Reporting back on the lasagna made with Barilla no-boil noodles. It was very good and a hit with everyone, vegetarians or otherwise. I forgot to take photos but there are some with the original recipe link. Mine looked similar but not quite as nice! I did not presoak the noodles, added 1/4 cup water after assembling, used 2 cups milk (recipe calls for 1 cup) and needed to cook it for an additional 15 minutes because the noodles were not done. I needed to use about 2 cups of milk to get the squash to the correct consistency. I roasted the squash a couple of days before assembly...maybe that made it drier. Even with that there was barely enough to cover each layer. But more might have made the flavor overpowering. The chard was almost non-existent in the end. I probably cooked it too much before assembling. I don't think I would add more of the squash, veggies or cheese as the flavor balance seemed just right for me. Thanks all for your very helpful suggestions! Here is a link that might be useful: Veggie Lasagna with Butternut Bechamel

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.

Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Thu, Apr 8, 10 at 9:44 I'm confused? I thought the pasta cookalong was next week, as the pasta party. I didn't do it this past weekend because I thought that's what we were doing. Well, that, and I've been very busy and was gone last weekend. So, the pasta party and pasta cookalong are/were two different things? Thats okay, as I could eat pasta every day...well, I could if I wanted to gain 300 pounds, lol. Bring on the cream cheese, because I'll buy it thinking I'll use it, then it will sit in the fridge for months before I toss it because it's old. It'll be good to get some recipes. Sally o RE: Cookalong #24 ----------PASTA!!!!!!! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Thu, Apr 8, 10 at 11:40 That settles it Sally, you're just going to have to make a dish this weekend that uses pasta AND cream cheese. Might I suggest noodle pudding, known as "kugel" around my house. I may have a recipe if you would like. o RE: Cookalong #24 ----------PASTA!!!!!!! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Fri, Apr 9, 10 at 9:31 That sounds like a great idea. You want to post it on the pasta party or cream cheese thread? Actually, I'm going out of town again this weekend, but I plan to take whatever I need with me to do the pasta party - I just won't be able to post about it till Monday night or Tuesday. Sally o Pesto Trappanese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by johnliu (My Page) on Fri, Apr 9, 10 at 11:02 Pesto Trappanese This is a dead-easy summer dish, as with many Italian recipes either find really good ingredients or don't make it. Ideal picnic food. Tomato â€" 2 cups, dice by hand, no need to peel or seed. Or, quarter a bunch of cherry tomatoes, which is labor-intensive but flavorful. Parmesan or Asagio or similar salty, hard cheese - 1/2 cup, grated. Chop coarsely by hand: Basil â€" 1-2 cup fresh leaves (or chiffonade which looks prettiest) Garlic â€" 2-3 cloves Almonds â€" ½ cup or more, toasted lightly Optional - a couple of shallots, a bit of fresh mint. Combine. Add to taste: Salt â€" Kosher ideally Pepper â€" fresh cracked Olive oil Lemon - squeeze juice Optional - a bit of red wine vinegar Serve on pasta, cooked in salted water, pasta should be cooled or chilled. I like spirals becuse they are cute and hold the pesto well. Do not use a food processor, the tomatoes tend to turn to juice, the rest becomes too fine, and when mixed up the whole thing looks disturbingly like stomach contents. o RE: Cookalong #24 ----------PASTA!!!!!!! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by paprikash (My Page) on Fri, Apr 9, 10 at 14:20 This is absolutely the best tuna noodle casserole I have ever tasted. My husband couldn't stop eating it (little did he know he was eating artichoke hearts....) * Exported from MasterCook * Mediterranean Tuna Casserole Recipe By : Cooking Enthusiast Catalog Serving Size : 4 Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 6 ounces egg noodles -- cooked al dente 3 tablespoons butter 1/2 red pepper -- diced 1 clove garlic -- peeled and minced 4 ounces baby portobella mushrooms -- sliced 1 7 oz can artichoke hearts -- drained and chopped 2 tablespoons flour 1 cup milk 1 cup heavy cream 2 4 oz cans bonito del norte tuna -- drained 3/4 cup parmesan cheese -- shredded 3 scallions -- thinly sliced 1/2 cup crispy onions 1/4 cup Italian style panko breadcrumbs Melt butter in large saucepot over medium heat. Add red peppers and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add mushrooms and cook until soft, about 4-6 minutes. Stir in artichoke hearts and flour. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir in milk and heavy cream and cook until sauce thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 12-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. In large bowl, combine the egg noodles, tuna, scallions, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and sauce mixture. Grease a 10" round casserole, add noodle mixture and top with crispy onions, remaining 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and panko breadcrumbs. Bake in a 400* oven for 20 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTES : I probably used closer to 8 oz of baby portobellas and I used regular panko crumbs. I used the canned French's onion rings (Cooking Enthusiast sells their "crispy onions" but I've never bought them). The French's onion rings were starting to burn after 15 minutes so don't top with them until the last 8 to 10 minutes or leave them off. I do buy my tuna fish from Cooking Enthusiast -- it's packed in olive oil and wonderful but I am sure regular tuna fish packed in olive oil will work fine, too. o RE: Cookalong #24 ----------PASTA!!!!!!! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by mamalou (My Page) on Fri, Apr 9, 10 at 18:18 I made Lpinkmountain's recipe (sorry, don't know your real name) for Spaghetti al Tonno / Pasta with Tuna Sauce. It was delicious and I used the anchovies, lemon zest, and olives. The instructions did not say when to add in the anchovies, so I added them in with the onion as I have seen done on the food network. My husband and I both went back for seconds. Thanks for sharing such a great, quick recipe! o RE: Cookalong #24 ----------PASTA Recipe!!!!!!! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by mamalou (My Page) on Fri, Apr 9, 10 at 18:28 Here is a recipe my niece shared with me that is very delicious. Orecchiette with Spicy Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Courtesy of Giada Delurentis. Ingredients: 3TBOlive Oil 1 pkg spicy sausage casings removed 2 bunches Broccoli Rabe (I use one) 3-5 cloves garlic minced pinch of dried red pepper flakes (or more if you can take it) 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated 1/2 tea fresh ground black pepper Directions: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil Broccoli Rabe for one minute. Strain broccoli rabe reserving all cooking liquid. Cook orecchiette in the same water as the broccoli rabe until al dente. Drain reserving one cup of cooking liquid. Meanwhile cook sausage in large skillet with oil breaking into pieces. Cook until brown and juices form. Add garlic and red pepper, saute until fragrant. Add broccoli rabe toss to coat . Add pasta and enough reserved cooking liquid to keep moisten. Stir Parmesan salt to taste and fresh ground pepper to taste into mixture. Enjoy o RE: Cookalong #24 ----------PASTA!!!!!!! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Fri, Apr 9, 10 at 22:37 That's right Mamalou, Joyce says to add the anchovies after sauteeing the onions until transluscent. Sorry I left them out! I tried to like anchovies but I just can't do it, lol! My name is Laurie but I like to go by my screen name or Lpink for short, just for privacy's sake. If it was just the regular members on here that knew my name I wouldn't mind, but with the Internet, anything can come up in a search anywhere. Glad you like the pasta. I've been wanting to make it for the longest time, but I also want to make Sharon's pasta with peas and bacon, and a recipe I have for spinach fettucinni. And I still have orzo minestrone to eat up, one week later. So much pasta, so little time . . . o RE: Cookalong #24 ----------PASTA!!!!!!! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by cookingrvc (My Page) on Fri, Apr 9, 10 at 23:22 Ok, had forgotten about this but I turns out that I was planning to make pasta tomorrow so I guess I'm in! I have some fresh portobello agnolotti which I plan to serve with a white truffle cream sauce (got the truffle cream, just need to make a sauce base) as a first course. Small serving - just enough. Second course will be a grilled flank steak with some sides - I'll see what looks good in the market. I like the boiled, smashed, then roasted red potatoes (Pioneer Women) that someone posted and might add a bit of onion. Sue o RE: Cookalong #24 ----------PASTA!!!!!!! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by lorijean44 (My Page) on Sat, Apr 10, 10 at 10:41 Here's my contribution to the cookalong: Bowties with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cream 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 pound sweet Italian sausage 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1/2 cup diced onion 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 28-ounce can Italian diced tomatoes 1-1/2 cups whipping cream 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 pound bowtie pasta 3 tablespoons fresh minced basil Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley Heat oil in large heavy skillet over medium heat. Remove casings from sausage, crumble and cook in oil with crushed pepper until sausage is no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Add onion and garlic and cook another 5-7 minutes until tender. Drain tomatoes, chop coarsely and stir into sausage along with cream, salt and basil. Simmer until mixture thickens slightly, about 4 minutes. In a separate pot of boiling water cook pasta al dente. Drain pasta and add to simmering sauce. Garnish with Parmesan and parsley. Serves 4. Source: An Appetite for Art, copyright 2001 Lori o RE: Cookalong #24 ----------PASTA!!!!!!! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by mamalou (My Page) on Sun, Apr 11, 10 at 16:54 Thanks LPink! We enjoyed the leftovers today...they tasted even better than the first time!! Yum!

I agree about not trying new tricks on company, but here's a link to your thread on the same subject from yesterday: http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3353866/lasagna?n=8 If you're not experienced making lasagna, here are some tips: Cook down your sauce so you're not putting in a lot of water which has nowhere to go. Use the eggs in the ricotta. If you don't, you have to compensate, and that takes experience. Put a baking sheet on a lower rack to catch the drips. Figure out how many layers of pasta you want/have first. If you want a lot of pasta, make sure you keep the in between stuff thin. It's easy to put good stuff in, and have only three layers of pasta, which is a casserole, not lasagna, and tastes good, but without extra eggs is hard to serve.