When we would have these family gatherings, she would usually make around 1kg-1.2kg worth of Pasta (1kg Flour to 10 Eggs). There would also be enough Pasta and Sauces to make extra Lasagna to have in the freezer ready for another night’s dinner. Mum would roll out all the Pasta to the thinnest setting, cut them all into small sheets and then cover the whole bench and the kitchen table with everything that was made. When I was little, I was known as the Pasta Queen, so you can imagine how excited I would be on Lasagna days with an incredible amount of pasta all over the kitchen!

The Bolognese sauce would usually have been made the day or morning before. As the cooking time is usually around 3 hours. So once the Pasta was ready, she would then make the Bechamel, boil the Water and then start putting it all together. Mum had very strict rules on how to layer the Lasagna. Firstly, she would make sure the tray was always sprayed with Oil, secondly each layer was either Bechamel, Sugo or Cheese (no double ups), the Pasta sheets couldn’t be overlapping too much, there would usually be 9 layers (for the big tray) and the top layer was always a mix of both Sauces and then more Cheese. She was also always so fast at doing this so trying to help was always a challenge! The rules where very strict but the results where perfection every time. I think about these times a lot and how they were a huge influence in why I do what I do. They created that magic or fire within to create something delicous. Now when I make Lasagna, I use her rules to get the same results, but I use the feelings and emotions that were created during these times when I am cooking to almost transfer that feeling into the food. So when a customer eats it, they experience the same feelings I did all those years ago.

The mornings of any celebration, the house would smell like Lasagna. It would be baking away, and you could just smell the combination of Tomatoes, Melted Cheese and the Pasta crisping away on the edges circulating the whole house. The best part was opening the oven door about 20-30 minutes before it was ready, removing the foil and allowing the top to crisp up and become golden brown. These memories especially remind me of my childhood home. Leaving there was a hard thing to do because it was attached to so many special memories like this.

Before we would sit down for the meal, we would usually be around the kitchen table having some Antipasti before moving into the dining room where we would sit all together and start the meal with a big slice of Lasagna. Mum really nailed it every single time.

Both my Nonna’s used to make it too, not so much anymore. Mums, Mum would make it almost the same as she did- but I remember one time when we were little, Nonna had put Eggplant within the layers of the Lasagna and as a child I was completely horrified and did not want to eat it. Silly me! Times have definitely changed now. Dad’s Mum made it differently and probably slightly untraditional for the usual Northern Italian way of making Lasagna. I think she was shown by one of her neighbours and then that just became her traditional way of making it. She never made the Pasta sheets but made everything else herself. Her Lasagna was layers of Bolognese, Ham, Cheese and Bechamel. I always remember the Pasta sheets she bought were both green (Spinach) and white. Very different but still so delicious.

Lasagna holds a special place in my heart which is why it is now available to purchase. It’s a dish made for sharing and bringing people together. It is always my first thought when we have a dinner/lunch to make it because as much as there is a lot of work involved, it’s always worth it. It is one of the dishes that always puts a smile on everyone’s faces. For me, if that is how people are ending their meals- I know I have done my job!

I feel incredibly grateful that growing up I was surrounded by many beautiful times and traditions. Without these, my love for food and my foundations in cooking wouldn’t be the way they are today. Everything that I make and sell tells a story and I feel blessed that I can now share this with so many more people.