A secretary is a person who often performs secretarial work as an employee, usually for an official or agency in a supporting role. This can happen if someone does not have time to deal with it themselves, for example doctors or directors.
Every third Thursday in April is Secretary’s Day. On that day, secretaries are put in the spotlight, making it also a peak day for the flower sellers.
This is what Wikipedia says, but I think that message was started by Rose May Woods, Richard Nixon’s secretary in 1970, at least the text looks a bit seventies. Nowadays, a secretary is much more than the one who does the secretarial work for a doctor or a director, I know people who arrange entire households, restaurants, excursions and holidays and save marriages (or let them fail…).
If I continue to search for secretaries on ‘the net’, I come across their favorite recipes and there are a striking number of pasta dishes in between (it must be said that ‘favo’ Italian dishes were asked here, but that is not always necessary to be pasta).
If you don’t take your secretary to one of Ron’s Gastrobars on International Secretary Day (traditionally on the 3rd Thursday in April) (you’d be crazy if you don’t because that day 2 eat for the price of 1) then make a nice dish for her (or for him). We were talking about pasta, make this skillet lasagna from my recently released cookbook “camping cooking”. Super simple and… Super tasty, also at home or at the office. Good luck!
Skillet lasagna
For 4 persons
1 red onion chopped
2 garlic cloves crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 can of tomato puree
600 g minced meat
5 sprigs of flat parsley, leaves only, chopped
10 fresh basil leaves chopped
200ml red wine
200 ml vegetable stock
440 g canned tomato pellati
8 lasagna sheets in pieces
100 g spinach torn
125 g ricotta
125 g mozzarella in pieces
Parmesan cheese grated, to taste
salt and pepper
Preparation
1. Sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent, add tomato puree and minced meat and fry with a fork until it is a loose mass.
2. Add parsley, basil, red wine, stock and tomatoes and simmer gently for at least an hour* (stirring occasionally). Season with salt and pepper.
3. So, you’ve now made a Sugo Bolognese but we’re not done yet… (well, pasta and Parmesan and you’ve got yourself a meal!).
4. Put the lasagna dough pieces into the sauce and check the doneness of the pasta after 20 minutes.
5. When the pasta is cooked, stir in the spinach, wait for it to soften, then stir in the ricotta and mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper and place next to the stove for another 5 minutes.
Serve with Parmesan cheese, what else…
* The longer it simmers, the tastier the sauce becomes. Watch out for burning, add some water now and then.