Think that's a tasty pan of Lasagne there?  Guess again.  Everything is pretty much the
same except the layering and the pasta.  Am I giving you a short cut?  Well, sort of..but
not entirely.  This is a mix of a Lasagne and a Baked Ziti, both types of pasta dishes in
Italian are known as AL FORNO...meaning baked.  And yes, to those who say that
these types of dishes are purely Italian-American, I say..you are wrong..while visiting
my relatives in the southern Italian city of Matera in Basilicata, they fed us a typical
Lucanian spread of traditional regional dishes.  One of them was simple called Pasta al
Forno...a wide pasta, like a Lasagne, layered with sauce, scamorza, sopressata ,
mozzarella, ricotta...hmmmmm...sounds like it's an Italian dish after all.  Back to today's
dish...you can cut your time in half with this dish and still get lots of that Lasagne love you
so enjoy..caveat:  there is no substitution for the full Lasagne...however, this is "quick" and
easy and something else to add to your pasta repetoire.
Next time you are in the store take a look at all the different pasta shapes...while the most
popular ones are wonderful..there are many others that can spur your imagination to create
other dishes with them.  This shape known as MAFALDA, or MAFADE, or RICCIA, is
a long strip with two ruffled sides..like a shrunken piece of curly Lasagne.  It's a great shape.
This is a nice brand, Pasta Riscossa, from Bari in
Puglia...I'm going to fast forward this recipe for you...have a pot of sauce (that Italian-American term, also called Gravy, of simmered Tomato Sauce with MeatBalls and Sausage in it) on hand,
one that you've made with 2 cans of Imported Tomatoes (San Marzanos preferably) and maybe
a can of paste.  This is not to be made with a jar of sauce..please...don't go there...! Cook the
Mafalde just till al dente.  Mix 2 cups of Ricotta, 1/8 cup grated Pecorino Romano, 1 cup of
diced mozzarella together with some fresh parsley and fresh ground black pepper.
Then add the hot
Mafalde (aren't you happy you are cooking with a cool new pasta shape?  ), then start
pouring some of the hot sauce into the bowl.  Maybe 3 ladle's worth.  Mix well and
pour it all into a baking pan. 
Dot the pan with meatballs and pieces of sausage, then top it with about 1.4 cup of diced
mozzarella and a good sprinkling of pecorino.  Bake for 20 minutes, since everything is
already hot, you just want all the cheeses to melt and brown on top. Bake at 375degreesF.

Earlier in the day or even the day before, plan ahead and make your sauce and meat-
balls and sausage..here's what your stovetop should look like:
  I'll coach you through this, you can do
this from start to finish in under 2 hrs.  I started at 6:10pm and we were eating at 7:45pm. 
For those of you who don't make your own sauce, it's not a daunting task.  Whatever you
can make in your own home will be so much healthier and better than anything in a jar.
1 lb of Mafalde made this way will feed 8 people.  Let the Mafalde sit for at least 8 minutes
before you start to serve it buy cutting it into "squares"...you want to see the mozzarella
pull...hungry yet???

The pasta world is full of fun shapes...start using them and you will not be bored in your
kitchen! 


I only call this lazy because it is less work than the full blown Lasagne al Forno, it certainly
does take some work, but fit this into a day/night when your schedule permits a little
"slow cooking "  (please, do not confuse this with SLOW COOKER, which sometimes
takes the art of cooking out of the equation, I don't want everything to taste like stewed
meat)..have fun when you have the time, no food tastes good when you are stressed. 
Manage your meals/recipe choices to your work/home schedule and you will be a
happier cook.