Pepperoni con Penne, a fast dinner entree which won the hearts of family members underwent an experiment today. Typically the spicy red pepperoni sauce is made by the time the pasta water has come to a boil and the penne is cooked. Today I made the simple sauce of turkey pepperoni fried in olive oil with onion and garlic and red pepper flakes, then some fennel seeds, lots of dried basil but only a teeny bit of oregano and some cinnamon plus a can of crushed tomatoes. That’s the normal sauce. Today, though, instead of penne, I used a couple layers of the ready-to-bake lasagna noodles and a few sprinkles of mozzarella and Parmesan. It wasn’t what we think of as normal lasagna, but it worked well and with the flavors we love.
(Hint to niece in Hawaii: make sauce, buy good noodles and tin foil, enjoy one hour later after laying on beach for an hour drifting off while it bakes to its curly self. Leave out the cream cheese.)
Ms Chef in Seattle 