Recipe: Cupid Lasagna (Makes People Fall In Love)

March 12, 2009

Recently I wrote a post about my simple kitchen, in which I mentioned my mom’s famous lasagna recipe. I call it Cupid Lasagna because it makes people fall in Love. Sounds crazy, I know… but I’ve seen it happen! 

I made this lasagna for Jeff when I met him. We got engaged six weeks later, and we’re going on ten years of marriage.  I have made it for a few of my “single and looking” friends, and they found beautiful lasting relationships.

Once I made this recipe for a married friend of mine, but I changed it to include all sorts of veggies, and that was a disaster. He fell in love, but not with his wife! He actually left her for another woman shortly after the lasagna incident. I haven’t messed with the recipe since.

I know what you’re thinking, “This is a load of…” and you may well be right. But what if you are not? What IF this recipe really does make people fall in Love? I haven’t seen any evidence to the contrary. It couldn’t hurt to give it a try, right?

In response to the many requests I got after the Simple Kitchen post, here is the recipe for Cupid Lasagna. Please note that the ingredients and steps are simple but, as I mentioned in Feast For The Senses, the process requires special attention and tender loving care. You should not attempt this recipe when you are in a hurry, or doing a lot of things at once.

1. The Pan:  Even if you have a fancy lasagna pyrex, you should use one of those disposable, one-time use pans. You don’t want to use something heavy, or scarred by traces of previous meals. This pan needs to be ready for a clean start, with no emotional baggage.

2.  The Large Pot:  First we make the sauce. Brown one pound of extra lean ground beef, and add one medium, diced, onion. Lower the heat and cover until the onions are clear. They should be tender and vulnerable. Add an 8oz can of tomato sauce, then fill that can with water (getting all the rest of the sauce) and add it too. Then do the same thing with an 8oz can of tomato paste, adding that can of water. 

Stir gently, smoothly blending the two textures into one, incorporating the meat and onions. Add three minced garlic cloves, then sprinkle a layer of onion salt, garlic powder, oregano, and salt over the top. Stir, bring to a boil, turn the heat down, and simmer for 30 minutes.

3.  The Second Large Pot:  In my case, I wash and reuse the one pot, setting aside the sauce in a different container; but you can use a separate pot if you prefer. Boil as much water as you can fit in the pot, and add more lasagna noodles than you think you will need for your three layers. We will only use whole noodles, not the ones that are cracked and broken, because they need to be strong enough to support the other ingredients.

4.  The Large Bowl:  We need to prepare a mixture of cottage cheese (the large container, not the tiny ones) and garlic powder, salt, and italian seasonings. This will be the soft bedding where we will place the blended sauce.

5.  The Blessed Union:  The first thing to go in the foil pan is noodles. Make sure they are whole, and that they overlap a little in order to form a strong foundation. Then add a layer of the prepared cottage cheese, carefully covering all the bare spots. Add the sauce on top, taking care to cover all the way to the corners. Attention to detail makes all the difference. Sprinkle Parmesan over the sauce, and shredded Mozarella over that.

We will repeat this process for two more layers, varying only the shredded cheeses. The bottom layer is only Mozarella. The top layer is only Cheddar. But when the two become one, in the middle layer, we want to be sure and have equal amounts of each, as they are both equally important.

6.  After The Union:  This part seems a little boring; we just bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Sometimes it seems like an eternity, because nothing exciting is happening. But when you get past this phase you know… you can just tell, it is going to be good. 

I recommend serving it directly from the foil pan, keeping it real. There’s no sense pretending we are all fancy and proper when we know this beautiful union came from humble beginnings.

Use this recipe with great caution.

Thanks!

Related posts:

1. For the Warrior, Poet, Mystic: On Finding Love
2. Do You Believe in True Love?
3. How to Use Friends and Take Advantage of People
4. Fellowship Fridays: Notice the Little Things
5. Adventure: Aim to Help, Learn to Love

Posted in happiness, love, simplicity