...lasagna, in process

I'm making lasagna today for the church potluck tomorrow...
it's quite an undertaking, especially for a crowd...



first I made the marinara...

I sautéd minced onions, carrots, celery & garlic in ev olive oil...
then added 4 cans of Cento San Marzano tomatoes...
plus 2 cans of Cento crushed S.M. tomatoes...
1 good "cup" of pinot noir...s & p....
and chopped fresh basil, thyme & oregano...

as well as a good palm full of fennel seeds...
rolled between my hands to release flavor...
a TBSP dry oregano, sugar, garlic & onion powder...

so while this was simmering...



I sautéd 6 lbs of mild Italian sausage...
drained the fat, then added it back to the pan...
and began spooning in the marinara...
mixing it with the meat making a ragu...
I also added another cup of pinot noir...
and left it to simmer...



in a large container, I mixed 3 large tubs of part skim ricotta...
2 small containers of full fat ricotta, 3 large eggs, 1/2 C of half & half...
some nutmeg,a "splash" of sherry, a container of shredded 3 cheese blend...
3 boxes frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed in a tea towel...
a container of shredded Reggiano Parmesan cheese...



leaving me with a LOT of empty cans, containers & wrappers...



I have shredded mozzarella & 3 cheese blend for the toppings...
as well as fresh mozzarella logs to slice for in between the layers...



and of course, the pasta...this stuff cooks in the oven...
no boiling ! what a concept...

I'm currently waiting for the sauce/ragu to cook down a bit...
then, it's assembly time...