Lasagna for Christmas Day

Most Italians and Italian-Americans prepare a meatless meal, usually many fish courses, to celebrate La Vigilia, Christmas Eve. My family always made shrimp, calamari, clams, sea bass, and sometimes served caviar. It entailed a huge amount of preparation and we’d all be exhausted when it was over. The next day we’d get up early. My father would slice up a pannetone, make a pot of strong coffee, and we’d open presents. Then we’d all pile into the car and drive over to my grandmother’s house where she’s have a big antipasto plate already on the table. And then she’s bring out a beautiful ragu filled lasagna. This was pure heaven. The lasagna varied from year to year, but I was especially found of one she made with turkey and a creamy béchamel sauce. I never got her recipe but have come up with my own version. It’s pretty close in spirit to my grandmother’s but I’ve included fresh rosemary, an herb I don’t remember her using very much. She would have chosen fresh oregano or basil, but the rosemary gives it a real wintery aroma.

Merry Christmas to you.

Christmas Lasagna with Turkey and Rosemary

(Serves six as a main course)

 Extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup medium diced pancetta or guanciale

2 sweet Italian pork sausages, casings removed

1 1/2 pounds freshly ground turkey

A generous pinch of sugar

1 large onion, cut into small dice

1 carrot, cut into small dice

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

4 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves well chopped

1 fresh bay leaf

A few big scrapings of nutmeg

3 ground allspice

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

½ cup dry white wine

½ cup turkey or chicken broth

1 35 oz. can Italian plum tomatoes, well chopped, with juice

½ cup of whole milk

For the besciamella:

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
⅛ teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 fresh bay leaf
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt
A pinch of sugar
⅛ teaspoon hot paprika (I used the Basque piment d’espelette)

Plus:

1 pound of very thinly rolled fresh egg pasta, cut for lasagna, boiled until just tender

1 1/2 cups grated grana padano cheese

In a large casserole fitted with a lid, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. When hot, the butter and the pancetta and let the pancetta brown. Add the sausage and the turkey, and the pinch of sugar, mashing the meat up with a wooden spoon, and brown it lightly all over. This will probably take about 10 minutes. Add the onion, carrot, garlic, rosemary, bay leaf, nutmeg, and allspice. Season everything with salt and black pepper and sauté until the vegetables are tender and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Add the white wine and let it bubble until almost evaporated. Add the turkey or chicken broth and the tomatoes with their juice. Bring the sauce to a boil and then turn the heat down low, cover the casserole, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring it occasionally. Now add the milk and simmer for about 10 minutes longer. Turn off the heat and let the ragu sit and settle for about ½ hour. This will allow the flavors to blend and it’ll also make it easier for you to scoop excess fat from the surface. Check for seasoning, adding more salt or pepper, if needed.

To make the besciamella: Melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, whisking it to blend it into the butter. Cook, while continuing to whisk, for about a minute, without letting the mix color. You’ll smell a sweet, lightly toasted flour aroma. Add all the milk, and continue whisking. Add all the seasonings, and continue cooking, whisking often, until the sauce has thickened. This will happen around the time it comes to a boil. When bubbles appear on the surface, turn the heat down a bit, and continue cooking for another minute or so or until the sauce is thick and very smooth.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In an approximately 8 x 12 inch baking dish, spoon out a thin layer of the ragu. Now put down a layer of the pasta sheets. Spoon on some beciamella, smoothing in out, and sprinkle on a thin layer of grated grana padano. Make another layer of ragu, another one of pasta sheets, more beciamella, and more grated cheese. Spoon of the remaining ragu, put down a last layer of pasta, finish up the beciamella, and then sprinkle on a light layer of grana padano. Give the top a little salt and pepper and a fresh drizzle of olive oil. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove the foil, turn the oven up to 425 degrees and bake until the lasagna is bubbling and nicely browned on the top, about 15 minutes longer. Let it rest about 10 minutes before serving.

Erica DeMane is a writer and chef. Find her blog: EricaDeMane.com

Painting: Nativity with St. Francis and St. Lawrence by Caravaggio

Guardian Angels

Feast Day: October 2

Most of the world’s religions agree on one thing: the presence of angels in our lives. The word “angel” comes from the Greek word angelos, which means” messenger.” All angels are messengers from God. If we pray to the saints because, having been human, they fully understand our shortcomings, we pray to the angels because they are pure in spirit and so call us to a higher level of being. Angels do not have human natures, and so their perspectives are totally different than ours. We turn to them to be reminded of the higher goal we share with them. It is said that the more we pray to the angels, the less the material and physical problems of the earth will seem to matter.

Angels, who exist at the very throne of God, are said to number in the thousands of millions. They are divided into three hierarchies. The first is the heavenly counselors, who are nearest to God: the seraphim, cherubim and thrones. They regulate the movement of light in the heavens as it emanates from God. The next hierarchy is the heavenly governors: the powers, virtues and dominions. These bear the conscience of all humanity, transmit divine energy, govern the activities of all the angelic orders, and integrate the spiritual and material world. The third hierarchy has direct contact with the earth and mankind: principalities, archangels and angels. From infancy until death, human life is enveloped by the watchful care and intercession of the guardian angels

It is believed that each one of us has his or her own guardian angel. These angels are always with us and are responsible for keeping us on the right path, helping us rise when we fall, encouraging us to become more and more virtuous, assisting us in death, and, most important of all, acting as intermediaries, offering our prayers and good actions to God. They do not see our physical actions as much as our spiritual actions. By praying to our guardian angels, we open up a channel to the divine grace. The angels have perfect knowledge, or wisdom, and this comes from their vision of God. They are said to be endowed with blessedness from gazing enraptured at God, and this blessedness makes them view all creations and all creatures as the beautiful perfection they really are. The more we communicate with our guardian angels, the more we become aware of our own blessedness and perfect beauty. Though angels have free will, because of this beatific existence there can be no temptation but to do God’s will.

The more we pray to the guardian angels, the more sensitive we become to their advice. Intuitive thoughts and feelings become more pronounced, and we no longer rely on judgmental thinking in our decision making. We become less fearful, more accepting, more in harmony with things. This is what it means to live in a state of grace. The angels are said to be beings of light. We lighten our lives and existence when we pray to them and with them.

Novena to Your Guardian Angel

Bless the Lord, all you his angels. You who are mighty in strength and do his will, intercede for me at the throne of God. By your unceasing watchfulness protect me in every danger of soul and body. Obtain for me the grace of final perseverance, so that after this life I may be admitted to your glorious company and with you may sing the praises of God for all eternity.

All you holy angels and archangels, thrones and dominions, principalities and powers and virtues of heaven, cherubim and seraphim, and especially you, my dear guardian angel, intercede for me and obtain for me the special favor I now ask. (Mention your request).

Amen.

(Excerpted from the book “Novena: The Power of Prayer” by Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua.)

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