Please share a tried and true lasagne recipe

[Amber in AUS]

I want to make lasagne. I have only tried it once before and it was a disaster so i am looking for a tried and true recipe to make it from scratch, well apart from the lasagne sheets. I have fresh ones i picked up at the shops today.

 

Thanks

[Hannah]

This is from a Fatti's & Moni's Lasagne packet and alwsays turns out well

 

MINCE LASAGNE (serves 4)

 

Ingredients

 

250 g Lasagne sheets

 

Meat Sauce

750g lean beef mince

125g Streaky Bacon, finely chopped (optional)

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed and finely chopped or 10ml (2tsp) crushed garlic or flakes

1 large carrot, scraped and finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped (optional)

1 can (410g) chopped peeled tomatoes with juice

115 g tomatoe paste

250 ml (1 cup) white wine (optional)

250 ml (1 cup) beef stock

5 ml (1tsp) oreganum

5 ml (1tsp) basil

2 bay leaves

or a bundle of fresh herbs (bay leaves, parsley, thyme, marjoram, etc.)

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

 

White Sauce

125ml (1/2 cup) cake flour

100g butter

125ml (1/2 cup) Cheddar cheese

1 litre (4 cups) milk

salt and pepper to taste

 

5ml (1t) Cooking Oil

 

Preparation method

 

Meat Sauce

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the bacon, onion, garlic, carrot and celery for five minutes

2. Add the mince and cook until browned, breaking up with a fork until crumbling.

3. Add the tomatoes, tomatoe paste, wine, stock, herbs, bay leaves and seasoning.

4. Simmer on low heat for 1 hour, adding more water if the mixture cooks dry.

 

White Sauce

1. Melt the butter in another pan.

2. Stir in the flour and cook for one minute

3. Gradually stir in the milk until the mixure is smooth and thickened.

4. Season to taste, add the Cheddar cheese and stir until melted.

 

Preheat the oven to 180ºC.

 

5. In an overproof dish, layer the white sauce, meat sauce and lasagne

Continue in this fashion, ending with a thick layer of white sauce.

7. Sprinkle with cheese and paprika.

8. Stand for 30 minutes before baking it for about 30 minutes.

[Pippen]

Here's our favorite. I usually double or triple the sauce to have on hand in the freezer.

 

Italian Lasagna

Sauce

1 lb ground beef

1 lb mild Italian sausage

3-8 ounce cans tomato sauce (24 ounces total)

2-6 oz cans tomato paste (12 ounces total)

3 garlic cloves, minced (I only use 2 if they’re really big cloves)

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons sugar

In a skillet, cook beef and sausage over medium heat, drain well. Add the remaining sauce ingredients. Simmer uncovered for one hour, stirring occasionally. (I usually add ½ cup water because it seems too thick to simmer that long).

Filling- In a bowl, combine cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, eggs, parmesan cheese, and parsley.

3 cups cottage cheese

8 oz carton ricotta cheese

3 eggs

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons minced parsley

9 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained

3 cups shredded mozzarella, divided

5 slices provolone cheese

Layer with the following in an ungreased 9 x 13 dish (I usually non-stick spray).

1) 1 cup sauce, spread over bottom

2) 3 noodles

3) 6 slices provolone cheese

4) 2 cups cottage cheese mixture

5) 1 cup mozzarella

6) 3 noodles

7) 2 cups meat sauce

8) remaining cottage cheese mixture

9) 1 cup mozzarella

10) 3 noodles

11) remaining meat sauce

12 remaining mozzarella

Cover with aluminum foil (the pan is very full so I often use foil to build up the sides about an inch before covering). Bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes. Uncover, and bake 20 minutes longer or until middle seems hot. Let stand 15 minutes before eating.

This is the only dish I make with Italian seasoning so I make it according to this recipe:

1/2 teaspoon each oregano, marjoram, basil plus 1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage

[dansamy]

Stouffer's! :lol:

[mommaduck]

This is called the Lazy Woman's Lasagna. I've been making it for years.

 

2 packs of lasagna noodles (do not pre-cook!)

ground meat (beef or sausage) defrosted

2 cans of sauce

2 large containers of cottage cheese (or 1-2 of cottage cheese and 1 of ricotta)

1 large package of shredded cheese (we like the fiesta blend or an Italian blend...you can choose your own preference)

2 eggs

1 large onion

(green peppers or zucchini if you so choose...this is a very flexible recipe)

seasonings to your choosing (Italian seasoning, garlic, etc)

 

Bowl 1 (red mix):

Sauce

ground meat (raw)

(seasonings and/or added veggies)

 

Bowl 2 (white mix):

all cheeses

eggs

onion

 

Pans (one large, high sided pan or two smaller, short sided pans):

thin layer of sauce on the bottom

layer sheets of lasagna, red mix, white mix (repeat in that order till done)

add final layer of lasagna

top with a light layer of sauce

pour some water on the top and around the sides (this seals it and give more liquid for the noodles to cook properly)

 

I think I cook mine on 400 degrees until done.

Sorry, nothing is precise. I've been doing this for a long time (I didn't know how to cook when I married and this recipe was a life saver for me) and I have a large family, so I cook a lot of it.

Edited September 1, 2010 by mommaduck

[BikeBookBread]

This takes WAY too long, but it is foolproof and amazingly good:

 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/the-ultimate-lasagna-recipe/index.html

[Harriet Vane]

The one, really key thing I have learned about lasagna is to NOT COOK THE NOODLES. Just layer everything together using uncooked noodles. I do this no matter what ingredients or what recipe I am using.

 

My recipe is almost identical to Ree's:

 

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/the_best_lasagn/

 

Here's what I do differently:

 

--DO NOT COOK THE NOODLES.

--I use Italian sausage rather than ground beef and breakfast sausage.

--I use at least half a head of garlic. Two cloves is just not enough.

[Annie G]

This takes WAY too long, but it is foolproof and amazingly good:

 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/the-ultimate-lasagna-recipe/index.html

 

Hoe deep is your lasagna pan that you can make this recipe, which calls for 2 pounds of noodles, 4 pounds of meat, and 3 packages of ricotta? And it only serves 8? I honestly thought this recipe was going to make 2 pans- you know, since it's so time consuming, just make 2 and freeze one.

I bet it's delicious lasagna!

[BikeBookBread]

Hoe deep is your lasagna pan that you can make this recipe, which calls for 2 pounds of noodles, 4 pounds of meat, and 3 packages of ricotta? And it only serves 8? I honestly thought this recipe was going to make 2 pans- you know, since it's so time consuming, just make 2 and freeze one.

I bet it's delicious lasagna!

 

I've never used anything but my regular 9 x 13 Pyrex as the recipe calls for. It really did fit! It kind of condenses down.

[ma23peas]

Homemade sauce...

 

one onion chopped ( i prefer sweet yellow onions)

6 cloves garlic minced (always use fresh!)

1/2 cup fresh chopped Italian parsley

3 28 ounce cans of tomato puree (hate chunky tomato stuff)

1/2 cup of red wine (I usually don't have that so I just put 1/2-1 cup water as I see it needs it)

4 T olive oil

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

salt to taste (use kosher salt)

pepper to taste

1 T oregano

1 T basil

 

Sautee onion in oil first, after their clearish, add garlic and parsley for a few minutes...then sauce and remaining ingredients, let this simmer

 

1 pound Italian sausage

1-2 pounds ground beef (just depends on how much beef you like)

 

Brown both of these and add it to your sauce....

Let that simmer...

 

Lay out one big bowl (16 ounces..sometimes I use more) of shredded mozzarella

 

Have 16 slices of provolone (I cut them into 4 pieces)

 

Have 2 cups of Ricotta cheese (cottage cheese grosses me out) mixed with 2 raw eggs

 

Have a package of Lasagna noodles boiling...

 

when they're bendable, take them out and lay them on papertowels on cookie sheet, saves you from having a watery lasagna

 

layer one spoon of meat sauce on bottom of 9x13 pan..

then noodles, then sauce, then 4 dollops of ricotta mixture and I swirl it in with beef sauce...then I layer the provolone (about 4 complete slices per layer) then mozzarella...repeat with noodles and the steps

 

top with sauce and put mozzarella on top (parmesan too if you like it)

 

Bake at 375 for about an hour, I keep mine covered lightly with aluminum foil until the last 15 minutes...

 

It's not hard once you do it a few times, if I don't have time to make my own sauce I'll use 2 jars of Prego sauce....

 

Tara

[OnTheBrink]

The one, really key thing I have learned about lasagna is to NOT COOK THE NOODLES. Just layer everything together using uncooked noodles. I do this no matter what ingredients or what recipe I am using.

 

My recipe is almost identical to Ree's:

 

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/the_best_lasagn/

 

Here's what I do differently:

 

--DO NOT COOK THE NOODLES.

--I use Italian sausage rather than ground beef and breakfast sausage.

--I use at least half a head of garlic. Two cloves is just not enough.

 

I do the same thing, except I put a cup of water over the whole thing, cover with foil and bake. Do your noodles come out ok without the water? What kind of noodles do you use? Other than that, I follow the recipe as written, but I could add more garlic. That's a good idea.

[jujsky]

I've made this one several times and EVERYONE loves it:

 

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/emeril-turkey-lasagna.html

 

The bolognese sauce takes quite some time to make so I suggest you make that in the morning or early afternoon & put the lasagna together in time for dinner.

[kesmom]

We like the Pioneer Woman recipe, though I do change a few things. (less salt, more garlic, no boil noodles)

[mrsrevmeg]

My family loves this one: World's Best Lasagna. It is a bit time-consuming, but worth it! I'll never try a different recipe after find this one.

*** I do omit the salt and sugar, but other than that, I have always made it as-is

Edited September 1, 2010 by mrsrevmeg
forgot about something

[ladydusk]

I've taken to making mine in the crockpot and it is a hit!

[hornblower]

If you were going to make one to freeze, would you assemble & bake & then freeze, or would you just assemble & freeze?

 

 

btw - I make mine with Yves Cuisine ground round (meat substitute); it's an easy way to make a vegetarian lasagna that looks 'real'.

[mchel210]

I always cook the recipe on the barilla box...and it tastes yummy. I use poma tomatoes...they are in a white box instead of a can. They do not have citric acid which bothers my kids...and it always tastes yummy! I usually add double the ricotta and mozzarella cheese. I love cheese. I just shred a big block.

[OnTheBrink]

If you were going to make one to freeze, would you assemble & bake & then freeze, or would you just assemble & freeze?

 

 

btw - I make mine with Yves Cuisine ground round (meat substitute); it's an easy way to make a vegetarian lasagna that looks 'real'.

 

I always assemble, bake, cool, then freeze.

[Harriet Vane]

If you were going to make one to freeze, would you assemble & bake & then freeze, or would you just assemble & freeze?

 

 

btw - I make mine with Yves Cuisine ground round (meat substitute); it's an easy way to make a vegetarian lasagna that looks 'real'.

 

I assemble and freeze. Works just fine.

[Harriet Vane]

I do the same thing, except I put a cup of water over the whole thing, cover with foil and bake. Do your noodles come out ok without the water? What kind of noodles do you use? Other than that, I follow the recipe as written, but I could add more garlic. That's a good idea.

 

I use normal lasagna noodles--whatever is on sale.

 

I am generous with my tomato sauce. Adding a cup of water seems like it would be fine too though.

[Amber in AUS]

Thankyou all so much! What a great bunch of recipes. I will read through thoroughly and work with the one i have most ingredients for :) Looking forward to it tonight!