LACMA Lasagna

DEAR SOS: My husband and I had lunch at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art restaurant operated by Patina Group. Could you request the recipe for the chicken lasagna?

BARBARA PETRABORG

Fullerton

DEAR BARBARA: The Patina Group, of which Pentimento at LACMA is but one restaurant, sent us this recipe using sausage. Of course, you can substitute cooked chicken or turkey.

Pentimento Oven-Baked Sausage Lasagna

Active Work Time: 30 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound mild Italian sausage

2 cups diced onions

3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup dry white wine

24 Roma tomatoes, peeled and chopped

3 cups tomato juice

4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

4 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

4 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

Salt, pepper

Sugar

8 leaves radicchio

3 (8-ounce) packages “oven-ready” lasagna sheets

1/2 pound ricotta salata, crumbled

1 pound Fontina cheese, grated

* Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until browned on all sides and thoroughly cooked, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and set aside. Add onions and garlic. Cook onions until translucent, 5 minutes. Add wine and cook over medium-high heat until reduced to a glaze, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes.

* Add tomatoes, tomato juice, basil, oregano, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper to taste and dash sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir lightly to blend well. Slice sausage and add to sauce.

* Combine radicchio with remaining olive oil and salt and pepper to taste in a heat-proof dish. Bake at 350 degrees 5 minutes or until radicchio is wilted. Set aside to cool.

* Spread a thin layer of sauce in bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish. Arrange 1 layer of pasta sheets over sauce. Spread another layer of sauce over sheets. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup ricotta salata and 1/4 cup Fontina. Arrange a second layer of pasta sheets and a second layer of sauce over Fontina layer. Cover sauce with thin layer of radicchio leaves and sprinkle with more ricotta salata. Top with a third layer of pasta and cover with more sauce, ricotta salata and Fontina. Arrange a fourth layer of pasta and cover with sauce. Top sauce with remaining Fontina.

* Cover lasagna with foil and bake at 350 degrees until thoroughly hot, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake at 450 degrees until surface is golden brown. Cut into squares and serve.

8 to 10 servings. Each of 10 servings: 661 calories; 2,179 mg sodium; 64 mg cholesterol; 33 grams fat; 70 grams carbohydrates; 26 grams protein; 9.36 grams fiber.

*

DEAR SOS: I have been unable to figure out what makes the Famous Gypsy Style Tomato Soup so good at Gypsy Cafe in Westwood. A few of us on campus have tried to re-create it and failed miserably. Hope you can help.

R. MORENO

Los Angeles

DEAR R.: Potato is the surprise ingredient in this tasty, yet simple, tomato soup. Sauteing the onions and using cream and Parmesan can’t hurt either.

Gypsy Cafe Tomato Soup

Active Work Time: 25 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour

1 tablespoon oil or butter

1 red onion, chopped

1 large baking potato, baked and peeled

4 cups tomato sauce combined with 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups half-and-half

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 tablespoon chicken base

1/2 cup hot water

Dried oregano

* Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute until tender, 5 minutes. Place onion and potato in food processor and puree until smooth. Combine tomato sauce and half-and-half in large saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Add potato-onion mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until thick and smooth. Add cheese. Mix chicken base with water and stir into soup. Simmer over low heat 5 to 10 minutes. Add dash oregano before serving.

4 to 6 servings. Each of 6 servings: 276 calories; 1,402 mg sodium; 31 mg cholesterol; 13 grams fat; 36 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams protein; 3.87 gram fiber.