Urgent lasagne help please!

10 replies

DahliaBloom · 04/03/2015 15:33

Making a roast veg lasagne which specifies fresh lasagne sheets; I can only get dried here (the ones that say 'no pre-cooking required"). I always used to get the normal ones and do the pre-boiling - a faff, but definitely tasted better.

Do I need to do something to compensate for the lasagne sheets I've got? More (or thinner) white sauce? Anything else?

OP posts:

PotteringAlong · 04/03/2015 15:35

Nope, it will be fine! Just bung them in!

JontyDoggle37 · 04/03/2015 15:37

Boil some water, and dip the sheets into it for a minute before you add them to the dish, just to soften them a little bit. Or just not bother. Usually it doesn't make much difference it's just someone trying to be cheffy with their recipe!

Original poster

DahliaBloom · 04/03/2015 15:37

Ok, that's easy ;-) Thanks!

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Original poster

DahliaBloom · 04/03/2015 15:38

God, definitely don't want to try and be cheffy, recipe for disaster.

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Delphine31 · 04/03/2015 15:38

The pasta will soak up liquid from the veg and white sauce so it's possible you might end up with a slightly stodgier lasagne than if you used fresh sheets.

I always use the dried no pre-cooking sheets but I do make the filling slightly more liquidy to compensate a little.

Original poster

DahliaBloom · 04/03/2015 15:39

Delphine, by adding more white sauce or thinning it down a bit?

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Marshy · 04/03/2015 15:39

I use these and just make the meat or veg sauce a bit wetter than I would with precooked pasta. I usually leave the white/cheese sauce at normal consistency. Make sure you have it in the oven for the recommended length of time -about 45 mins I think but it will say on the packet. Always turns out nice.

TheOddity · 04/03/2015 15:41

Slightly milkier bechamel should do the trick

Delphine31 · 04/03/2015 15:42

Ideally you'd want the liquid from the veg to soften up the pasta, so just don't reduce the cooking liquid too much, or throw in a tin of tomatoes.

Because of its texture the white sauce won't soak into the pasta (and you don't want it to really because that would take away from the creamy texture of the white sauce).

Delphine31 · 04/03/2015 15:43

And to echo Marshy, better to cook it slower for longer so that the pasta has time to soften up a bit.

(My mum always makes and bakes a lasagne slightly in advance and then bakes it again to warm it up - she swears this is the trick to a good lasagne!)

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