I’m going to make lasagne for the first time ever - any tips or tricks?

[YoongiMarryMe]

I do cook, honest guv, but no-one but me has had any interest in lasagne and I can’t be bothered making it for just me! But youngest DS has asked to try it so I now need to make an Epic Lasagne so he likes it and I have an excuse to make it fairly often from now on.

Help me Obi-Wan Mumsnet, you’re my only hope.

Seconded. Brits always put too much sauce so the lasagne ends up a sloppy mess. Less sauce, more layers of pasta.

Don’t use a jar- may as well just buy a ready meal if you’re doing that. But do make extra bolognese and freeze it for next time.

Always remember to layer it - meat lasange cheese lasagne meat lasagne cheese.

Foil wrapped tightly across the top whilst it bakes for the first 35-40 mins. Then remove and continue to bake so that the top gets a bit browned.

For the love of god don't use jars - and i agree it should be sturdy. Nothing sadder than a sloppy Lasagne.

Delia's is great.

Fresh lasagna sheets, homemade bolognaise sauce , thick cheese béchamel sauce .Interesting to see that pp have recommended to leave lasagna to settle so it slices better! Shall try and remember that next time I make it .

I am totally stealing this tip of leaving it before serving - mine is always too sloppy!

That white sauce from a jar is just minging.
It is a proper faff, but so worth it when done well.

Delia's recipe all the way. With chicken livers (at the risk of causing nuclear fallout) 🔥🔥🔥

I add in an extra layer of broccoli that's been blended with cream cheese (and seasoned with a bit of salt and garlic). Adds more calories but it adds a nice extra bit of richness.

And serve with either a) green peas or b) green salad. Nothing else.

At least 4 hours for a good ragu!

Green salad and a garlic bread to mop up the sauce :)

I only ever make lasagne when I'm making a big batch ( I include finely chopped onions, garlic, mushrooms, carrots, peppers, courgette, 1kg mince, 3 tins tomatoes, tomato puree, stock cubes, bay leaves, mixed herbs, lots of red wine, worcester sauce ) and it's usually simmering for an hour.

Then white sauce from my Usbourne My First Cookbook recipe (40g butter, 40g flour, 425ml milk and salt) and mozzarella. The rest of the ragu I'll freeze.

There is no place for peas on a plate of lasagne imo. Salad I agree with though.

As a kid it was always lasagne, salad and garlic bread. I don't ever remember having garlic bread with anything else except lasagna.

How to cook perfect lasagne | Italian food and drink | The Guardian

How to cook the perfect vegetable lasagne | Vegetarian food and drink | The Guardian

Bechamel sause is super easy to make and it's completely different from a store bought one. I really recommend making it at home I'm Italian and this is what I do:

• Melt 100g of unsalted butter in a saucepan
• Add 100g of flour (a bit at the time) mixing very well
• Then I add 1L of whole milk - a bit at the time (v important) and keep whisking away until it starts to boil and then thicken
• a pinch of salt and grated nutmeg

For layering, I do a bit of meat (ragu), then pasta, ragu, a bit of cheese (a bit of parmesan and mozzarella) and some dollops of bechamel for 3 layers, then covering everything with bechamel and a bit of nutmeg on top.

Ragu needs to be a little bit liquid (as opposed to ragu for eating with a bowl of pasta) as it needs to cook the pasta (if you are using the dried sheets).

Both those photos look awful, tbh.

Make it all up then pop in fridge overnight. Spend the evening clearing everything up. It gives the lasagne sheets time to absorb the sauce.

I agree but I do like the series as a whole - it's an interesting read as some of the things she says are also mentioned on here. I'm a heathen, I use jars and mine is always bloody lovely - and wet - and cheesy. If I can't be fucked I buy the M+S one. These below look interesting, mind. Yotam Ottolenghi’s lasagne recipes | Pasta | The Guardian

I make the bolognese the day before. Makes a huge difference to the flavour.

Agree with those saying to leave the lasagne to rest too.

Please do not. It is gross. Really, even a tub of cheese sauce is better than any dolmio product. But it is easy to make bechemel.

That's interesting @EleMar I do as you say but my lasagne always seems a bit sloppy. I guess I don't manage to get enough pasta in it to soak up the liquid. I never manage to do as many layers as I plan to.

I haven't made bechamel for years. I mix up equal volumes of double cream and crème fraiche, with a lot of parmesan stirred in. It's much quicker with this!

Just popping on to recommend the M&S Made for One lasagne- my kids love it.

I am a decent cook but have never and will never make lasagne when there are plenty of good ready made ones available.