ETHNIC COOK : Lessons of a Sicilian Grandmother

Robert Haaga faced a culinary crossroads early on. One side of his family was Italian, the other German. The young Haaga quickly decided he was happiest at his Sicilian grandmother’s table. “She served down-home meals,” he says. “Nothing gourmet, just very good Southern Italian cooking.” He’s admired Italian food ever since.

Haaga later on was director of catering at the Four Seasons hotel in Newport Beach for five years. Now a realtor in Long Beach, he draws on an Italian-accented repertoire when he entertains. An informal dinner might center around his grandmother’s vegetarian lasagna--a colorful dish of red and yellow sweet peppers, mushrooms, eggplant and fresh basil with three kinds of cheese and two types of lasagna noodles.

The pressures of a busy life force Haaga into occasional shortcuts. In a pinch, he’ll substitute a jar of pasta sauce or canned Italian-style tomatoes, simmered with appropriate seasonings, for his grandmother’s homemade sauce.

Haaga prefers to entertain small groups--”so I can get to know people and chat,” he says. His menu for four to six would include the lasagna accompanied by a salad of greens including lambs lettuce and radicchio, red onion, and red and yellow peppers tossed with a dressing of olive oil, mustard, tarragon vinegar and fresh tarragon. “I’d get some wonderful bread,” he says, and, for the wine, a Chianti riserva .

Not a fan of sweets, Haaga usually serves a generous meal, then concludes with good, strong coffee and fresh fruit.

ROBERT HAAGA’S VEGETARIAN LASAGNA

1 small eggplant, sliced

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 pound wild or regular mushrooms, sliced

1 sweet red pepper, cut julienne

1 sweet yellow pepper, cut julienne

1/2 onion, slivered

4 ounces spinach lasagna noodles

4 ounces plain lasagna noodles

5 cups Italian-Style Tomato Sauce, or canned sauce

1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, grated

1/2 pound whole milk ricotta cheese

6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

Slice eggplant and dredge in flour. Heat some of olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add and saute eggplant until browned. Set aside.

Add mushrooms to skillet, adding little olive oil if needed, and saute until tender. Add red and yellow peppers and onion and saute until tender.

Cook lasagna noodles in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain.

Drizzle little additional olive oil over bottom of 4-quart rectangular baking dish. Cover bottom of dish with some of Italian-Style Tomato Sauce.

Make layer of spinach lasagna noodles. Top with layer of sauce, then with mozzarella, ricotta and Parmesan cheeses and basil. Add layer of sauteed vegetables. Add another layer of noodles, then top with remaining tomato sauce and cheeses. Bake at 350 degrees until top is browned and cheese is bubbly, about 45 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

497 calories; 403 mg sodium; 66 mg cholesterol; 28 grams fat; 42 grams carbohydrates; 23 grams protein; 2.6 grams fiber; 51% calories from fat.

Italian-Style Tomato Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, chopped

3 1/2 pounds tomatoes

Few leaves basil or oregano

Salt, pepper

Heat olive oil in saucepan. Add garlic and onion and saute until onion is tender. Add tomatoes, basil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to boil and cook until sauce is slightly thickened. Makes about 5 cups.