Lasagna Rolls

Lasagna Rollups

Ingredients:

Sauce:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg
Lasagna:
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
1 large egg, beaten to blend
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for salting water

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
12 uncooked lasagna noodles
2 cups marinara sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella (about 4 ounces)

Directions
To make the sauce: 

Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk the salt, pepper, and nutmeg into the bechamel sauce.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Lasagna Noodles And Filling   Whisk the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, prosciutto, egg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.  Add a tablespoon or 2 of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil the noodles until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent them from sticking.

Butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish. Pour the bechamel sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Lay out 4 lasagna noodles on a work surface, then spread a large spoonful (about 3 tablespoons worth) of ricotta mixture evenly over each noodle. 

Starting at 1 end, roll each noodle like a jelly roll. Lay the lasagna rolls seam side down, without touching, atop the bechamel sauce in the dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles and ricotta mixture. Spoon 1 cup of marinara sauce over the lasagna rolls. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over the lasagna rolls. 

Cover tightly with foil. Bake until heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining marinara sauce in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat until hot, and serve alongside.

Spanish Tomato And Bread Chilled Soup

Ingredients:
2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored
2 1/2 oz. country style crusty bread
1/2 medium red bell pepper
1 medium garlic clove, smashed and peeled
1 teaspoon white sugar
3 tablespoons Sherry Vinegar, plus more to serve 
Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    plus more to serve.
4 thin slices prosciutto (12 ounces) torn into pieces
4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and quartered (optional)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flatleaf parsley

Directions:
In a blender, combine the tomatoes and bell pepper, garlic, sugar, vinegar, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.  Blend on high until completely smooth and no bits remain, about 1 minute.  With the blender running, gradually add 3/4 cup oil.  Transfer to a larg bowl, then taste and season with pepper.  Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 4 hours.

In a blender, combine the tomatoes, bread, bell pepper, garlic, sugar, vinegar 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper.  Blend on high until completely smooth and no tomato skins remain about 1 minute.  With the blender running, 
gradually add 3/4 cup oil.  Transfer to a large bowl, then taste and season with salt and pepper.  Cover and refrigerate until well chilled or up to  2 to 4 hours.

While the soup chills, in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, heat the remaining1 teaspoon oil until shimmering.  Add the prosciutto and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 2 minutes.  Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and let cool completely, then roughly chop; set aside.

Taste the soup and season again with salt and pepper.  Ladle it into chilled bowls.   Top with prosciutto, and hard boiled eggs (if using) and parsley. and season with salt and pepper.  Drizzle with a vinegar if desired.

Don't forget to taste the soup for seasoning after chilling, just before serving.  Chilling blunts the favor,  so through the soup may have initially tasted If peak-season, perfectly ripe tomatoes are available, use them in this simple but richly flavored, no-cook chilled soup. Otherwise, Campari or cocktail tomatoes are a good choice, as they are dependably sweet year-round. Excellent results also require high-quality extra-virgin olive oil, so make sure the oil you use does not have bitter or harsh notes. Bread helps thicken the soup and gives it its creamy consistency; choose a crusty, country-style loaf with a relatively soft interior so the bread blends easily into the soup, but remember to remove the crust. To keep the soup chilled for as long as possible at the table, we like to refrigerate the serving bowls.

Chilling the soup blunts the favor.  Season with additional salt and pepper.

Chicken Marsala With Prosciutto And Mushrooms

Chicken Marsala With 

Proscuitto And Mushrooms

Serves 4.
Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts 
All-purpose flour, for dredging
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 oz. prosciutto, thinly sliced into strips
8 oz. crimini mushrooms, stemmed and halved 
1/2 cup dry Marsala wine
1/2 cup chicken stock or broth
2 T. unsalted butter
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

Directions:
1. Trim chicken and pound between two sheets of plastic wrap to 1/4 inch thickness. Put some flour in a shallow bowl and season with a fair amount of salt and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly.

2. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. When the oil is nice and hot, dredge both sides of the chicken cutlets in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess. Slip the cutlets into the pan and cook for 2 minutes on each side until golden, turning once – do this in batches if the pieces don't fit comfortably in the pan. Remove the chicken to a large platter in a single layer and keep warm.

3. Lower the heat under the skillet to medium and add the prosciutto to the drippings in the pan, sauté for 1 minute to render out some of the fat. Now, add the mushrooms and sauté until they are nicely browned and their moisture has evaporated, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper.

4. Pour the Marsala in the pan and boil down for a few seconds to cook out the alcohol. Add the chicken stock and simmer for a minute to reduce the sauce slightly. Return the chicken to the pan and simmer, covered, for 5 to 6 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. 

5. Remove chicken to serving plates and bring sauce to a simmer. Cook down the sauce, if necessary and then remove from heat; stir in the butter until melted and season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over chicken and and garnish with chopped parsley.