New Year's Resolutions Are For Tomorrow

As we enter 2011, I like to look back at 2010 and thank God for various things in my life. There are many things I am thankful for... a loving family, steady employment, Liz Lemon, half bottle-sized wine, but one of the things I'm most grateful for is my lack of food allergies. I can eat pretty much anything, within reason, and not develop an itchy rash, have my throat swell shut or double over in gastrointestinal pain. I think this has something to do with my mom's unwillingness to throw food away and her love of creating new and exciting leftover dishes. Has your block of cheddar cheese turned a ghastly shade of green? No worries. Just cut the edges off and it's as good as new. Don't know what to do with the leftover pasta salad that has been in the fridge for over a week? Throw it in a pot with chicken broth and some seasoning and call it vegetable soup. Thank you, mom, for my digestive fortitude!

On the other hand, my dear friend, Valerie, has wheat allergies, is slightly lactose intolerant, and can't digest red meat. Any one of these conditions would cause me to seriously question why I was put on this Earth. If she eats too much ice cream she spends the night curled up in the fetal position on the bathroom floor. A big cheeseburger would knock her out of commission for a week, easily. Poor girl.

I mention this because for the first Crockpot Monday of 2011, I made a dish that probably should've sent her to the ER. I made Rigatoni Lasgna with Vodka Cream Sauce (a recipe I found in The Best Cookbook Ever and changed a bit) and Smoked Cheddar and Scallion Scones (from one of my favorite blogs, Farmgirl Fare). And it was amazing!

This is a meal that the "responsible-good intentioned-new years resolution making" you would never order at a restaurant. Instead you would stare longingly at the plate of lasagna sitting in front of the guy at the neighboring table while you forlornly cut your grilled chicken and steamed vegetables.

The following are a few of the ingredients used to make the dish:

1 stick butter
1 cup heavy cream
olive oil
1 can crushed tomatoes, 8 ounces mushrooms, 1 jar of roasted red peppers
1 pound ground beef (or turkey)
onion, garlic, fresh parsley and basil
4 links of Italian sausage
1 pound pasta
1 pound mozarella cheese
and plenty of Pecorino Romano cheese to melt on top

This meal is not for the faint of heart - it is quite involved and I used nearly every pot and pan in my kitchen. But, I had the day off from work, so I was willing to give it a try. You can make the meatballs a day in advance, but everything else must be prepared the day of cooking.

Interestingly enough, Valerie fought through her digestive deformities and ate the meaty, cheesy pasta and seemed to enjoy it. (Happy Birthday Val!) But, if you too have food allergies, I would forgo this meal and make yourself a salad.... but go easy on the toppings.

I probably should've jogged around the block a few times after this meal, but all I could do was lay on the couch and watch reruns of the Biggest Loser. I'll start my New Year's Resolutions tomorrow.


Here's the recipe....

Rigatoni Lasgna with Vodka Cream Sauce

Coat the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line it with a slow-cooker liner. I have Reynolds brand liners. This was the first time I used them and they are magical. Cleanup was so easy.

Combine in a large bowl:
    Vodka cream sauce (recipe follows)
    1 pound pasta (rigatoni or penne), cooked just short of al dente

Spread one-third of the pasta on the bottom of the insert. Top the pasta with a layer of:
    4-5 cooked meatballs, halved or quartered (recipe follows)
    a jar of roasted red peppers, sliced
Top with half of the remaining pasta, followed by a layer of:
    4 links cooked Italian sweet sausage (recipe follows)
    8 oz sauteed button mushrooms (recipe follows)
    1/2 lb cubed fresh mozzarella
Top with the remaining pasta. Top with grated Pecorino Romano cheese.

Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours, until lasagna is bubbling. Remove cover and cook for additional 30 minutes.

Vodka Cream Sauce

Soak 1 tsp red pepper flakes in 1 cup vodka for 1 hour.
Strain vodka through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium saucepan, discarding pepper flakes. Over high heat, bring the vodka to a boil and reduce to 1/4 cup. (I tried this step and accidentally let the vodka burn up, so I just used plain vodka and added red pepper flakes to the sauce.)
Add and stir to combine:
   1 stick butter
   One 28- to 32- ounce can crushed tomatoes
   1 cup heavy cream (I'd use a lighter cream)
   1/4 cup each of finely chopped fresh Italian parsley and fresh basil.
   Optional: 1 tsp red pepper flakes

Meatballs
makes 6-8 meatballs

Combine the following in a large bowl:
   1 lb. ground turkey
   1/2 c finely chopped onion
   1 clove garlic, finely sliced
   Grated zest of 1 lemon
   1 tsp salt
   1 tsp pepper
   2 TB chopped fresh parsley
   1/2 c soft bread crumbs
   1 large egg, beaten

Form the mixture into small balls and set on a plate or baking sheet. At this point, you can cover and refrigerate the meatballs for up to 2 days.

Heat 1/4 inch olive oil in a large skillet. Add meatballs and brown on all sides. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees until cooked through.

Cooked meatballs may be cooled and refrigerated for up to 2 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.

Sausage
Place sausages in a skillet, add 1/2 cup water, prick the sausages with the tip of a sharp knife, cover and bring to a boil. Simmer the sausages for 10 minutes, remove cover, and saute until the liquid has evaporated and the sausages have browned.

Mushrooms
Heat 1-2 TB olive oil in skillet, and saute sliced mushrooms until the begin to color, seasoning with salt and pepper.