Vegetable Lasagna

Vegetable Lasagna consists of Veggies, Pasta, and a bechamel sauce. Nothing I can't handle, even if I have never been a big fan of white sauce in my lasagna,

and it should cook up just like gravy.

mmmmmm.... gravy.

I want Biscuits.

Béchamel sauce is harder than it looks. Maybe it was just the recipe I was using, but I just couldn't get the roux to be just right. I am a master at roux. I use it to make gravy, for gumbo, jumbalya, I even use them on many a cream based soup. It adds such texture to the dish.

The hardest part of the creating this particular Béchamel sauce was that darn roux. I think the book had the measurements wrong, and for a person who just makes theirs on a whim, trying to be precise was not up my ally.

Sometimes dishes made from guesstimates are better than worrying about exactness.

It looked more like puff pastry cooking in the pot than anything else.

And we all know, part of making the roux is the color change, the indication that the flour has cooked and is not just paste in a pot.

That beautiful copper tone.

GGgrrrr this roux!

I loved infusing the milk. Carrots sliced up, celery, and shallots. The bouquet garni all wrapped up like a cute package full of spices. That part rocked. Made me feel like I knew what I was doing, as I poured the delicious cream into the mesh sifter.

After what felt like forever, I was done. The rest of the lasagna was basic. Layering pasta, tomato sauce (fresh simmered all morning), spinach, Bechamel, a little bit of cheese.

As a side note I used the Barilla no cook pasta sheets. Please don't. They don't cook up right.

Just boil the water and cook up the noodles like a true Italian.

I could see a little bit of disappointment across Papa's face. One of his favorite meals is lasagna, especially my thick, meaty, saucy, cheese filled gooey lasagna.

Even though he really like it, I know he is ready for a nice thick steak.

Next week, I promise.