Saturday, November 17, 2007

Lasagne, Caesar Salad, and Garlic Bread



Tonight's dinner was special for family since my parents came for Sophia's second birthday celebration. I made lasagne which in itself was fairly mundane (i.e. no gourmet ingredients). I did make my own sauce, though.

Marinara Sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
3 oz. pancetta, diced finely
1/4 cup shallots, diced finely
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 - 28 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes with basil
Pinch of oregano
Pepper

Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven. Add the pancetta and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the shallot and cook for another minute; then add the garlic and heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and stir, bringing to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally. Add oregano and pepper; serve.

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Caesar salad is incredibly easy to make if you use prepared dressing! Same with garlic bread. One day I'll make everything from scratch but at family gatherings it's better to keep things as simple as possible.

We also made a cake from scratch. My husband decorated it but we were under a time crunch and devoid of caring too much about perfection so the result is a sweet homemade birthday cake.


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