# Lasagna time! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [February 18, 2023, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasagna-time/980008 "2023-02-18T19:54:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasagna-time/980008/41 "2023-02-20T03:10:47Z")
Hi, everyone! Sorry for abandoning this thread but it has been a very busy, fulfilling weekend- we went to Shen Yun, had the dinner party, etc, and I just had to put the phone down. My apologies for not live-posting as I did in my fried chicken thread. Dinner was a smashing success, the lasagna coming out perfectly. The guests brought tiramisu and a Caesar salad with homemade dressing, which was fantastic. I also had garlic cheese bread (cheese garlic bread?), I started the meal with a dedication to my guests, food was served, and the night went perfectly. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasagna-time/980008/42 "2023-02-20T03:28:27Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > The mixing of the sauce in the pasta is more American, but not exclusive at all. It again depends on which hills/villages your family came from. But yes, most Italians serve the pasta and sauce separately. I prefer the Italian-American way that you described. Mix the sauce in and have extra to add to taste (or for bread.) I’m no expert, but my understanding was always the same as what @pulykamell said – that premixing the sauce with the pasta is the traditional Italian method. This is also what I tend to see in supposedly authentic Italian recipes. It also seems to make sense because of the fact that in traditional Italian meals, the pasta is just a small course preliminary to the main entree, whereas I tend to associate a plateful of spaghetti with generous amounts of sauce on top (and maybe with meatballs) as being the American style of serving spaghetti as a whole meal. FTR, while I prefer spaghetti with sauce on top for the flavour and texture contrasts, I generally end up having it both ways because the only practical way to keep leftovers is to premix the remaining sauce with the remaining pasta. > [@JohnT](#): > > Dinner was a smashing success, the lasagna coming out perfectly. Thanks for the update! I expected it would be a success as you really seem to know your way around the kitchen. But you failed to answer the two crucial questions of the day: 1. Did Luna get any lasagna? 2. What’s up with the cats? I’ve never known you to harbour felines. 🐈 ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasagna-time/980008/43 "2023-02-20T03:35:46Z")
Was there wine? What did you serve, or would have served? This is where I lose complete credibility: I usually serve a White Zinfandel with lasagna 😳. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasagna-time/980008/44 "2023-02-20T03:43:31Z")
My ladyfriend supplied the wine. She brought red and white, preferring white wine herself. Luna definitely got lasagna. And the cats are my roommate’s cats, Findlay (orange) and Little Bit (because she lost a little bit of her ear). Luna loves the cats and it’s a very peaceful household. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasagna-time/980008/45 "2023-02-20T04:51:05Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Dinner isn’t until 7pm, but I’m starting early in case my base meat sauce is too liquidy - will give me extra time to properly reduce it. My mother had a lasagna recipe that started with tomatoes so it as a two-day job to make it. She’d make a triple batch and freeze two. Once she went shopping with a friend, they got back for lunch and she popped one of the frozen ones in for it. Friend thought it was delicious, asked for and got the recipe. Skip a couple months and the friend went shopping with another friend, got back and decided to try the recipe for dinner, starting at 3pm. She was complaining about it to my mom, “We didn’t get to eat until ten o’clock – we got so hungry!” “Seven hours? That was fast; it takes me two days.” “What are you talking about? When we had it for lunch it was only an hour, and we spent most of that time talking.” When she was telling me the story, mom added, “Stupid woman – the recipe was on four file cards!” ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasagna-time/980008/46 "2023-02-20T05:19:47Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > This is where I lose complete credibility: I usually serve a White Zinfandel with lasagna 😳. You’re fine. My then-girlfriend loved White Zinfandel with any kind of Italian cooking. Hey, if she was going to prepare and cook the meal, who was I to complain about the wine she selected? And after we got married, we prepared the Italian meal together, and always had White Zinfandel with it. It worked for us and made many happy memories. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasagna-time/980008/47 "2023-02-20T06:01:40Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Something from Bologna is fresh spinach pasta sheets, bolognese, and bechamel. Sounds like you are probably living in Europe if bechamel is the default and I’m guessing your husband is American, more used to ricotta styles? My colleague is from the Bologna area and that lasagna fits his recipe to a t. And yes, he even makes the spinach pasta sheets from scratch, so making lasagna is an all-day. Yes, we’re in German-speaking Switzerland, but I grew up in the Pacific Northwest. > [@pulykamell](#): > > For example, here’s a typical recipe for spaghetti pomodoro: the sauce is cooked, some of the past water is used to thicken up the sauce and help it stick, the spaghetti is finished in the sauce, and served. I have two Italians in my team. They definitely follow this practice. > [@nelliebly](#): > > This was all long before we Americans started eating more authentic ethnic foods, and spaghetti for many non-Italians was made from a bland recipe in a Betty Crocker cookbook or the like. I think this might have been the recipe my parents followed. I remember canned mushrooms in the spaghetti sauce - I might still have the recipe written down. My husband’s aunt married an Italian-American, and she would make lasagna (according to her mother-in-law’s recipe) for many of the holidays. I think I have that recipe as well, but my current recipe is from Cook’s Illustrated. ---
**Author:** ![tofor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tofor/32/13727_2.png) [@tofor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tofor)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasagna-time/980008/48 "2023-02-20T11:51:14Z")
I just want to counter all the Ricotta love by saying I grew up with Ricotta Lasagna, which I always liked, but my wife introduced me to Cottage Cheese Lasagna, and I definitely prefer it. Such is taste. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasagna-time/980008/49 "2023-02-20T13:00:20Z")
Re: your frypan pic: Is that the ground beef with the sausage? Did you grind up the sausage yourself? Or when will you add the sausage. I’ve never used sausage before so am getting interested in how that works. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasagna-time/980008/50 "2023-02-20T13:14:36Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > We always boiled the noodles first. Rather _al dente_ but still mostly cooked. When i tried to make lasagna, this was my intention. And the first couple of slabs of pasta worked. And after that, they got too soft and stuck to each other and it was just a nightmare. What’s the trick? ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasagna-time/980008/51 "2023-02-20T13:18:07Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > When i tried to make lasagna, this was my intention. And the first couple of slabs of pasta worked. And after that, they got too soft and stuck to each other and it was just a nightmare. > > What’s the trick? Use the pasta that doesn’t need to be boiled first. It soaks up the moisture as it cooks in the oven. Super easy! See the pic in the first post of this thread. The box says oven ready pasta. That’s what you want. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasagna-time/980008/52 "2023-02-20T13:25:33Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > Is that the ground beef with the sausage? Did you grind up the sausage yourself? Yes. No, I just bought some Jimmy Dean hot sausage and crumbled it up, browning it with the beef. My ingredients (excepting cheese) are pictured. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasagna-time/980008/53 "2023-02-20T13:30:33Z")
Thank you John - great thread with pics. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasagna-time/980008/54 "2023-02-20T13:44:46Z")
100% a bechamel girl here, I wouldn’t dream of using ricotta. But then, as someone mentioned up thread, I think it’s a US vs Europe thing. My absolute favourite recipe is from Nigella Lawson, her Lasagne of Love. The pancetta gives it a lovely smokey edge. > **[Lasagne of Love](https://www.nigella.com/recipes/lasagne-of-love)** > > This is what I make for my children’s birthday celebrations, for farewell suppers to send them off before they go away, and for the dinners to welcome them back when they come home again. It’s our family take on a traditional lasagne, though I’m not... ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasagna-time/980008/55 "2023-02-20T13:48:48Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > Use the pasta that doesn’t need to be boiled first. I’ll look for that. But some people do pre-boil the pasta, and i want to understand how they do it. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasagna-time/980008/56 "2023-02-20T14:13:59Z")
It’s pretty much covered in the link in the OP: you boil the pasta to where it’s a little tough. Add salt and a bit of olive oil to the water so the pasta won’t stick (I have a friend who adds a dab of olive oil to the bowl she puts her boiled pasta in, mixing it with every slice, so the stuff doesn’t stick together), and you should be OK. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasagna-time/980008/57 "2023-02-20T14:54:46Z")
I boil the pasta - I’m not 100% sure what you are referring to, but one thing I do that I rarely (if ever) see in recipes is “dry” the pasta. When it is done cooking , I lay each piece individually on kitchen towels and that keeps them from sticking. But you have to do it fast. ---
**Author:** ![tofor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tofor/32/13727_2.png) [@tofor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tofor)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasagna-time/980008/58 "2023-02-20T15:25:41Z")
Or put them in cold water when done boiling. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasagna-time/980008/59 "2023-02-20T15:34:04Z")
I use pancetta as well. Or sometimes prosciutto, for a slightly different taste. The recipe I use for bolognese also uses a couple of chicken livers, which enrich their sauce without adding much of a livery flavor. It’s a recipe by the Simili Sisters of Bologna (who are apparently legendary in the area) that I read in Saveur Magazine about twenty and change years ago. Since then, it’s been my go to recipe. The Nigella recipe is fairly similar, but with extra spicing and a mix of beef and pork, so I’ll have to give it a try next time. But same general technique with meat, milk, and wine in the bolognese. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasagna-time/980008/60 "2023-02-20T15:46:41Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > Use the pasta that doesn’t need to be boiled first. It soaks up the moisture as it cooks in the oven. Super easy! I haven’t boiled lasagne noodles in 35 years, and I don’t buy the special noodles. Just add a little extra liquid to the sauce. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasagna-time/980008.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lasagna-time/980008.md?page=4)