Entirely Homemade (except for the cheese)

From the noodles, to the tomato sauce from garden-grown tomatoes. Danny cranked out the pasta in the machine today-serious arm strength on that kid. This was the last of the sauce I froze, so I wanted to send it off in style. I made quite a bit-we'll be eating it tomorrow as well.

I did cheat and combine the strangest assortment of cheese ends ever. Last weekend, I was in Council Bluffs, Iowa so I stopped at my favourite Hy-Vee in the mall. It is so totally worth crossing the bridge into Iowa for cheese ends-I'm not kidding. For ten bucks I came home with about seven different, quality cheeses in small quantity. My store near home doesn't sell $2.00 wedges of Pecorino Romano that smells like something decaying crossed with a gym locker. I bought some lovely sheep's milk cheese from Montana as well. I ended up combining prove lone, Parmesan, Havarti, the Sheep's Butte (ha ha), Pepato, and the Romano for the hard cheese layer. Long time readers know that I don't use much ricotta, but rather substitute cottage cheese that has been forced through a sieve. I used this technique tonight as well, but stirred in a bit of the hard cheese as a binder along with a couple eggs. Perfect. While you're in Council Bluffs, be sure to stop at the Union Pacific Railroad Museum. It is free, staffed by retired employees who can answer your questions, entertain small children, and just be all-around terrific. Then, after you tire of driving the train simulator, you can head over to the Hy Vee in the Mall of the Bluffs and get yourself some Sage Derby. I really do love cheese-Maybe I'm part rodent.