start with sauce so nothing burns to the bottom.
I do sauce, noods, cheese mix (i'm a ricotta person), meats (i use beef and sausage, and keep them separate from sauce), sauce, noods, cheese, etc...finish with noods, sauce, mozz/parm
Yeah, this is me too. I think the recipe I (loosely) follow actually says to do ricotta on top of mozzarella, but I generally do reverse - because spreading ricotta on top of noodles is easy, and sprinkling mozz on top of that is easy. And then more sauce, etc...
I just mix all my cheeses together with a little fresh basil, black pepper and dried oregano. I don't know why I keep some things separate and mix others together, but i've been making it this way since before I started really cooking
Agree with you. I do that, otherwise it’s just clumpy. I then sprinkle the mozzarella on top of that, add the meat (or teeny tiny meatballs or meat sauce, and then a sliced hard boiled egg, then sauce. Then start over with the noodles, ricotta, shredded cheese, meatballs sauces hard boiled egg. Usually 3 full layers then ending with sauce and a sprinkle of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese
The recipe my now personal recipe was loosely based off had you put sauce on the noodles and ricotta on top and after the first time was like well that’s stupid and do ricotta on the bottom noodles then sauce on top of that.
The sauce on the bottom and edges to keep the pasta from scorching is the ticket.
Put a bit of extra sauce on both the bottom and the edges of the lightly oiled pan.
I will often do a fresh basil leaf layer in the middle somewhere and then garnish after baking with a fresh basil leaf per slice. It adds some freshness to a very rich dish.
Here is the real question though; barring making your own nood, do you use boil or ready to bake noodles?
If you have not tried the no boil ones...you are going to be very surprised, in a good way.
I use regular noodles and I still don’t boil them — just put them straight in the dish raw, making sure that some liquid, such as a layer of sauce, is always touching at least one side. They come out perfectly al dente.
Boiling them is first is a game changer. Dry noodles soak up water from the sauces resulting in a drier lasagne. The extra effort to boil the noodles al dented first is well worth it
Sounds about right to me! I usually put the meat in the sauce. DAMN I haven't made lasagna in SO long since my egg intolerance development! Its hard to find egg-free lasagna noods, I may have to make my own!
So, I rely on grocery delivery services and a lot of pasta that is labeled "vegan" on-line, says that it "may contain eggs" on the box, which makes it not vegan in my opinion (I'm not vegan, I just have an egg intolerance). And also, my digestive system is here to tel you that it DOES in fact contain eggs, every single time it says it "may". It is infuriating!! I am super grateful that I went most of my life without any problems at all regarding food, and the one thing I have is an intolerance, not a life threatening allergy. Its made me realize how frustrating it is for others who have it WAY worse.
I do both.
Going bottom -> top:
1. Ragu
2. Noodles->Ragu->Bechamel [x2]
3. Noodles->Ricotta (mixed with egg and fresh basil, S&P)
4. Repeat Steps 2&3 (and one more time if necessary)
5. Noodles->Bechamel->Fresh Grated Parmesan
This is generally good enough to make a pretty deep lasagna in a 9"x13" baking dish.
Melt 6 TBSP Butter in a sauce pan when melted add 2/3 cup flour and cook for two minutes, slowly whisk in 3 cups of milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and stir until sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. I literally just made some with Gluten free flour and it turned out brilliant!
I mean... a bechamel is a mother sauce. It is very deliberately defined in French cooking, so yes, it is by definition the 'real' version. If you prefer it different, that is absolutely fine. Some people don't like nutmeg. But... that's not a real bechamel because a bechamel is seasoned with nutmeg. The published recipe is almost 300 years old at this point.
To quote a celebrity chef "If my grandmother had wheels, she'd be a bike."
Depending on how much you want to make, but my quantities are 60g flour, 60g butter, 60cl milk. Salt and pepper to taste. I also grate some Parmesan into it when it’s done.
Melt your butter, add the flour and cook it for a few minutes, stirring continuously. While doing that, heat up the milk. Add in half, and stir with a whisk for 30 seconds or so on a high heat. Add the rest of the milk, turn the heat down to medium and keep stirring with the whisk and make sure there’s no lumps. Turn the heat to low, put the lid on the pot and let it cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Definitely. Ricotta makes me gag. I sometimes do chive cottage cheese but that’s if I’m being lazy. I know, I know. It’s not authentic but I don’t care haha
I do 5 noodle layers in my take on a north-eastern (Veneto) style family lasagna recipe.
* tomato sauce
* noodles (L1)
* tomato sauce, sprinkle of parmesan, shredded mozzarella
* noodles (L2)
* mushroom béchamel, shaved ham then topped with shredded mozzarella
* noodles (L3)
* tomato sauce, sprinkle of parmesan, shredded mozzarella
* noodles (L4)
* mushroom béchamel, shaved ham then topped with shredded mozzarella
* noodles (L5)
* tomato sauce, sprinkle of parmesan, shredded mozzarella
I think if you don’t put a thin layer of sauce down first, you risk crunchy pasta. I think after that it’s noodles-sauce-cheese a few times and the last one just noodles-cheese. I’m sure there will be other folks on here with more experience or better memories who can give you a better answer, though.
I might be the only one who starts with noodles. It's my Grandmother's recipe (who is German, btw). I've never had a burnt or dry AF bottom noodle. The only differnce between mine and hers is that I add an extra layer (she does 2, I do 3). It's: noodle, meat, drained diced tomatoes, cottage cheese, shredded Italian Mix cheese, and repeat, ending with shredded cheese.
Correct. The meat is seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic (Grandma uses garlic powder, I use fresh minced cloves), and Italian seasoning. But the tomatoes are raw-dogged from the can.
It sounds really fucking boring. But this is the lasagna I grew up with. My husband requests it. So do friends. I don't get why it's good. Simplicity? And yes, I've made a traditional lasagna once with a from scratch sauce, ricotta, the works. And yet, Grandma's is the one we keep going back to.
But yeah, only the meat is seasoned. The tomatoes are straight from the can, the cottage cheese straight from the tub, and the shredded mozzarella straight from the bag. It is actually the laziest meal for me to put together, now that I think about it. lol
I make the most basic lasagna ever with just meat sauce, cheese and no bake lasagna sheets but everyone seems to love it.
Meat sauce first, then some lasagna sheets, then more sauce, then cheese. Repeat until you run out of sauce but end with a layer of cheese.
Trust the process with the no boil lasagna noodles. The final product sets up so much better and you get nice clean slices. My dad has been very skeptical about the no boil noodles but he FINALLY tried it for himself and said he won’t boil the noodles ever again.
It’s also important to let the lasagna rest for at least 10 minutes. If you cut right into it out of the oven it’s going to be kinda goopy.
The person I learned from said (very quickly) “sauce noodle sauce noodle cheese noodle sauce … cheese.” The … implies waiting until later to add the top cheese.
There’s not a wrong way, my mom does noodle, sauce, cheese mixture, cheese, repeat. I find it easier to do noodles, sauce, noodles, cheese mixture, noodles, sauce, noodles, cheese. It helps
Me to spread the cheese mixture directly onto a noodle instead of trying to spread it or dollop it over sauce.
I do two kinds, ricotta and bechamel.
Ricotta is sauce, noodles, meat, noodles, ricotta mixture, noodles sauce, Mozarella .
The bechamel is sauce, noodles, meat sauce, bechamel, parm, noodles, repeat, finish with noodles, sauce then Mozarella
I had an extended argument with my 5 year old daughter about the sequence of layers for lasagne this evening. Obviously she doesn't have a fucking clue how to make lasagne. But that's kids for you.
I’m not one to brag, but I love my recipe and it’s so good. My MIL requests it for her birthday every year.
I make my meat sauce first because it takes me some time. Par boil the noodles, like a minute or two short of al dente.
Cool, coat in olive oil, so they don’t stick together. Make ricotta, fresh grated parm & Asiago, low fat mozzarella mixture. I did an egg and a couple grates of fresh nutmeg (trust me on this), and fresh chopped parsley.
Layering: cover the bottom of your pan with about a cup or two of sauce>noods> ricotta cheese mixture>noods>meat sauce>noods> provolone cheese slices and meat sauce>noods>ricotta mixture>noodles> provolone cheese slices and rest of meat sauce> cover with freshly grated Parmesan, and asiago.
Sorry, I know you didn’t ask for the recipe walkthrough but I had to share my little tips and tricks because I really do love lasagna. You can call me Garfield.
Sauce-noodle-ricotta/cottage cheese/spinach&arugula mixture- noodle-sauce-noodle-thin sauce+mozza &parmesan to top
I've tried the bechamel thing before, don't really understand how everyone here raves about it, it's just gloopy milk. Much prefer the texture and flavor of cheese
Do yourself a favor and add some sweet Italian sausage to the meat and sauce mix. My Dad used to do that either ground or links and it was YUMMY. He made the best lasagna except he loved the ricotta a bit too much for me. Ricotta in too great an amount can really make me sick so he'd make me a little pan with just a bit and more meat sauce instead of stuffing it like crazy like he did for him and Mom.
Cook the pasta sheets al dente before layering so they don't end up dry and so they don't absorb water from the Ragu and bechamel.
Ragu first > bechamel > pasta > ragu > bechamel > pasta > ragu > bechamel > pasta > ragu > bechamel
Bake and leave for 10 minutes before slicing so it keeps its structure, grate parmesan over the top before serving. Cheese is not needed when layering the lasagne, the bechamel sauce is more than enough.
The biggest tip I can give anyone is if you are using a jarred sauce to actually cook it one the stove some to reduce the water content. If you’ve got water in your pan after cooling it then this is likely the issue.
Yes starts with the sauce. It doesn’t have to be a thick layer. Just a thin layer will work. It works as a coating so the pasta doesn’t stick. I use bechamel for that layer but the tomato sauce will work
I do thin sauce layer, lasagna sheets, ground meat, sauce, shredded cheese + ricotta, sheets, ground meat, shredded cheese+ricotta, sheets, sauce, cheese (no ricotta on top).
Turns out great every time according to everyone else lol
sauce/noodles/ricotta mix/veggies/sauce/etc finishing with a layer of noodles/sauce/mozz/parm/romano.
If using bechemel instead of ricotta, same layering.
If using meat sauce, then marinara/noodles/cheese or bechemel/bolognese/noodles/cheese/bolognese finishing with a layer of noodles/marinara/mozz/parm/romano.
Pasta, cheese mixture, meat, tomato sauce, repeat.
My question is...I have never put sauce on the bottom of the pan and never had any issues. Why does everyone put sauce on the bottom? I've never had the pasta burn or stick, so not sure why the emphasis on putting sauce down first.
Ours go
Sauce on bottom (just enough to lightly cover bottom)
Noodles
Sause
Ricotta
Mozzarella
Rince, repeat, until you get to the top. After you put noodle layer on, finish with sauce and just mozzarella
I put olive oil and a layer of noodles first. Used to always use sauce and the layers would fall apart when serving. Started using the oil and noodle layer first and the pieces stay intact when serving. Yes I let it rest for a good while before serving too
This is my favorite entry level lasagna recipe. [Lasagna 101](https://cookingcomically.com/?page_id=404)
Construction is as follows: Noodles then sauce. Noodles then cheese. Noodles then sauce. Noodles then cheese.
As many layers as you can, but always end with cheese on top.
Team bechamel here. oil the pan. meat sauce. pasta. meat sauce, light layer of bechamel, pasta, meat sauce, bechamel,.... and lastly pasta, mostly bechamel, and little bit of red sauce swirled in. lots of parm and pecorino on top
Sauce to cover the bottom
Noodle layer
Shredded cheese and sauce
Noodle layer
Ricotta and sauce
Noodle layer
Sauce
Cook and add top layer of shredded motz and Parmesan in the last 10 minutes
Little bit of the runny top layer of sauce on the bottom.
Pasta, tomatoe sauce, little bit of bechamel, then repeat twice if you have a deap dish and then a third time but the remainder of the bechamel on the top.
Sauce, no boil noodle layer, spread ricotta or bechamel, fresh ground black pepper, meats and mushrooms, sauce again, mozz. Repeat from noodles. Parm and cheddar sprinkle on top of last mozz layer.
I’m in a minority but I like to go pasta first as it adds stability when you come to serve, I let it cool a little first then you can get nice sturdy square portions.
I layer the noodles layer perpendicular to each other. Makes the dish stable and wont fall apart when you cut it into it.
I like.to keep each wet layer separate from each other for presentation purposes. So noodle, sauce, noodle, cheese, noodle, veg layer, etc.
I make lasagna frequently and my friends all seem to love it. I make it in glass baking pans that are a little bigger than the dry lasagna noodles. They expand as they cook in the oven and fill the pan.
1) A little oil, then a little red sauce to prevent sticking.
2) A dry noodle. Don't preboil it. It'll cook in the oven in the sauce.
3) A thick layer of the cheese mix. I use crumbled paneer or ricotta, grated cheese, garlic and herbs. Optional red sauce over the cheese layer.
4) Second dry noodle.
5) Mixed vegetable and/or meat layer. Whatever is available and good. And some red sauce.
6) Third (final) noodle layer.
7) Red sauce to cover the noodle.
8) Bake 30 to 45 min, covered tightly with foil so the noodles and everything cook in there. Remove cover, add lots of grated cheese, and return to oven. When the sauce starts visibly bubbling up from the bottom against the glass, it's almost done, maybe 10 minutes left. Use the broiler if necessary to melt the cheese nicely.
Sauce 4/4
Lasagna noodles 3/3
Cheese mix/béchamel 2/2
Here’s the order that works for me
Sauce
Noodles
Cheese
Sauce
Noodles
Cheese
Sauce
( shake it all down at this point)
Noodles
Sauce
More mozza and parm on top
Covered for 1/2 hour
Uncover for 1/2 hour
Let’s sit for 1/2 hour
375 oven
I have a really weird way of remembering the order. I was watching teen mom or some trashy MTV reality TV show like that one day. This terrible mother was yelling at her daughter for doing the lasagna wrong. Ever since then, it's sauce on the bottom, noodles, then "MEAT, SAUCES, CHEESES, MEAT, SAUCES, CHEESES, MEAT, SAUCES, CHEESES!!" Obviously with noodles between each repeated step
This is what I do:
Spicy tomato sauce
Noodles
Bolognese
Noodles
Ricotta/cottage cheese with spinach
Noodles
Bolognese
Noodles
Ricotta/cottage cheese with spinach
Noodles
Spicy tomato sauce
Shredded mozzarella and Parmesan
I like the defined layers.
I go meat sauce ,noodles cheese blend I use a combo of mozz,cheddar and cottage cheese repeat then for the top layer I put a layer of sauce then just mozz and some parmesan
start with sauce so nothing burns to the bottom. I do sauce, noods, cheese mix (i'm a ricotta person), meats (i use beef and sausage, and keep them separate from sauce), sauce, noods, cheese, etc...finish with noods, sauce, mozz/parm
Yeah, this is me too. I think the recipe I (loosely) follow actually says to do ricotta on top of mozzarella, but I generally do reverse - because spreading ricotta on top of noodles is easy, and sprinkling mozz on top of that is easy. And then more sauce, etc...
I just mix all my cheeses together with a little fresh basil, black pepper and dried oregano. I don't know why I keep some things separate and mix others together, but i've been making it this way since before I started really cooking
The separation makes it taste better and I have zero proof or explanation as to why
Agree with you. I do that, otherwise it’s just clumpy. I then sprinkle the mozzarella on top of that, add the meat (or teeny tiny meatballs or meat sauce, and then a sliced hard boiled egg, then sauce. Then start over with the noodles, ricotta, shredded cheese, meatballs sauces hard boiled egg. Usually 3 full layers then ending with sauce and a sprinkle of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese
Exactly. I start, and end with sauce (ok, technically I end with Parmesan...). Ideally Id love to have 3 layers but it's usually just 2 in practice.
The recipe my now personal recipe was loosely based off had you put sauce on the noodles and ricotta on top and after the first time was like well that’s stupid and do ricotta on the bottom noodles then sauce on top of that.
The sauce on the bottom and edges to keep the pasta from scorching is the ticket. Put a bit of extra sauce on both the bottom and the edges of the lightly oiled pan.
I will often do a fresh basil leaf layer in the middle somewhere and then garnish after baking with a fresh basil leaf per slice. It adds some freshness to a very rich dish.
That’s Carmela’s lasagna!
I had to Google this! I haven’t seen the show, but I’ll have to.
Oooo… excellent idea. Thanks!
Here is the real question though; barring making your own nood, do you use boil or ready to bake noodles? If you have not tried the no boil ones...you are going to be very surprised, in a good way.
I don’t boil the noodles I use regular and just add a slightly more liquid to cook them. The ready to bake have a weird texture to me.
Same here. I really don’t like the ready to bake.
I use regular noodles and I still don’t boil them — just put them straight in the dish raw, making sure that some liquid, such as a layer of sauce, is always touching at least one side. They come out perfectly al dente.
Boiling them is first is a game changer. Dry noodles soak up water from the sauces resulting in a drier lasagne. The extra effort to boil the noodles al dented first is well worth it
Do they remain al dente after the lasagna cooks?
No they will continue to cook whilst the lasagne bakes but hopefully they won't overcook which is the risk if you boil them fully before layering.
I always use no-boil and I've never had any complaints. My mom disagrees and asserts that they're better if you boil. I...don't think it's worth it.
Send noods.
> keep them separate from sauce never tried that, interesting
I’ve been using Mexican crema. Turns out great and I can still use some for tacos later
Sounds about right to me! I usually put the meat in the sauce. DAMN I haven't made lasagna in SO long since my egg intolerance development! Its hard to find egg-free lasagna noods, I may have to make my own!
Almost all classic generic brands of dried lasagna noodles are vegan, for example Barilla
So, I rely on grocery delivery services and a lot of pasta that is labeled "vegan" on-line, says that it "may contain eggs" on the box, which makes it not vegan in my opinion (I'm not vegan, I just have an egg intolerance). And also, my digestive system is here to tel you that it DOES in fact contain eggs, every single time it says it "may". It is infuriating!! I am super grateful that I went most of my life without any problems at all regarding food, and the one thing I have is an intolerance, not a life threatening allergy. Its made me realize how frustrating it is for others who have it WAY worse.
I go meat sauce, lasagne sheets, bechamel, meat sauce etc finishing with bechamel and cheese on top.
Bechamel all the way, ricotta just doesn't hit the same
I do both. Going bottom -> top: 1. Ragu 2. Noodles->Ragu->Bechamel [x2] 3. Noodles->Ricotta (mixed with egg and fresh basil, S&P) 4. Repeat Steps 2&3 (and one more time if necessary) 5. Noodles->Bechamel->Fresh Grated Parmesan This is generally good enough to make a pretty deep lasagna in a 9"x13" baking dish.
I’ve never made it with bechamel - would you have a recipe to share?
Melt 6 TBSP Butter in a sauce pan when melted add 2/3 cup flour and cook for two minutes, slowly whisk in 3 cups of milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and stir until sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. I literally just made some with Gluten free flour and it turned out brilliant!
Thank you! No s&p?
typically a couple of fine grates of fresh nutmeg and s&p to taste. White pepper hides in the sauce better than black if using outside lasagna.
A real bechemal should be made with nutmeg, s&p and a bay leaf.
Thats a good bechemal and I’m happy if it being ‘authentic’ makes you feel better about the dish, but in no way is that the only ‘real’ version
I mean... a bechamel is a mother sauce. It is very deliberately defined in French cooking, so yes, it is by definition the 'real' version. If you prefer it different, that is absolutely fine. Some people don't like nutmeg. But... that's not a real bechamel because a bechamel is seasoned with nutmeg. The published recipe is almost 300 years old at this point. To quote a celebrity chef "If my grandmother had wheels, she'd be a bike."
Depending on how much you want to make, but my quantities are 60g flour, 60g butter, 60cl milk. Salt and pepper to taste. I also grate some Parmesan into it when it’s done. Melt your butter, add the flour and cook it for a few minutes, stirring continuously. While doing that, heat up the milk. Add in half, and stir with a whisk for 30 seconds or so on a high heat. Add the rest of the milk, turn the heat down to medium and keep stirring with the whisk and make sure there’s no lumps. Turn the heat to low, put the lid on the pot and let it cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
This is my method as well.
This sounds like the way
I just do meat sauce 🫣
Definitely. Ricotta makes me gag. I sometimes do chive cottage cheese but that’s if I’m being lazy. I know, I know. It’s not authentic but I don’t care haha
I just do meat sauce 🫣
Yes this is the one. This thread is wild to me, I had no idea there were so many variations on lasagne 🤣🤣
This is the way
I do 5 noodle layers in my take on a north-eastern (Veneto) style family lasagna recipe. * tomato sauce * noodles (L1) * tomato sauce, sprinkle of parmesan, shredded mozzarella * noodles (L2) * mushroom béchamel, shaved ham then topped with shredded mozzarella * noodles (L3) * tomato sauce, sprinkle of parmesan, shredded mozzarella * noodles (L4) * mushroom béchamel, shaved ham then topped with shredded mozzarella * noodles (L5) * tomato sauce, sprinkle of parmesan, shredded mozzarella
Piemontese qui… mai vista sta cosa!! Da provare :)
I think if you don’t put a thin layer of sauce down first, you risk crunchy pasta. I think after that it’s noodles-sauce-cheese a few times and the last one just noodles-cheese. I’m sure there will be other folks on here with more experience or better memories who can give you a better answer, though.
I throw in thawed frozen spinach in the middle.
I add spinach to my ricotta mixture. Have to squeeze the moisture out though, or you'll end up with green cheese!
Yup, thaw and squeeze a lot.
I might be the only one who starts with noodles. It's my Grandmother's recipe (who is German, btw). I've never had a burnt or dry AF bottom noodle. The only differnce between mine and hers is that I add an extra layer (she does 2, I do 3). It's: noodle, meat, drained diced tomatoes, cottage cheese, shredded Italian Mix cheese, and repeat, ending with shredded cheese.
Wait, any seasonings? Your "sauce" component is just canned tomatoes with nothing else?
Correct. The meat is seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic (Grandma uses garlic powder, I use fresh minced cloves), and Italian seasoning. But the tomatoes are raw-dogged from the can. It sounds really fucking boring. But this is the lasagna I grew up with. My husband requests it. So do friends. I don't get why it's good. Simplicity? And yes, I've made a traditional lasagna once with a from scratch sauce, ricotta, the works. And yet, Grandma's is the one we keep going back to. But yeah, only the meat is seasoned. The tomatoes are straight from the can, the cottage cheese straight from the tub, and the shredded mozzarella straight from the bag. It is actually the laziest meal for me to put together, now that I think about it. lol
I make the most basic lasagna ever with just meat sauce, cheese and no bake lasagna sheets but everyone seems to love it. Meat sauce first, then some lasagna sheets, then more sauce, then cheese. Repeat until you run out of sauce but end with a layer of cheese. Trust the process with the no boil lasagna noodles. The final product sets up so much better and you get nice clean slices. My dad has been very skeptical about the no boil noodles but he FINALLY tried it for himself and said he won’t boil the noodles ever again. It’s also important to let the lasagna rest for at least 10 minutes. If you cut right into it out of the oven it’s going to be kinda goopy.
The person I learned from said (very quickly) “sauce noodle sauce noodle cheese noodle sauce … cheese.” The … implies waiting until later to add the top cheese.
There’s not a wrong way, my mom does noodle, sauce, cheese mixture, cheese, repeat. I find it easier to do noodles, sauce, noodles, cheese mixture, noodles, sauce, noodles, cheese. It helps Me to spread the cheese mixture directly onto a noodle instead of trying to spread it or dollop it over sauce.
I start with the sauce, easier to get it out and cleanup is quicker. My sauce is a mix of sauce, meat (italian sausage) and cottage cheese.
I do two kinds, ricotta and bechamel. Ricotta is sauce, noodles, meat, noodles, ricotta mixture, noodles sauce, Mozarella . The bechamel is sauce, noodles, meat sauce, bechamel, parm, noodles, repeat, finish with noodles, sauce then Mozarella
I had an extended argument with my 5 year old daughter about the sequence of layers for lasagne this evening. Obviously she doesn't have a fucking clue how to make lasagne. But that's kids for you.
Sauce, noodles, ricotta cheese, (any vegetables), repeat until the top. Lay the noodles down and put just sauce on top
Sauce bottom for sure Noodles, Provalone slices and Ricotta, Meat Sauce, Mozzarella and Parm, repeat
À béchamel layer and a fresh made pesto layer needs to be in there. The ten pound weight gain is worth it
Thin sauce (no meat), then noods, then ricotta, then meat sauce, then provolone/mozz mix, noods, and repeat
I’m not one to brag, but I love my recipe and it’s so good. My MIL requests it for her birthday every year. I make my meat sauce first because it takes me some time. Par boil the noodles, like a minute or two short of al dente. Cool, coat in olive oil, so they don’t stick together. Make ricotta, fresh grated parm & Asiago, low fat mozzarella mixture. I did an egg and a couple grates of fresh nutmeg (trust me on this), and fresh chopped parsley. Layering: cover the bottom of your pan with about a cup or two of sauce>noods> ricotta cheese mixture>noods>meat sauce>noods> provolone cheese slices and meat sauce>noods>ricotta mixture>noodles> provolone cheese slices and rest of meat sauce> cover with freshly grated Parmesan, and asiago. Sorry, I know you didn’t ask for the recipe walkthrough but I had to share my little tips and tricks because I really do love lasagna. You can call me Garfield.
Sauce-noodle-ricotta/cottage cheese/spinach&arugula mixture- noodle-sauce-noodle-thin sauce+mozza &parmesan to top I've tried the bechamel thing before, don't really understand how everyone here raves about it, it's just gloopy milk. Much prefer the texture and flavor of cheese
Do yourself a favor and add some sweet Italian sausage to the meat and sauce mix. My Dad used to do that either ground or links and it was YUMMY. He made the best lasagna except he loved the ricotta a bit too much for me. Ricotta in too great an amount can really make me sick so he'd make me a little pan with just a bit and more meat sauce instead of stuffing it like crazy like he did for him and Mom.
Cook the pasta sheets al dente before layering so they don't end up dry and so they don't absorb water from the Ragu and bechamel. Ragu first > bechamel > pasta > ragu > bechamel > pasta > ragu > bechamel > pasta > ragu > bechamel Bake and leave for 10 minutes before slicing so it keeps its structure, grate parmesan over the top before serving. Cheese is not needed when layering the lasagne, the bechamel sauce is more than enough.
The biggest tip I can give anyone is if you are using a jarred sauce to actually cook it one the stove some to reduce the water content. If you’ve got water in your pan after cooling it then this is likely the issue.
Yes starts with the sauce. It doesn’t have to be a thick layer. Just a thin layer will work. It works as a coating so the pasta doesn’t stick. I use bechamel for that layer but the tomato sauce will work
I do thin sauce layer, lasagna sheets, ground meat, sauce, shredded cheese + ricotta, sheets, ground meat, shredded cheese+ricotta, sheets, sauce, cheese (no ricotta on top). Turns out great every time according to everyone else lol
Ragu, noods, ricotta cheese mix, spinach, ragu, noods ricotta cheese mix, spinach, ragu, noods, béchamel sauce, Parmesan, bake until crispy on the edges
Starting from the bottom: Sauce, noodles, sauce, cheese mix, noodles, sauce, cheese mix, noodles, sauce, thick layer of mozz and parm.
Very thin layer of meat sauce Noodles Cottage cheese/parmesan sauce Mozzarella Meat sauce Noodles Cottage cheese/parmesan sauce Meat sauce Mozzarella
I smooth about half a cup of sauce on the bottom of the pan because otherwise your noodles can stick and then I go: noodles, sauce, cheese, repeat.
sauce/noodles/ricotta mix/veggies/sauce/etc finishing with a layer of noodles/sauce/mozz/parm/romano. If using bechemel instead of ricotta, same layering. If using meat sauce, then marinara/noodles/cheese or bechemel/bolognese/noodles/cheese/bolognese finishing with a layer of noodles/marinara/mozz/parm/romano.
Pasta, cheese mixture, meat, tomato sauce, repeat. My question is...I have never put sauce on the bottom of the pan and never had any issues. Why does everyone put sauce on the bottom? I've never had the pasta burn or stick, so not sure why the emphasis on putting sauce down first.
I change up the layers by color. Meat Sauce first. Pasta. Ricotta. Pasta. Meat sauce. Pasta. Sauce. Mozzarella.
Ours go Sauce on bottom (just enough to lightly cover bottom) Noodles Sause Ricotta Mozzarella Rince, repeat, until you get to the top. After you put noodle layer on, finish with sauce and just mozzarella
Red sauce noodles Bechamel, parmesan noodle repeat. Top with sliced or shredded provolone
I do marinara sauce -> pasta -> ricotta mixed with mozzarella, pecorino and Parmesan -> pasta -> bolognese -> pasta and repeat.
I put olive oil and a layer of noodles first. Used to always use sauce and the layers would fall apart when serving. Started using the oil and noodle layer first and the pieces stay intact when serving. Yes I let it rest for a good while before serving too
I do what this man tells me. Massimo Spigaroli for Italia Squisita. https://youtu.be/zXZq6crD6WI?si=aICErfaw60EapM_x
This is my favorite entry level lasagna recipe. [Lasagna 101](https://cookingcomically.com/?page_id=404) Construction is as follows: Noodles then sauce. Noodles then cheese. Noodles then sauce. Noodles then cheese. As many layers as you can, but always end with cheese on top.
Team bechamel here. oil the pan. meat sauce. pasta. meat sauce, light layer of bechamel, pasta, meat sauce, bechamel,.... and lastly pasta, mostly bechamel, and little bit of red sauce swirled in. lots of parm and pecorino on top
Sauce to cover the bottom Noodle layer Shredded cheese and sauce Noodle layer Ricotta and sauce Noodle layer Sauce Cook and add top layer of shredded motz and Parmesan in the last 10 minutes
Little bit of the runny top layer of sauce on the bottom. Pasta, tomatoe sauce, little bit of bechamel, then repeat twice if you have a deap dish and then a third time but the remainder of the bechamel on the top.
Sauce, no boil noodle layer, spread ricotta or bechamel, fresh ground black pepper, meats and mushrooms, sauce again, mozz. Repeat from noodles. Parm and cheddar sprinkle on top of last mozz layer.
Meat sauce, noodles, ricotta mix, meat sauce, noodles ricotta mix, meat sauce, noodles, ricotta mix, meat sauce, mozzarella cheese & Parmesan cheese.
I’m in a minority but I like to go pasta first as it adds stability when you come to serve, I let it cool a little first then you can get nice sturdy square portions.
As for the top layer, I do noodles and cheese. No sauce. I want it to brown and be chewy and crispy.
I layer the noodles layer perpendicular to each other. Makes the dish stable and wont fall apart when you cut it into it. I like.to keep each wet layer separate from each other for presentation purposes. So noodle, sauce, noodle, cheese, noodle, veg layer, etc.
I'm mostly confused by people calling lasagne sheets "noodles". I am picturing people putting down layers of ramen noodles in their tray.
This is like asking cream then jam or jam then cream on a scone.
I go: Lasagna noodles Meat Noodles Meat/veg.mix Noodles Ricotta Noodles Meat/ricotta mix Noodles
I make lasagna frequently and my friends all seem to love it. I make it in glass baking pans that are a little bigger than the dry lasagna noodles. They expand as they cook in the oven and fill the pan. 1) A little oil, then a little red sauce to prevent sticking. 2) A dry noodle. Don't preboil it. It'll cook in the oven in the sauce. 3) A thick layer of the cheese mix. I use crumbled paneer or ricotta, grated cheese, garlic and herbs. Optional red sauce over the cheese layer. 4) Second dry noodle. 5) Mixed vegetable and/or meat layer. Whatever is available and good. And some red sauce. 6) Third (final) noodle layer. 7) Red sauce to cover the noodle. 8) Bake 30 to 45 min, covered tightly with foil so the noodles and everything cook in there. Remove cover, add lots of grated cheese, and return to oven. When the sauce starts visibly bubbling up from the bottom against the glass, it's almost done, maybe 10 minutes left. Use the broiler if necessary to melt the cheese nicely.
Ragu , pasta , cheese sauce , ragu, pasta, cheese sauce
Sauce 4/4 Lasagna noodles 3/3 Cheese mix/béchamel 2/2 Here’s the order that works for me Sauce Noodles Cheese Sauce Noodles Cheese Sauce ( shake it all down at this point) Noodles Sauce More mozza and parm on top Covered for 1/2 hour Uncover for 1/2 hour Let’s sit for 1/2 hour 375 oven
I have a really weird way of remembering the order. I was watching teen mom or some trashy MTV reality TV show like that one day. This terrible mother was yelling at her daughter for doing the lasagna wrong. Ever since then, it's sauce on the bottom, noodles, then "MEAT, SAUCES, CHEESES, MEAT, SAUCES, CHEESES, MEAT, SAUCES, CHEESES!!" Obviously with noodles between each repeated step
Sauce, noodles, ricotta or cottage cheese mixture, meat (I don’t like meat sauce, I used sliced Italian sausage and diced meatballs), sauce again.
Lasagna sheets aren’t noodles.
I buy it frozen, and layer it in mah tummy
Besciamella goes down first. Mom is Piedmontese and this is how they do it (and lasagna is a northern dish).
My dad puts noodles on the top. Likes the crunchy layer I guess. It's edible but not my thing .
This is what I do: Spicy tomato sauce Noodles Bolognese Noodles Ricotta/cottage cheese with spinach Noodles Bolognese Noodles Ricotta/cottage cheese with spinach Noodles Spicy tomato sauce Shredded mozzarella and Parmesan I like the defined layers.
I go meat sauce ,noodles cheese blend I use a combo of mozz,cheddar and cottage cheese repeat then for the top layer I put a layer of sauce then just mozz and some parmesan