Back when I lived in Alabama I became friends with a girl whose grandmother, Agata, was from Sicily. We’d ride out to the sleepy little town of Alabaster on Sunday afternoons where the granny would be busying herself in the kitchen-dealing out culinary trump cards of obscene deliciousness.

My all time favorite dish she made was an intensely garlicky red-sauced lasagna that boasts three pounds of cheeses.This recipe needs no meat. Meat would just get in the way of this profoundly Italian tasting casserole.

Agata’s Lasagna Recipe

3 28 oz Cans, Whole Peeled Tomatoes

3 lbs Onions, Yellow Sweet

2 Bulbs Garlic

2 t. Crushed Red Pepper

2 T. Oregano,fresh,minced

2 each Bay Leaves

1 T. Black Pepper

1 10 oz Box Lasagna Noodles

2 T. Tomato Paste

1 lb Provolone, sliced

1 lb Ricotta, Whole Milk

1 lb Pecorino Cheese

2 bunches Spinach, fresh

Salt

Olive Oil

Method:

* Heat pan with regular olive oil, not virgin

* Thinly slice onions

* Roughly chop garlic

* Add onion to pan and cook at high heat for 15 minutes

* Reduce heat,cook onions on low/medium for 1 hour or til nicely caramelized

* Add chopped garlic to pan,cook for 30 minutes more

* Add crushed red chile flakes to pan,saute for 5 minutes

* Add tomatoes to pan along with bay leaves and black pepper

* Simmer for 1 hour

* Add tomato paste to pan, simmer for 30 minutes

* Add fresh oregano, adjust flavor with salt turn burner off,let cook while pasta boils

* Cook lasagna noodles in big stockpot – I par cook them in heavily salted water for 3 minutes,drop them in a pot of cold water for a couple minutes then drain them in a colander

Prepare to assemble lasagna

* Coat the interior of large Corning Ware casserole dish w/olive oil

* Create a skift of the red sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish

* Add a layer of noodles

* Add a layer of spinach

* Add a layer of sauce

* Add a layer of cheeses

* Repeat til task is finished, finishing with a layer of cheese

* Place lasagna casserole in larger pan in oven

* Pour boiling water in larger pan til it reaches halfway up your casserole

* Bake at 250 degrees for one hour

* Voila! Intense deliciousness is at the ready. I like to let the casserole “sit up” as my mom would say for about 15 minutes before serving but you’ll be forgiven if you can’t wait this long

This recipe may yield extra sauce depending on how heavy your hand when you’re layering the recipe.

Reserve, refrigerate and use at will

It goes great on a bowl of any kind of noodle with plenty grated cheese and a hunk of garlic bread as a side