I’m not sure it’s American culture so much as American restaurant culture to serve salad as a separate course. I don’t think I’ve been to dinner at anyone’s home where salad was served as a separate course, regardless of their ethnic background. Possibly a separate bowl/plate , but usually not even that.
Anyway, in the unlikely event that I was having people over and serving lasagna* as the main course, I would serve a salad with it.
* If I’m having people other than my kids over , it’s enough people that I have two or three main courses.
Usually I serve Lasagna with fresh rolls. That’s a meal.
Maybe for guests I’d include a basic green salad or some sliced tomatoes.
Lasagna dries out in the fridge. We like to finish the pan within two days. That’s another reason for making it the meal. There’s no point in stuffing our bellies with side dishes.
I don’t serve courses at my house. The meal is on the table and ready to eat. Usually all on one plate.
I seem to recall it was the same in the UK and Australia — basically outside North American English. Which makes me wonder why a word that so obviously should mean something like a starter ended up meaning “main course” here in the US.
I’m impressed that so many of you cook lasagna. I’ve found it a huge process, involving giant noodles sticking to themselves and breaking. So i don’t serve anything with lasagna.
But if you serve it to me, I’d like a salad. Or possibly some cold, fresh cut fruit.
You can always buy no-pre-cook noodles, and a lot of people use just regular lasagna sheets and just make sure the sauce is adequately saucy. I’ve done both, as well as make my own sheets, and while I do have a textural preference for pre-boiling both fresh and dry sheets, they all turn out fine.
The only hard part about lasagna is the time it takes, depending on how much you choose to make from scratch. Last week my youngest daughter requested lasagna, so it was dry sheets preboiled, my bolognese (which takes several hours to cook on the stove, but with about 30 minutes of active work), and bechamel. But I could easily shortcut that bolognese with just ground beef and/or sausage and jarred sauce, and even a jarred white sauce (mixed with ricotta if you do things that way), use no cook sheets and it’s done with very little work. (I’m particular about lasagna, though, so if I’m going to make it, I have to make at least my own fillings, if not the pasta.)
Then there’s also baked ziti, for a similar mix of ingredients and flavors, but without the layered effect and textures, and less fuss.
I know how to do it, and have, but I do think it’s generally more trouble than it’s worth. If you’ve taken your time with the red sauce, skip the formalities and just slop it over some noodles. I will be delighted.
I only bother with lasagna if it’s a holiday dinner or something- if it’s just me, my husband and maybe one of our kids, I’m making baked ziti. Way easier.
It’s mainly all the pots and pan and bowls that are dirtied during the prep and cooking that keep me from making it too often. The actual cooking skill involved is not very high. It’s a really easy dish to put together. And super duper easy if you use any of the short cuts @pulykamell mentions.
I haven’t pre-cooked the lasagna noodles/pasta in years. And I don’t buy the no pre-cook noodles either. The regular ones have always come out fine. Probably better because they aren’t mushy from being cooked twice.