Lasagne

[TonyThreePies]

I've not made a lasagne for years. I got a reduced jar of white sauce for lasagne from the supermarket today and am planning to put it to use next weekend. I can't make white sauce so was happy to find it! I'm going to make a bolognaise type meat base, with carrots and celery. Mozzarella to go on top. Does this sound ok?

I guess my main thing is how to layer it. Pasta on the bottom or meat? Meat then sauce then pasta or meat then pasta then sauce?

It used to be one of my go to meals to make, it's just been such a long time since I've made it!

Meat, pasta, white sauce, meat , pasta, white sauce , cheese. I fancy lasagne now!

Meat, sheet, sauce, repeat. Grated cheese on top.

I love lasagne. Making it is a bit of an endeavour so I always do two and freeze one.

I put some of the 'juice' from the sauce from the bottom. Then pasta, filling, pasta, filling pasta white sauce, mozzarella.

I also sometimes do an extra layer of the top. So in another pan, just add a tiny bit of the sauce/ filling ( again, mostly the juicy parts), then pasta, then white sauce and mozzarella.
Tis the best bit ☺️

Good oh, thanks for that. It was what I thought but I'm sure I saw on a cookery programme or something that pasta should go on the base. Looking forward to eating it, homemade lasagne is the best!

Meat, pasta, bechamel. Repeat x three. Grated parmesan on top. I don't think mozzarella has any place on a lasagne.

How does it stay together if the meat is at the bottom?

Parmesan on top? Dammit, I thought it was mozzarella so bought that!

I just put whatever cheese I’ve got in the fridge on top. Mozzarella will work fine. Cheddar is good too.

I can't believe you all live like this!! Surely pasta sheet on the bottom for structural integrity, then meat and white sauce so they slightly melt together into lasagney heaven, sheet again. Sheet on top followed by extra white sauce and the best part of a packet of cheddar grated over.

I have no issue with structural integrity putting (veggie!) meat sauce on the bottom followed by white sauce followed by pasta.
Lasagne doesn’t need much structural integrity. Only enough to come out of the pan without going everywhere. I don’t like it too dry where you can slice it and it clearly keeps its shape.

A thin layer of ragu sauce is needed at the bottom so that the first layer of pasta isn't too dry.
Check out this 91 year old Italian lady making a monster sized 7 layer lasagne.
Oh, and she puts the sauce on first at around 5:05

When you get half way down the jar of white sauce, add a bit of milk/cream/yoghurt/whatever youve got. The jars are never quite big enough and I always have to scrimp on the last layer if I don't!

I always butter the bottom of the dish, then put a layer of pasta as the base layer, because I think this gives a solid base, making it easier to serve out neat portions of the cooked lasagna.

I find letting the lasagne rest for at least 5 minutes before serving makes it easier to cut a clean slice.

I do meat sauce, pasta, meat sauce, cheese sauce (no messing around with plain white sauce!), pasta, meat sauce, cheese sauce.

Pasta sheet on the bottom then layer up from there with sauce and pasta ending with pasta sheet. Cheese sauce on the top only. You cannot tell that there is none through the lasagne.

I cba with layering in the sauce anymore, so I layer ragu and lasagne sheets in that order finishing with a pasta layer and then use a couple of tubs of mascarpone, well mixed and let down a bit with some milk or single cream...thyme leaves S&P, some freshly grated nutmeg, a little grated parmesan...oh okay A LOT... pour that over the top and then i usually do put mozzarella on the top.

this gives brilliant structural integrity, the meat and the pasta hold together brilliantly and it does not escape off the fish slice when dishing up.
No one has missed the middle layers of sauce!

Plus there's one less saucepan to wash, loads less mess than trying to layer stuff nicely without mixing up the sauce ladle with the ragu ladle and far less slops on the table.

This is the best, especially it you use proper beef shin instead of mince:

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/next-level-lasagne/amp

@AndSoFinally

When you get half way down the jar of white sauce, add a bit of milk/cream/yoghurt/whatever youve got. The jars are never quite big enough and I always have to scrimp on the last layer if I don't!

Jar?! 😬😂

@ApolloandDaphne

Pasta sheet on the bottom then layer up from there with sauce and pasta ending with pasta sheet. Cheese sauce on the top only. You cannot tell that there is none through the lasagne.

Why would you do that?

Some of these responses are bonkers. 😂

Americans use ricotta instead of white sauce.
I've somehow ended up using both.

Leaving it to rest for ten minutes is vital to get it to cut properly.

Canadians use ricotta also, or even cottage cheese. I do one layer of ricotta or cottage cheese mixed with some grated parmesan and, wait for it, cooked chopped spinach. Adds some colour and nutrition.

It is how my Mom made it. I think the recipe was on the side of a box of lasagna noodles!

@TurnTowardsTheSun Why is it bonkers? You just don't need the sauce all the way through the layers. I've always made it like that since my friend who was a pub cook told me that's how she did it and her lasagne was amazing. Just because someone makes something a different way doesn't make it bonkers.

I'm with some others - no white sauce anywhere but the top. It's perfect (for us, anyway). I tend to make a ragu with lentils, but I saw an Ottolenghi recipe based on mushrooms as the ragu, which he roasted in the oven first. It looked a total faff but I suspect it would be worth it for special meal.

Pasta, meat, bechamel, pasta, meat bechamel. Cheddar on top.

And the PP was referring to a jar because the OP explained at length that she is using jarred white sauce. Not everyone was blessed by the bechamel fairies at their christening you know. Some unfortunates are not gifted in that department (or have a bit on a rush on, or only have one saucepan) and have to use the jarred stuff.....Or so I'm told.