stop eating the cattle, f#*ker.
More Meat for the People!
As to poster #1 above, what about a vegetarian lasagna dish? Cool site. Thanks.
Hey, don't use up all the veggies! Do you have ANY idea how much vegitation I need to feed my meat pets before I devour their succulent flesh?
I miss the sliced carrots in the meat, and foremost the Bechamel Sauce! It makes me think that the author is American, because lasagna in America has very little to do with the lasagna in Italy and Sweden it seems. I appreciate that there were no mushrooms, however.
Lasagna is my favorite dish, but here in USA I almost always get disapointed, my question is when ordering "Does it have bechalme sause? AND NOT MUSHROOMS!". Normally, they never heard the word bechalme, and they put mushrooms in it, then it's not lasagna (for me).
/jsk
For some reason this sort of dish is WAAAY better when twice-cooked.
Simply prepare and cook as per the recipie (perhaps reduce the cooking time a little). Then leave to cool. Refrigerate or freeze if neccessary. Then, before serving, cook it again. Microwave, even.
richi.
if you're a vegetarian, don't put meat in it, dumbass
To my knowledge there are a couple types of lasagna. In Northern Italy a dish called Lasagna Bolognese is popular with Bolognese meat sauce and bechamel (instead of ricotta). Unfortunately, I don't know how to make this dish in a reasonable amount of time.
Check out the latest "Cooks Illustrated" magazine for a Lasagna Bolognese (sp) that's "quick". My read is that it's a couple of hours, rather than all day. But bechamel sauce, et al is time comsuming.
p
A common point of confusion is that lasagna isn't a particular dish, but a form of pasta rather like rigatoni or tortellini. Given some sauce X (pesto, ragu, or spinach with prosciutto and onions), you mix it with bechamel at 3 parts X to 2 parts bechamel (+/- a quarter or so depending on thickness of X and personal preference). Put down a bit of butter and bechamel on the bottom of your pan, put in a layer of noodles, then a layer of the X/bechamel mixture, more noodles, more mixture, etc., trying for at least six layers. Try to finish with a thin layer of mixture to avoid the hard crust mentioned in this recipe.
My best guess as to how the form of lasagna prevalent in America came about is that someone who knew a little bit about Italian food ate a lasagna, tried to recreate it, but had to make some guesses: a tomato sauce with meatballs crushed up, and the used of ricotta based filling for tortellini, ravioli, and other more conventional stuffed pastas combined to give this creature.
Has anyone created lasagna using an alfredo sauce instead of tomato? Lasagna Stroganoff? I love good lasagna but really don't like tomatoes all that much... If someone has done this, please share! If I get motivated some time when the right ingredients are around, I'll post it.
There is a dish popular among the church-luncheon set that uses lasagna pasta, a standard white sauce, mozzarella, and diced chicken. Add spices to the sauce to taste (garlic, salt, pepper, parsley, thyme, etc.). Layer the ingredients like regular lasagna. It's pretty good, if a bit bland.
My mother is from Chihuahua, Mexico, and in that region they make enchiladas in layers like a lasagna. Use your regular favorite sauce (green chilis are the preferred ones), white cheese, chicken or beef, onions -- almost anything can be part of the filling. Layer the (corn) tortillas with the sauce and filling mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes for a 9 x 13" pan. Your guests will love it.
Please!
I'm writeing from Florence Italy, ada your blog is delicious for me. BUT: nobody in Italy uses ricotta in a lasagna!!!
Would you like to receive an ORIGINAL recipe for coocking Lasagna?
But in Italian, I'm sorry: you can notice how bad my english is...
fulvio.iannaco@tin.it
Fulvio,
Your recipe is welcome (in any language). Please post it in the recipe forum at http://www.cookingforengineers.com/forums
Michael
Michael, I did as you asked. I posted the original recipe of Lasagnas in some (more o less difficult) different variants.
I posted also the recipe to prepare at home the bechalme sause: you NEED it for your original italian Lasagna (even if the bechalme sause was originally a french sauce: but in the last centurys italian and french cultures has strongly mixed themselves each other in the questions of cooking.
But everything I posted is in italian. Sorry, but if yu have problems you can try to ask to me.
Fulvio
Lasagna without bechamel or bechamella is no lasagna at all, except maybe a US/american version of a fake lasagna. Bechamel is just milk, butter and flour, mixed very slowly on a pna in low heat....till it gets some density - easy
Also a dash of nutmeg or italian white trouffle is needed for a superb taste
American Lasagna? Yes. Fake lasagna? Well, when that much cheese, meat, pasta, and more cheese hits my stomach, it sure doesn't feel fake.
what about updating recepies to measures in the international units system?
Never been the lasagna lover, and for that matter a lover of anything swimming in tomato sauce. When my boyfriend started making cheese at home, however, I found myself with mountains of it everywhere. Incidentally, I came across this posting and happened to have all the ingredients. I used a little less sauce in my meat and cooked it for about 10 minutes longer. It turned out, fantastic, completely out of this world, can't wait to do it again. Thanks.
Anyone try this with ground turkey?
bechamel is really quite easy if you do it regularly. it is usefull for all sorts of things: macaroni and cheese, curry sauce, a la king sauce, and of course lasagne. it takes a half-hour to get it right but its a low-attention preparation as long as you stir regularly to prevent a skin from forming. so you could make it while working on the meat sauce. just stubstitute bechamel for cream, nix the ricotta, and combine parmesan with regular layers and this recipie works fine as a bechamel lasagne. bechamel is 2 tbsp flour and 2 tbsp butter on medium heat until fragrant but not brown, add 1.5 cups milk slowly to avoid clumps, add 1/2 onion with a bay leaf stuck into it with 2 cloves, cook on medium-low (never boil) for 20-30 minutes until thick and remove onion. should be thick, creamy, and a little sweet.
I don't really like ricotta cheese, so I used cottage cheese instead, same quantities. It came out wonderful.
Whoa... Much effort put into the table codings (HTML) especially! Cool!
bechemawho?...Italian AMERICAN lasagna,like Italian american pizza is far superior to anything those raw pig eating butt pinchers are eating
I'm Australian, and Lasagne (note spelling) over here is a basic (bolognese) meat sauce layered between a series of lasagne sheets, with bechamel sauce on the top layer with only a very small amount of parmesan cheese sprinkled on the bechamel.
Bechamel is a basic white sauce with a bit of nutmeg in it: melt a small amount of butter in a saucepan over low heat, add cornflour, stir into a paste with a wooden spoon, add cold milk, stir continuously until it starts to thicken, remove from heat, add a sprinkle of nutmeg and some black pepper if desired.
If you served me the greasy lasagne from your recipe, I'd be horrified at the horrendous fat content. It would make me ill.
Lasagne does NOT have to be fatty. Ask your butcher to mince some very lean beef for the meat sauce. DON'T EVER use sausages (very fatty). You can even use low-fat milk in the bechamel. And the only cheese in the dish is the small amount of parmesan on top.
leave your brain when you leave. I have this great idea for this new soup! It's GREAT!!
This is basically an extension of the Great Pizza Controversy that us americans have with british people. British people are closer to Italy so they like Italian style pizza, which as a person who has been to Italy a few times, I can say is totally different than american pizza.
My guess is this- both American Pizza and Lasagne are probably parallel evolutions to the Italian variety.
What happened was Italians came to the USA and tried to recreate their own food using local ingredients, maybe partly because they used what was at hand and partly because they liked some native ingredients more. In addition, some of the Italian versions are probably more recent inventions.
Neither is "right" or "proper", they just have different historical contexts.
i was wondering michael, if you made half serving of this recipe, should you bake it half the time too?
re: half serving
You probably cannot halve the cooking time. Most likely you can shorten the cooking time to about 10-12 min. covered followed by 20 min. uncovered.
Why are we so concerned about how "real lasagna" is supposed to look or taste. I like this one. I dont care if it is made with a certain sauce. If it's good eat it!! Dont cook it if you dont like it.
thank you for your recipe for the lasagna , i never made it before , i am very happy to find . linda
Got a hankerin' to try and make lasagna for the first time, and ran across your recipie.
Bought all the fresh fixin's , and voila, the perfect dinner.
;) Turned out spectacular for a first attempt. ;)
I do need to purchase a deeper dish, as the one I used only allowed two layers, but man what a great two layers it was.
Cannot wait to reheat it tomorrow.
:P My loving wife is duly impressed. :P
Hi All,
I can't locate Fulvio recipe on the forum site, is this a failed IQ test?
However, I have immensely enjoyed reading this site and gathering valuable information; love the recipe diagrams...
Cheerio,
-Kathie-
I can't find Fulvio recipe, can someone assist me...
As always cooked in my family:
1) the main step is to prepare a good ‘ragů alla bolognese’ and you can do it following the following simple steps.
- chop ˝ carrot, a small piece of celery, a piece of onion and put them in warm olive oil. Let them fry slightly for a couple of minute, adding if you want a clove of garlic and a fresh chilli.
- Add 10,5 oz minced beef meat and 2 minced fresh pork sausages. Mix and let the meat gently cooking with the chopped vegetables for at least 10 minutes. After that, you must high the flame and you must steam the meat with a cup of white wine. Let everything cook for 2 minutes and then add 3 cans of peeled tomatoes previously chopped.
- The ragu must simmer for at least 90 minutes and then it is ready for our lasagne
Original lasagne recipe contains only fresh egg pasta, ragů, béchamel sauce and grated Parmigiano.
2) Preparing egg pasta: you have to mix 10,5 oz wheat flour with 3 eggs. Then you have to roll out the dough and make some rectangle ( 7,5 x 6 in). Start cooking them in boiling water (with a tbl spoon olive oil) until they came up to the surface. Take them out and put in cool water. Spread the rectangles on a cloth for drying.
3) Preparing béchamel sauce: melt 7 oz butter on a low flame then add 7oz wheat flour and mix on the flame and gently cook for 2 minutes. Add a little nutmeg and gradually add 0,3 gal hot milk. Keep mixing until the sauce will be reduced.
4) Mix the béchamel with ragů and start to prepare the layers in this way: one layer pasta, one layer ragů + béchamel, one light layer of grated Parmigiano. Keep making layer until the lasagne will be 3 in high.
5) Put the lasagna in the oven (temp. : 380F) until you’ll se it swelling
Elisa - Italy
Dear Elisa, Ohhh, thankyou ever so much. I'll must try it this weekend, all panning out ok that it. Cheerio, -Kathie-
recipe for Meat Lasagna
I tried this recipe. I now wish the writer had put the list of ingediants at the front of the recipe rather then at the end. The need for 1/2 cup chopped basil leaves was not stated in the write up until the write up said to add it. So I had to stop and prepare it. While the color photos shown on the web site are nice, I printed (in black and white) the pages out to have in my kitchen to follow while I prepared the recipe and found the photos were not much help. Also I prefer to drain off the fat from browning the meat before adding the tomato ingredients. Consequently, from this experience, I will now try recipes found at other web sites before I try another recipe from this site.
David, an Engineer learning to cook better. :angry:
I think all the people that will not eat meat are great. That means MORE MEAT for all of us NORMAL people.
Bechamel sauce does not take that long, nor is it hard to prepare. i am a chef and lasagne takes me 15mins to prepare, and 25 mins to cook.
Boil milk , add roux, add cheese, blend or whisk, wahlah, easy bechamel, 5 mins work....
If you don't like meat, you can use your own poop while you back and forth forever. ))<>(( All you vegetarians are cowf%#kers.
i used turkey sasuage and ground turkey meat. tasted great.
has anyone ever used the need to boil first kind of noodle,uncooked,in a lasagna before and what was it like? today I made a pan of lasagna and everything was going well, I assembled the dish with what I thought were the pan ready noodles, and after all was put together I noticed the box said to boil first. What will happen? I have added extra water and will be cooking the dish next week, it is now in the freezer.
As someone who has just returned from Italy (mainly Venice, Florence, and Rome) I'd like to put my two cents in here.
Yes, the recipe here is a bolognese-type sauce: Meat-tomato sauce.
I found this version occasionally in Rome.
More common were versions of the bechamel-based sauce which I found in Florence and Venice. This is probably due to the fact the bechamel sauce is French in origin and the French cuisine has mixed with the Italian cuisine somewhat- especially the farther North you go.
What I found is that the bolognese-type lasagne that we Americans are familiar with had a much denser feel. My assessment was that this was due to the strong flavors of the tomato-based bolognese sauce as well as possibly the denser feel of the ready-made lasagne noodles.
The lasagne that I had in Italy was very light in feel and flavor. They often do meals in first and second courses- the first being the pasta course. The pastas have to have a lighter feel or the Italians couldn't make it to the second course. The lighter, and better tasting lasagna (just my opinion) was the lasagne with the tomato/bechamel sauce mixture. There was very little meat. I think the tomato sauce portion of this sauce may be cooked with some proscuitto to give it flavor and possibly a little very fine ground beef. I believe this version that tasted soooo good was also made with freshly made noodles as they seemed lighter in texture. Where the typical American lasagne might have 4 layers, these seemed to have 6-8 thinner layers. I think also that the laurel or bay leaf and the grouns nutmeg may also contribute to the difference in flavor.
I think you should make whichever version you like. You've got to eat it and it should suit to taste.
I must say I was very turned off by the rude people who felt this forum was a place to degrade vegitarians. I'm not vegetarian but I don't think there is anything wrong with it. It's just a life-style choice not much different that not eating other foods such as seafood or sushi. If you live in America, then stop being an idiot and embrace the tolerance for other people's personal beliefs since personal freedoms were the basis for forming this country ! OK. I've said my peace.
umm just wanted to say that this recipe is good and you should try makin it with a different kind of sauce ... is it better really with that alfredo sauce? well if anyone have anymore good recipes for me, please share because i have this one cooking class and i would like to make something that i never made before THANK YOU... jus email them to lilladii4lyf3@yahoo.com or at k_ladii@yahoo.com
I came across your recipe and had to make it. OUT OF THIS WORLD. Sorry for the shouting but I prepared it and, while we were eating it, my mother in law came for a visit..well, that was the end of that. She stayed for dinner and had to take some for her husband. I was counting on having leftovers for the next day but so much for that.
[/b]
:unsure:
I'd have to say that the posted recipe is much like that my mom made as a kid. Very tasty & hearty! I have been wanting to make the lasagne w/bechamel for some time now, but I'd like to assemble the lasagne ahead of time (I make my pasta from scratch so it can be more time consuming). Can you
A) Prep lasagne with bechamel ahead of time and then bake the next day?
B) If you bake it the day you prep it...and then reheat it, will it be as good?
The ricotta & mozzarella lasagne is foolproof, but I am scared to branch out for my dinner party tomorrow? Any info would be appreciated!
That's a nice recipe, i will try it out.
Personally i cook Lasagne in the traditional Italian way.
In case you're interested just tale a look in my blog.
www.cookandsave.com
Keep up the great work!
I know this is late, but maybe someone else might find this useful...
I prefer to bake and assemble the lasagne with bechamel the day I serve it. I make the sauces and grate the cheese ahead of time. I usually use fresh lasagne noodles from a local pasta shop, but you could probably make your pasta the day before and it would still be fine the next day. The bechamel sauce can form a skin on it though, so while it is still warm, cover it with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic right up against the sauce so there is no air. I'd be careful making the bechamel sauce too far in advance- I usually make it no more than a day before. The meat sauce, though, actually improves if it sits for a little while in the fridge.
On the day I serve it, I warm up the bechamel and the meat sauces on the stove, assemble, and bake. By using hot sauces, baking time is greatly decreases, so I'm not convinced that putting a cold unbaked lasange straight from the fridge saves much time. Plus, fresh pasta might get a little soggy sitting overnight. Reheated lasange tends to be a little dry to me....
Hello. I noticed this recipe and it sounds absolutely fabulous. However, I'm a little new at this cooking thing, although I love to try new things. I would like to use my own tomato sauce and was wondering what I would need to cut out in order to use it. Should I just brown the meats with pepper and salt and leave the onions and garlic out? Thanks a lot for your help :)
What's in your tomato sauce?
Well normally I just sort of "throw things in a pot". However, I am making 3 dishes for a dinner party tomorrow and would rather just use canned pasta sauce because it's faster and easier. I'll probably use a parmasean and oregano type sauce. I know. I'm embarassed to admit it. :P
In that case, I'd say you should probably just replace the tomatoes with the sauce. Leave the reast of the recipe as is except put in a bit less salt and pepper when you're cooking the meat. Then add more (if needed) after you've mixed the sauce in. The sauce will add a few more flavors that aren't in the original recipe, but should be just fine. You may need to cook it a bit longer to thicken it up also.
That this recipe is not a true Italian version is completely irrelevant to me. I've made this lasagna 3 times now, and I and my guests love it. Prep time is about 2 hours, but worth it. It yields 9 sizable servings.
What I do differently: use fresh mozzarella and shred it; drain the grease after the meat is cooked; place the dish in a shallow pan of water in the oven - the top layer stays moist. Also, because I don't like parmesan cheese, I eliminate it and double the ricotta. Guests are free to sprinkle parmesan individually at the table.
:D This is such a great recipe! Easy to make because of the great instructions. I make this every now and then for my husband and we love it.
Scarlet from Canada :D
I noticed that you used the oven ready lasagne noodles. A single friend and father of 5 informed me that you don't have to use those. Just do the same thing with regular lasagne noodles. Cover with foil, bake 1 hour. Uncover and add extra cheese and bake 15 min.
That was a GREAT idea to just spread the cheese on the noodles. That's what I do!
To the person who asked about the alfredo lasagne, here's a recipe:
1 1/2 lb.s hot Italian Sausage (or mild, it's up to you!)
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
12 oz. roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1/2 C. White Wine
10 oz. frozen chopped Spinach
15 oz. Ricotta Cheese
12 oz. sliced Mozzarella Cheese
1 C. grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 t. Salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 large Egg
34 oz. Alfredo sauce
12 lasagne noodles.
Remove and discard sausage casings. Brown sausage. Drain and cook garlic and onion in drippings until tender. Stir in sausage, chopped red pepper and wine. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered 5 min. or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Meanwhile cook spinach according to package direction(I really dont' think it would be necessary to cook it.). drain and squeeze between paper towels to remove excess liquid. Combine spinach, ricotta cheese, Salt,pepper and egg.
Spready 1 C. Alfredo sauce in greased 9 X 13. Spread cheese mixture over 4 noodles. Place in bottom of dish. Cover with 4 slices mozzarella.
Repeat with remaining ingredients. Sprinkle with parmesan.
If desired, cover and chill overnight. Let stand at room temp. 30 min.l before baking.
Cover and bake @ 350 for 45 min. Uncover, cook 15. Let stand 15 min. before serving.
i just wanted to say that this is the bomb n great job at explaining everything. it was so easy thanks again. toodles *Berni*
I must say I was very turned off by the rude people who felt this forum was a place to degrade vegitarians.
Then vegans shouldn't come into a forum and post the very first message, being something equivalant to "DON'T EAT COWS, FUCKERS".
Learning that it's not necessary to boil the pasta before building the lasagna was a most pleasant surprise.
In this regard, I couldn't believe what I saw in the photos, so I tried it myself, and it worked!
As far as my taste is concerned, baked pasta always tastes better the day after it's cooked. I should cook my lasagna, store it in the fridge overnight after it has cooled down, then serve it the next day. I have only done this with leftovers...I just don't have enough willpower to wait until the next day.
I totally agree! Lasagne is always much better the next day. But I always make a little in a separate pan for the same day I cook it. Meat and cheese Lasagne that is light on the noodles is the only dish containing noodles that I like.
My family have always made lasagne in the same sort of way as this, but my mother in law, a genuine WOP makes it substantialy differently.
The sauce for the meat is the same, but instead of using minced meat she makes small meatballs with strong cheese and herbs. Also in the meat layer she adds crumbled boiled eggs, and crumbled mozzerella for texture.
Just incase anyone feels like experimenting sometime.
Michael, I know this is like almost a two year old question. But, I wanted to know if you by chance have that original lasagna recipe that fulvio posted? I went to the forum and checked for it and could not find. If you could help or anyone else who knows the recipe for an authentic Italian lasagna recipe.
Thanks in advance
John in Mississippi
Thank You, the recipe was great. This was the first time I've prepared lasanga. It was very time consuming, but worth it. My husband should enjoy it, I sure did. I wish the ingreidiants were at the begining, though. The pictures were very helpful.
I had been searching for a recipe that used this type of ingredients, just needed the ratios and methodology - and yours was perfect. The tip for spreading the ricotta on the noodles outside of the pan was ACE! So much easier. Of course, being in England I had to convert all measures to metric - and it's difficult to find proper spicy Italian sausage here for some reason. But not a problem - the recipe is flexible enough to take a bit of measurement rounding, and was fine with all beef (and extra seasoning). My dinner guests have called it "the best ever", so thank you.
Silly engineers! Even you should know better than to start something without reading all of the instructions 1st. Shame.
Made this for a group of friends and they devoured it. Highly recommended.
I just made this recipe for the second time. Perfect! And thanks for pointing out the sauce issue. I made a bit extra which came out just right. This is the best lasagna I ever made.
Marc in NYC
To those who think this kind of lasagna is "wrong" and not Italian: visit Campania some around Carnivale time.
Thanks so much for this recipe! I've made it a handful of times and it always comes out perfect. It's VERY popular with my family and friends. Any time I'm going to a potluck or dinner party people always request that I make this lasagna.
My brother, who is a really picky eater and has refused to eat lasagna since we were kids because he says it's "gross", even ended up trying and LOVING this lasagna so much that he wanted a second helping!
Best lasagna ever!
THIS IS THE CRAPPEST SITE EVER FUCK U ALL!!!!
GET A LIFE AND STOP WASTING TIME TALKING ABOUT LASAGNE!!!
:angry: :angry: :angry:
dumbasses
Good recipe, easy to follow with some very helpful tips on 'building' the perfect lasagne stack.
Great pics too..will be trying this one soon.
Why all the defamatory replies people...It's a useful post
that probably doesn't such negative comments...
It's great tasting food for goodness sake.
Cheers
Shaun
Well, Here is My FIRST EVER Lasagne..
Was quite pleased with the result after noticing there is only 9 millions variations on this great dish, lol...
Ok, It's not verbatim from the above recipe supplied in this thread,
but closely follows the 'traditional' from the 8.3 million sites i gleaned lol
way of putting a Lasagne together.
My Family Loved it and said...no don't put it away just yet ...several times.
Thanks again 'Cooking For Engineers' for the inspiration :D
Halfway thorugh the Bake we have a quick check,
Can you smell the aromatic melted cheeses ?
Where's that Spatula ?, This Baby's Ready to Serve>>
So's who's up for a Late Night Supper ?
This recipe is so cool. It's so American ("ground chuck" - what?!!). I've never been to America, but I have this idea of the food that is eaten there from films and television - big, massive, overloaded pizzas, coffee and pie, Italian-American diners serving huge plates of spag-bol, buffalo steak, Chinese eaten out of cartons! It always looks really fatty and sticky and morish and lovely. Can't wait to try this recipe - it's exactly how I'd want an American lasagne to look if I went to an Italian American eatery in New York.
Re the beschemel sauce: it's my downfall when making lasagnes. I find it hard to get the quantity and, more importantly, the consistency right. It either turns out too floury and seeps through the whole lasagne, nullifying the flavours in the meat sauce, or too watery. It's also hard (or at least time-consuming) to avoid lumps in the sauce. I've noticed that it's very sensitive to the amount of flour you use when starting the roux, and that you can't add more flour if you think the sauce is too thin, as this will only make the sauce lumpy. And even when you get the consistency right, it still tastes too floury. Any tips on how to make a good beschemel sauce would be really appreciated!
imolgen -
the white sauce should not be too bad - I don't seem to have the issue with lumps, etc, so here's a short course how I do it
use equal parts by volume of butter and all purpose flour
the amounts: for approx 1 liter, 120 grams butter, 8 tablespoons flour = 120 ml - the US is fixated on volumetric measures but roughly 60-65 grams. the density of flour varies with the brand / sifted / etc - small amount can be misleading so I use volumes in this instance. do make notes on how much of what brand flour / liquid you use so the next attempt can be improved based on prior experience....
on a low flame, melt the butter - get it hot enough to drive out the water in the butter - ie no foaming left. sprinkle in flour, using a whisk, combine. the whisk is pretty a necessity to get out the lumps - as is getting rid of any water in the butter (which tends to make lumps as soon as the flour is added....)
cook the butter flour mix 4-5 minutes at a low just bubbling temp - that should "cook" the flour and eliminate the raw flour taste.
slow add while whisking about 500 ml of liquid - milk, half milk/half light cream/ your choice. the more toward cream you go, the richer the sauce but 100% cream is a bit overpowering.....
as the mix heats up, it thickens. you must bring the entire contents "to a boil" essentially to see the final thickened state - the temp is key - if you don't get it hot enough it will not reach a thickened equilibrium. I usually stop stirring and watch to see if big bubble burps come up through the sauce - then you know it is fully up to temp.
you may need to add some liquid to keep it "loose" enough to stir easily. burning the bottom of a white sauce is a no-no, so constant stirring / attention is a good thing.
then adjust the final consistency with milk / liquid.
the "needed" consistency for a dish varies - for example I do a clam&shrimp dish using the white sauce above and adjusting the thickness is easy "right at the end" - it's served over pasta.
for baked macaroni & cheese, I thin it down - because the pasta absorbs a lot of moisture in the bake cycle. if the sauce goes in too thick, the end dish is a pot of cheese glue. I don't use a white sauce in lasagna - but I imagine a similar approach is needed - the sauce needs to be "too thin looking" on assembly to come out "right" after the baking.
Hi gente i'm Martino, from Italy, well this Lasagna Recipe is almost correct in italian tradition but not many peoples use ricotta cheese, usually we use:
Bolognese sauce: a tomato sauce with fresh meat, the one in the recipe it's ok (too mutch garlic!!!!in italy we don't use so mutch garlic!).
Besciamella: it's a cream made of butter, flour and milk.
Mozzarella cheese usally not grated but cut in slices.
And of course the Lasagne pasta; if you want a really good Lasagna prepare yourself the pasta, sadly i don't rember now the recipe so i will not make a mess with a wrong recipe.....
Your recipe is really good, i recommed you to use only the besciamella and the mozzarella cheese in the place of the ricotta\grated parmesan cheese...but you've done a good job.
I am seeing people talking about lasagna made with bechamel sauce, but I don't see a recipe for it. Can someone please supply me with a recipe? Thanks, JC
Hi,
I've tried baking both lasagne - one using ricotta chees and another bechamel sauce and I prefer the latter. The final difference would be the grated cheeses a combo of parmesan and mozarella.
Thnx for the wonderful recipes also the informative comments too.
Appreciate them.
Only the Americans use Ricotta cheese and no bechamel sauce, it is dry and gritty, it is disgusting. Super Walmart was the only supermarket that sold a layered frozen layered lasagne (correct spelling) with no ricotta cheese and a bechamel sauce under the Sam's choice label. Of course it was discontinued because Americans wouldn't know good if it smacked them in the face. You can use a simple white sauce and melt mozzarella and mild cheddar into the sauce while cooking and before you make the layers. For a vegetarian version, Quorn is the best substitute. Ground Quorn has no flavour of its own. It takes on the flavours of the dish especially with the right seasonings ie making sure that you add light sprinkling of italian herbs on top of each bechamel sauce layer, which makes it perfect for a vegetarian version.
Look, it's not like it's called 'Authentic Italian Lasagne.' People from countries that are smaller with less diversity can have just one typical recipe for a dish but in countries in North America there is so much diversity and people are so far apart you can't have the food police controlling every recipe.
Just look at American barbecue. It's different in the different states, even if they are in the south and on the east coast.
Also you can reduce the fat from sausage by draining the fat that has rendered out before adding any liquid.
I am from India and there are so many ways to make a single dish as long as the main ingredients are the same each home has it's own spices and methods.
It has Lasagne, tomatoes, meat cheese, just call it American Lasagne and be done with it.
What a lovely website! The original step by step procedure is definitely by a kitchen engineer ! Thanks to all with good input, Looking forward to some of these variations. Hi to all the bigots and pinheads too!
This recipe worked great, but also in the end I too ran out of sauce but was able to spread the last layer thin enough to cover the top. In the end it tasted pretty good came out a bit more watery than expected. Think i will try to evaporate or simmer the sauce a bit longer. Went good with my floormates and even the girl next door haha. This and the dark choco brownie recipes are bomb! Thanks for making my first yr in college a bit easier!
I was reading the posts and one guy from Italy said they never use ricotta in Italy. I beg to differ. My Grandmother came from Italy and she always used ricotta cheese in Her lasagna. Also always use at least three cheeses in it. I use ricotta, mozzarella and grated romano (I like the stronger taste). Most people use parmesan.
In the ricotta I mix one egg, some parsley and a little salt and pepper.
This is a variant on the Cooks Illustrated recipe, which I'm making tomorrow; I was just checking to see if there were any variations.
I've made it before for a crowd, it's easy and delicious, and I generally do a one-and-a-half recipe in a larger pan. To add insult to injury, I add a tub of marscapone to the ricotta layer, the fat-phobic Aussie above probably wouldn't approve. I actually served this to an Aussie friend when she was visiting me, when she got the recipe to cook for a party at home, she said she just couldn't do the marscapone. It kinda makes it, I just eat a smaller piece.
For this round, I just finished making my own ricotta, which was incredibly easy, and will be VERY fresh.
It's not true that no Italian would put ricotta in lasagna, while it IS true that no NORTH Italian would put ricotta in a lasagna. I've read South Italian recipes that contain it. I make a traditional lasagne bolognese with a bolognese sauce and a balsamella sauce and a spinach/saffron pasta that I created, and it's delicious, but it also takes forever (especially if you make your own beef stock for it, which I do...if I'm going to take a day to make a dish, I'm doing it right).
This version is very down, dirty, easy, quick and everyone loves it.
Yes, but our teeth are whiter and straighter than the Brits.
I don't know where this idea of mozzarella and ricotta to the lasagna comes.
It is probably a merging of the pasticcio to lasagna. Using the some of the pasticcios ingredients to do a lasagna.
lasagna base is bechamel sauce. Vegetarian lasagna adds various vegetables, non vegetarian adds bolognese sauce.
Lasagna is from Emilia, there is no mozzarella there but there is parmigiano.
Who cares how they cook it in Italy, this is good too. Fusion cuisine is usually better than "authentic" dishes anyway.
This is a good recipe, forget origins. Hell, the poster's last name is Chu...does that mean he can't make a good Lasagne? His recipe makes an excellent dish and reminds me of my Grandmother's Lasagne recipe...and she also mentioned "Carnivale"...is it possible that this fatty but oh so delicious dish was reserved for special occasions when boiled milk was blase? I think it is a great recipe and cannot find a fault. If you like Bechamel, or sardines, or whatever...then post your recipe here.
I am a professional yacht delivery captain. I make a couple of lasagna in disposable pans before each trip and freeze them. While I fiddle with most recipes I come across this one has remained un-fiddled-with. *grin*
I have yet to have crew who did not greatly enjoy this lasagna. Combined with a Caesar salad this is a great meal. We all love it.
:) Thank you for sharing this recipe and the others on here. This is be far the best one!! Don't change a thing.
Bechamel sauce is white sauce. A light white is 1 T butter; 1 T flour; 1 cup milk. Use a double boiler and you (probably) can't go wrong.
Try it.
Nick Fortis
This is not lasagna. Why don't you consult an Italian for a lasagna recipe? Not an Italian-American, but a true Italian. This would make an Italian throw up.
I definitely prefer the meat lasagna to a veggie lasagna. Often times the veggie lasagna tries to make up for its lack of character with lots of ricotta cheese, which I find is ok in small quantities, but does not agree with my stomach in a veggie lasagna. My 2 cents. B)
Well that's rude. You express disagreement in an uncivil fashion without offering an alternative.
We call such people 'trolls.'
oh, I wouldn't get too upset about it.
if Nummy actually had any real Italian experience Nummy would know there's at least three major Italian lasagna "methods" with only a few quadzillion variations of "authentic"
this is why we need to downsize the Federal government - as demonstrated in this instance, the Department of Education ain't working - can be eliminated in toto with zero impact.
Lasagna is my childhood favorite!!!hurray to all meat lovers...
When wanting to prepare lasanga ahead of time to serve at a later date is it better to cook first and then freeze or freeze the uncooked dish and cook it at the time/date prior to meal?? or does it matter. Just want to take the dish already prepared on a weekend retreat
I do this regularly on offshore yacht deliveries. It is much more work to reheat already cooked lasagna without drying it out. I assemble the lasagna and freeze it directly. I pull it out of the freezer about half a day before it is due to go in the oven and cook as directed in the instructions. My crew are very happy with the result.
Hi there,
Just a quick note to say thank you! : )
I first came across this recipe ten (!!) years ago when you put it up, and I've made it a handful of times since then. It's fantastic! Fine if it's not "authentic Italian" - my family and guests have always devoured it. Last night I even made a smaller vegetarian one on the side and did a separate sauce (onion, garlic, crumbled tofu, finely diced mushroom + the tomatoes plus some oregano). You can find my yummy photos on Instagram @ kk paris (no spaces)
I prefer to use 100% lean organic ground beef and have never considered it "heavy" or "greasy". Many thanks for many years of gustatory pleasure! I've finally copied it into a pdf in case someday when I google Engineer Lasagna, your site no longer exists. : )
All best,
Katherine
I have been using this recipe for Christmas dinner for years and my family loves it! This year I doubled the meat (1 lb of ground sausage and 1 lb of ground sirloin) and it tasted even better! Also, I forgot to buy the fresh basil so I used 8 tsp of dried basil instead. Thanks for this recipe!!!
I think I have posted in this thread before. I use this recipe regularly. My wife is Italian, from a large Italian family. Everyone's favorite lasagna is mine, and I have not a drop of Italian blood in my veins. I also make this up ahead and freeze it (uncooked) to take on yacht deliveries (my job - I'm a skipper). I'll be making lasagna this weekend for a forthcoming trip. The only change I have made is to use regular cook-it-yourself pasta.
I tried the no cook approach a couple times - generally not happy with the results so I've gone back to cook/drain as well....
