What is the correct order to layer lasagne in?

[breatheslowly]

Please don't tell me there isn't a correct way - I need a definitive answer. I do meat, pasta, white sauce x 3 plus some cheese on the top. But I find putting the meat sauce onto the white sauce strangely disturbing (as it is lumpy so doesn't pour on).

scared that there might be some ready made ragu on this thread with weird shit in

I put shredded roast pork in my bolognaise recently and it was lovely, no idea if it was particularly authentic or not but lovely all the same!

I love the way this tread started with people saying 'mince', 'sauce' etc.

Now it's all 'ragu' and 'bechamel' with proper accents an all.

FWIW my aunt makes the worst lasagne ever. She does (as far as I can tell) 2 layers of lasagne on the very bottom of the dish, meat sauce (from a jar with 'weird shit' in, mitchie, 2 more layers of lasagne, white sauce (also from a jar), cheese. The pasta never quite cooks. Grim grim grim.

(1) Go to Waitrose
(2) Buy lasagne
(3) Put in oven

I will now and forever more dab a bit of sauce on the bottom to stop it from sticking!

I want/used to do;
Pasta
Meat
Pasta
Cheese sauce
Pasta
Meat
Pasta
Cheese sauce
Sprinkle of cheese on top

DP says that's too much pasta.

So now I do;
Pasta
Meat
Cheese sauce
Pasta
Meat
Cheese sauce
Pasta
Meat
Cheese sauce
Sprinkle of cheese on top

And DP, people used to talk about how lovely my lasagne was! They used to ask for seconds!!!

Only on mumsnet could you have 57 posts on How to Layer Lasagne.

Love it

And how deep are your lasagne dishes to get that many layers? I can only usually get 2 layers before I get to the top

50/50 Mix of beef and pork mince for the 'ragu' and I use passata 'cos I have one tomato hater! plus its just better IMO.

Ragu
pasta
white sauce
ragu
pasta
white sauce
ragu
pasta
white sauce
cheese

You lot making it with no white sauce are just wrong
and those that 'run out' make sure you dont make more!

Really fancy Lasagne now.

Ragu/ pasta / ragu / pasta / white sauce and cheese

I use Far fewer layers than the rest of yees. I find extra layers of pasta and sauce a bit ick

Ragu
Pasta
Ragu
Pasta
Bechemel
Grated parmesan

My DSs think my lasagne is nicer than Waitrose's...
RAGU (minced beef, homemade veg sauce, tinned tomato)
PASTA (Tesco egg lasagne sheets, not pre-soaked)
WHITE SAUCE (made with olive oil, flour and milk and nutmeg)
RAGU
PASTA
WHITE SAUCE
GRATED CHEDDAR

My ragu layers are both not very deep but cover completely and go right to the edge of the dish. I make a vat of white sauce to ensure there's enough (any leftover gets frozen for when I do fish pies), and it's very thick. I also usually cook the lasagne the day before I want to eat it, let it cool in fridge then reheat and crisp up the cheese for 20 mins before serving. That way, it firms up overnight and is really easy to cut and serve. I often freeze it in 2-portion Tupperware for the kids to microwave for their tea.

Mmmmmm.... Definately making lasagne this week.

So it seems there are 3 basic variations:

1)Repeat 3 [Meat, pasta, sauce] Cheese
2)Repeat 3 [Meat, pasta] sauce, cheese
3)Repeat 2 [Meat,pasta, sauce, pasta] sauce, cheese

I think 1 is most orthodox and to my taste the best balance, but I guess it depends on which components you want more of.

The only rules seem to be don't put pasta on the bottom and finish up with sauce and cheese.

I would make my own pasta more often, I can (well anyone can, it's easy) but there is hardly ever enough clean bits of kitchen to do it in. Or eggs these days. Oh and in my defence when I type béchamel iPad puts the accent in to make me look even more like a freak.

My layers are not deep, it's like spreading a spoonful of something on toast, just enough to cover the sheet, otherwise it's all collapsey.

Does nobody else kick off with béchamel? I put about a third on the bottom, a third on the top and spread the rest thinly in between.

I used to alternate cheese sauce between the layers, but then I'd never have enough left to cover the top entirely plus it's quicker just to shove it all on top.

Occasionally I make the mushroom-and-pesto one (recipe from here). Tis v good.

Disagree. Always pasta on the bottom after smearing a bit of olive oil on bottom..,

I don't want to go through the trauma of putting béchamel in first alone :( life is cruel

Meat, pasta, cheese sauce, pasta, meat, pasta, cheese sauce, grated cheese - I prefer cheese sauce over white, I put pasta inbetween the meat and the sauce as otherwise they mix together and don't stay in layers and I only do that many because that's all my lasagna tin will hold.

I used to make it with cheese sauce not bechemel.

That way was actually nicer, think il try that next time.

I only make vegetarian lasagne - it varies everytime!!

Last week:

Brocolli (blanched to reduce volume)
White sauce (sautee onions & garlic, double cream - warmed through)
Pasta (not pre-soaked)

Mushrooms (quickly pan fried to reduce volume)
Tomato sauce (punnet of cherry tomatoes chopped up, marjoram, oregano & black pepper)
White sauce
Pasta

Tomato sauce
Mozarella
Little bit of white sauce
Pasta

Grated cheese & mushrooms

It was very rich & very yummy!!

This afternoon (if I get off of my chuff) I plan on making one:

Tomato sauce (as above)
Butternut squash (pre roasted)
White cream sauce with a touch of nutmeg (only a very very slight touch though)
Pasta

Tomato sauce
Courgette (quickly pan fried to reduce volume)
White sauce
Grated cheese

Tomato sauce
Mushrooms (quickly pan fried to reduce volume)
Mozarella
Pasta

Tomato sauce
Any left over butternut squash/courgette/mushroom
White sauce
Pasta

Grated cheese

I wouldn't pan fry/roast any of it if I had a much deeper lasagne dish - I keep looking but can't find one I like.

Pasta on the bottom is wrong. And those of you who only put the bechamel on the top have missed the point of lasagne. It's all about the layers, people!

Problem is, I am a bit of a lasagne snob - fresh pasta, nutmeg and bay leaves in the bechamel, etc. Yet my mother does some weird method involving value dried pasta sheets, soggy spinach, and tinned tomatoes added as a separate layer to the ragu... basically it makes my head spin.

But hers is the yummiest lasagne ever. There is no earthly explanation for this. One of the highlights of each of my pregnancies was having the excuse to ask Mum to make enormous freezer batches of lasagne to secretly indulge in (without telling her it is better than mine ).

I am excessively fond of pasta and I do secretly prefer fresh but I have to say, well I don't have to but want to, I have never ever found a difference between dry pastas whether value basic 3p for 5kg range or something ridiculously expensive. I think if you cook it properly it is all the same. I don't just mean lasagne.

The only difference is the shapes it comes in, that's the only I can justify buying more £££y pasta is by wanting a particular shape for whatever sauce.

God this is like reading a knitting pattern. With square brackets and everything.

PLEASE can at least ONE PERSON say they put béchamel in first. Please.

I didn't invent it, must come from somewhere?