I made lasagna with fresh noodles this morning. It was always a challenge to make the noodles fit the pan and get them in without tears. Freshly made is much easier! The noodles were used without boiling first. DH and DS liked it. I thought the noodles had a bit of the taste of flour. next time I'll baptize them by emersion before layering the lasagna. I didn't cover the pan; perhaps I should have done. DS said I could make a 'ton' of money opening a restaurant in the Village where he goes to college-no one makes anything like this or this good. Oh sure, I got up at 6:15a I'd never get food on the table in a restaurant :-) Thanks for the help from all of you. And, Ann, thanks for help with pasta making. This was the third try. It is much nicer to feed my family when I make everything.

the infamous butternut squash lasagne... Not really "different" but still, different... Butternut Squash Lasagna From epicurious.com For squash filling 1 large onion, chopped 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon white pepper 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 4 teaspoons chopped fresh sage 1 cup hazelnuts (4 oz), toasted, loose skins rubbed off with a kitchen towel, and coarsely chopped For sauce 1 teaspoon minced garlic 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour 5 cups milk 1 bay leaf (not California) 1 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon white pepper For assembling lasagne 1/2 lb fresh mozzarella, coarsely grated (2 cups) 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (3 oz) 12 (7- by 3 1/2-inch) sheets no-boil lasagne (1/2 lb) preparation Make filling: Cook onion in butter in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes. Add squash, garlic, salt, and white pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is just tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in parsley, sage, and nuts. Cool filling. Make sauce while squash cooks: Cook garlic in butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring, 1 minute. Whisk in flour and cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Add milk in a stream, whisking. Add bay leaf and bring to a boil, whisking constantly, then reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, 10 minutes. Whisk in salt and white pepper and remove from heat. Discard bay leaf. (Cover surface of sauce with wax paper if not using immediately.) Assemble lasagne: Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss cheeses together. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in a buttered 13- by 9- by 2-inch glass baking dish (or other shallow 3-quart baking dish) and cover with 3 pasta sheets, leaving spaces between sheets. Spread with 2/3 cup sauce and one third of filling, then sprinkle with a heaping 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat layering 2 more times, beginning with pasta sheets and ending with cheese. Top with remaining 3 pasta sheets, remaining sauce, and remaining cheese. Tightly cover baking dish with buttered foil and bake lasagne in middle of oven 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until golden and bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let lasagne stand 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Cooks' note (not Bizzo's)  Filling and sauce can be made 1 day ahead and kept separately, covered and chilled. Bring to room temperature before assembling. Makes 6 servings

Some love them, some don't. I've thought about trying them but don't see the need. I use good quality regular noodles and put them in dry. I've thought about giving them a quick rinse in hot water to soften them up to ease the assembly but I doubted it would be much, if any, easier. First time I made lasagna in the Nesco I didn't cook the noodles. Best lasagna I ever made. Haven't boiled them since. At times I make a "one pot spaghetti" too where I don't cook the spaghetti noodles. When I took the microwave cooking class they made a hotdish where you didn't cook the noodles. It's a myth to think you must cook pasta noodles all the time. The only trick to using dry noodles, whether "no boil" or regular is to be sure it's well-coated (covered) with sauce and not sticking out. I just press down on them to compact everything. That also helps make the cheese "glue" the layers together.

This is on the cover of one of our magazines. It's so rich and dark and tempts me. It calls for 1 bottle of stout beer, so I'm going to buy "something" and try it. Does it look good to you? Slow-Cooker Beef and Stout Stew 1-1/2 lb (680 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 lb (454 g) carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped 1 lb (454 g) parsnips, peeled and coarsely chopped 2 ribs celery, chopped 1 onion, chopped 2 bay leaves1 tsp (5 mL) dried thyme 3/4 tsp (4 mL) salt 1/2 tsp (2 mL) pepper 3 lb (1.4 kg) stewing beef cubes 4 strips thick-sliced bacon, chopped 1-1/2 cups (375 mL) Stout beer 3/4 cup (175 mL) sodium-reduced beef broth 2 tsp (10 mL) Worcestershire sauce 1/3 cup (75 mL) all-purpose flour 1 cup (250 mL) frozen peas In slow cooker, combine potatoes, carrots, parsnips, celery, onion, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper. Top with beef and bacon. Whisk together stout, broth, 1/2 cup water and Worcestershire sauce; pour over beef. Cover and cook on low until beef and vegetables are tender, 7 to 8 hours. Discard bay leaves. Whisk flour with 1 cup of the cooking liquid until smooth; whisk into slow cooker. Stir in peas; cook, covered, on high until thickened, about 30 minutes.