How do you make your lasagna?

[klacey1]

The “what are you making for Christmas Eve” thread inspired me to make, among other things, lasagna for my husband and I for our dress up, at-home New Year’s Eve “party”.

I consider myself a well-above average home cook and am pleased with my red sauce about 97% of the time. My lasagna, however, has always just been okay in my book.

What are your tried and true tips, tricks and recipes for a stellar homemade lasagna?

 

[NAB]

Nothing special...I do put cheese in every layer not just the top. Use cottage cheese between each layer too.

Makes it expense using all that cheese. Always make 2 pans so I have one in the freezer for easy dinner in future and all those dishes once...lol

 

[disneychrista]

Mine lasagna is pretty simple.

Mixed Ricotta, Italian cheese blend, a little garlic salt and pepper. Layer noodles and cheese mix top with marinara and baked. YUM!

 

[lynxstch]

Why would you join a Disney board and post this on a 3 year old thread??
Denise

Nothing special...I do put cheese in every layer not just the top. Use cottage cheese between each layer too.

Makes it expense using all that cheese. Always make 2 pans so I have one in the freezer for easy dinner in future and all those dishes once...lol

I do the same. I don't care for ricotta so I use cottage cheese. I also put sauce on top of the cottage and mozzarella cheese in every layer. I also put browned italian sausage and ground beef in my sauce. I don't make my sauce, I always use Prego. And there is never any lasagna left for 'leftovers', lol!

 

[#1hoosierfan]

I make my own sauce. I use ricotta cheese, not cottage. I also mix Italian sausage and ground beef. So much better than all ground beef IMO. My recipe also uses 24 ounces of mozzarella and 8 ounces ounces a f shredded Parmesan. Very cheesy!

 

[Frozen Canuck]

I used to follow a rather elaborate recipe for slow-cooking the sauce, making a béchamel, blah, blah, blah. Then one day, I came across the Red Cross Lasagna recipe (from Red Cross pasta, which is now out of business, I think). I made it once and have continued to make it every time. The family loves it and it is so much less work, plus, I double the sauce and put half in the freezer, frozen flat, in a zip-top bag. I also grate extra of the cheeses (parmesan and mozzarella) and put them in the freezer as well. The next time I want to make lasagna, I just purchase a container of cottage cheese and then assemble it without all of the fuss. Freezing just the sauce and cheese flat takes up much less space than a fully assembled lasagna. The worst part of making it is the spattery sauce, so getting that out of the way makes the rest a breeze.

Red Cross Lasagna

 

[RivShore]

We've only made it once using this recipe, came out great using basic homemade sauce. As others have said a good sausage really adds to the overall flavor. Oh, and we did cook the noodles first.

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/one-step-lasagna-with-sausage-and-basil-4284

 

[Sjm9911]

Ricotta, eggs, mozzarella, and Parmigiano with s and p for the inside. Key is to make it a bit salty, so a lot of Parmigiano. It will ballance the red sause. Salt and savory. Add whatever you want really after that. So meat, or veggies. Sometimes i mix in some provolone. If you like basil add the leaves after the sause is cooked.

 

[Kirby]

I use a real easy recipe that I got from my aunt. I use oven ready noodles, hamburger, sour cream, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese and Ragu. Quick, easy and tastes good!

 

[SaintsManiac]

Remove the Costo wrapping and bake.

 

[imktdqt810]

I use the oven bake noodles for starters (I used to use the normal ones that I would cook first THEN layer my pan) this is SO much easier and tastes the same! I also cook ground turkey with Italian Seasoning until brown. Then sauce on the bottom of a oil sprayed 9 X 13 Pan, ricotta, mozz cheese, cooked ground turkey, sauce and repeat the layers. DH isn't a ricotta fan so I do a thin layer and not alot. It always comes out perfect...I mostly follow the cooking instructions on the box of the oven bake noodles.

 

[nicolita3]

Like a previous poster, I don't ever boil my noodles. I think it tastes better when they go in raw and soak up the flavor.

 

[ncc1701]

Remove the Costo wrapping and bake.

For me it is go to our local Carrabba's or Maggiano's . Otherwise a pan from our local Italian specialty store, Severino's .

 

[ronandannette]

I like mine fairly firm with distinct layers that hold their shape when served.

Thin a good jarred sauce with a little water, put it on the bottom of the pan and cover with oven-ready noodles. First layer is ground meat (beef or sausage) with onion, garlic and Italian herbs and topped with more sauce and another layer of noodles. Second layer is dry cottage cheese mixed with egg, chopped mushrooms and parmesan. More sauce and a final layer of noodles topped with the remainder of the sauce and a hefty amount of Italian-mix shredded cheese.

 

[Campari Spritz]

I love making homemade lasagne. For the pasta: flour & eggs.

Ragu: soffritto (celery, onion, carrot), EVOO, fresh tomato sauce, S&P, white wine & a mix of ground beef & pork. (Im veg, so I use 'veggie mince'; Mom taught me with the mix of beef & pork.)

Besciamella: flour, milk, butter, S&P, nutmeg.

I do cheat with pre-made lasagne sheets; its soooo much nicer home-made though & easy enough with a pasta maker. I make batches of ragu, as making the sauce can take up to 1/2 a day. I grate Trader Joes black pepper Toscano cheese in the layers & lightly on top.

If Im making it for American friends, I may add in some marinated mozzarella di bufala &/or ricotta whipped with pesto. If Im making it for myself, I add fresh spinach & garlic.

 

[ronandannette]

I love making homemade lasagne. For the pasta: flour & eggs.

Ragu: soffritto (celery, onion, carrot), EVOO, fresh tomato sauce, S&P, white wine & a mix of ground beef & pork. (Im veg, so I use 'veggie mince'; Mom taught me with the mix of beef & pork.)

Besciamella: flour, milk, butter, S&P, nutmeg.

I do cheat with pre-made lasagne sheets; its soooo much nicer home-made though & easy enough with a pasta maker. I make batches of ragu, as making the sauce can take up to 1/2 a day. I grate Trader Joes black pepper Toscano cheese in the layers & lightly on top.

If Im making it for American friends, I may add in some marinated mozzarella di bufala &/or ricotta whipped with pesto. If Im making it for myself, I add fresh spinach & garlic.

Yes! Spinach is a marvelous addition; I put it in my cottage cheese layer if I have some on hand.

 

[tasha99]

I usually use ricotta, red sauce with hot italian sausage, a fair amount of mozzarella. Rarely, I use bechamel sauce instead of ricotta, bolognese sauce instead of American style red sauce, and mozzarella. Sometimes I make a version that's bechamel, cottage cheese that's been blended smooth, fresh spinach, and fontina cheese (America's Test Kitchen recipe that we've really liked). The first type a few times a year, the others once every year or two when I'm feeling like a change.

 

[DVCjj]

Remove the Costo wrapping and bake.

Love this answer. I've never made lasagna in my life. Seemed like a big mess.

 

[Disneylover99]

Sometimes I use ricotta, sometimes cottage cheese, but my best tip is to put a thick layer of spicy tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan and then add the no-cook oven ready noodles. The spiciness adds really great flavour to the noodles as it cooks, but it doesn’t make the lasagna taste spicy once it’s done. I use Hunts pick red pepper tomato sauce, but probably any spicy sauce would work.

 

[emer95]

I am a vegetarian and my husband is a meat eater. I make a cheese lasagna for us (sometimes I add spinach to the ricotta) and then I make a very thick meat sauce for him to pour over it. He goes crazy for it and said he now prefers lasagna that way. I made myself a marinara sauce to pour over mine last time- yum! It really does make it extra special.