Ingredients
PASTA
1 3/4 cup flour
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 pinch salt
2 extra large eggs
2 tsp vegetable oil
FILLING
4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
2 cup heavy cream
6 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp orange zest
2 tbsp grand marnier
1 pinch salt
12 oz bittersweet chocolate,
1 chopped
Directions
Combine the flour, cocoa, and salt in a bowl and make a well in the
center. Add the eggs and oil in the center of the well and mix with a
fork to form the dough. Knead the dough for 15 minutes until it is
smooth and shiny, adding more flour if necessary to keep the dough
from sticking.
Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for half an hour. Roll the pasta
out by hand or with a machine and cut into eight 4-1/2 x 11-inch
strips. Cook two strips at a time in boiling salted water. Cook just
20 seconds after the water returns to a boil. Plunge the noodles
into cold water to stop the cooking. When cooled, place on towels in
a single layer to drain.
Combine all filling ingredients and mix until smooth. To assemble:
Preheat oven to 425F with the rack in the upper third of the oven.
Generously butter an 8"x11"x2" pan. Alternate layers of noodles,
cheese filling, and chocolate, ending with a cheese layer. Bake for
20-25 minutes until the top is lightly colored. Let the lasagna
stand for 10 minutes to solidify, then serve warm.
Servings: 6 serving
Chocolate Lasagna Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Chocolate; Dessert; Italian; Lasagna; Pasta
The History of Recipes
Recipes as an idea can be tracked back into ancient history, in truth as far into history as the Egyptians, and maybe even further. However, these, early recipes were just basic hieroglyphic instructions for food preparation.
In an interesting twist, the most ancient recipe found, according to experts are some ancient tablets in the Sumerian language which recount the preparation of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making those who drank it feel `blissful`. Progressing into Roman times 25BC a man called Apicius created some scripts which described recipes cooked by wealthy Romans. In his works, Apicius tells us how the meals were separated into appetizers, main course and desserts, something that is very familiar to us today. This early Roman chef informs us how the Roman chefs used a wide range of spices, including some familiar names such as thyme, fennel and dill. Continuing our culinary historical journey, we have two interesting recipe books from the 1300s : a recipe book titled `Forme of Cury`, and another, similary called `Curye on Inglish`. Perhaps surprisingly, these two books are not about the indian curry that appears on menues today, but rather accounts of the types of meals served to the rich and wealthy people of the period. Later on, in the 15th century, knights returning from the crusades brought back many new foods, spices and herbs from the Middle-East, including spices such as coriander, parsley, basil and rosemary. The introduction of these new foods and spices led to a torrent in books on cookery, some of which still exist in private cookery archives. Over the succeeding few centuries, the upper-class families of Europe tried to serve up the best banquets, and as a result chefs and their collection of recipes became highly prized. Nevertheless, it was during the nineteenth century that cookery and recipe publications really came of age. The Famous Mrs Beeton in the UK, and the equally famous Fannie Merritt Farmer in the US, dedicated their lives to assembling, testing, and writing down popular recipes of the day. When we get to the 20th century, cooking books are starting to become popular due to increased literacy, leisure time and disposable income. |
We hope you enjoy this Chocolate Lasagna recipe.
