The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

When I was a freshman in high school, I had my first paid catering gig. Some family friends who were having a big, Italian American themed dinner party decided to take a chance on a 15-year-old who had grown up idolizing Julia Childs and Jacques Pépin. I spent weeks researching recipes and creating the menu, which was centered around several trays of lasagna. They were a huge hit, in part because of the velvety bechamel sauce that held the layers together, a secret ingredient I still use in my lasagna to this day.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1-pound Italian sausage

1 yellow onion,...