As a lover of lasagna, I was wondering if y’all could describe the perfect lasagna to me:
How many layers?
What meat(s)?
What cheese(s)?
What spices?
What else?
If there is a regional version that you especially like, throw that in the mix too.
The best I’ve ever had swaps out the ricotta for mozzarella.
My favorite is Bololgna style: fresh homemade spinach (or plain) sheets, bechamel with a bit of nutmeg for the white layer, ragu bolognese for the red layer, and plenty of parmesan sprinkled on both the red and white layers. I didn’t think I liked lasagna much until I discovered this basic kind.
ETA: this is the one.
That’s how I make mine. I’ve never been a fan of ricotta, and I always swap it out for extra mozzarella.
Oh hell no! The ricotta is the best part. It must have both. Non-negotiable. And nutmeg belongs nowhere near tomato sauce. Bleah.
It must have at least five layers of noodles, meat sauce, ricotta, mozzarella and the usual Italian spice mix in the sauce.
Mine. Got the recipe from my mother and you’re not getting it. Play your cards right, I might have you over for a wedge. Followed by my world-famous banana pudding. Maybe.
I just discovered the béchamel variation and really liked it. I can’t eat spinach (I break out in hives head to toe), but other than that I’m willing to experiment with this version.
This sounds right to me. I sometimes add a little sharp cheddar to the top layer.
Well, for one: NO CINNAMON! It has to have meat sauce, no vegetarian lasagna. Yes to ricotta, but not too much. Lots of layers of noodles. And did I mention NO CINNAMON!
I don’t think I’ve ever had cinnamon in lasagna. Who does that?
You don’t have to use spinach–just make a plain lasagna dough. It’ll work fine.
I use this recipe by the Simili sisters for the bolognese. Marcella Hazan’s is also very good. The key to bolognese is to remember you’re making a meat sauce, not a sauce with meat. It should look like a sloppy joe at the end, more or less. And the bechamel layer is pretty standard: flour, butter, milk, salt, little bit of nutmeg. No need to overspice it–the only spices or herbs you’re using is salt, pepper, and a hint of nutmeg. By far the best lasagna I’ve ever eaten. With the parmesan and the concentrated ragu with its meat and tomatoes, the thing is just one big umami bomb.
I have had it in several places over the years. Not real common, but not exactly rare either.
Yeah, googling, it seems like there’s a number of recipes out there with cinnamon. Tyler Florence’s being one. It doesn’t sound like it would be bad to me, as long as it wasn’t overpowering. I’ve just never come across it before.
Now that I think of it, I’ve had it in Greek pastitsio (another lasagna-like dish), so I guess I could see it working for me, although it’s not what I expect from the lasagnas I’m used to.
I should add my lasagne is probably drier and/or meatier than some may like. More for me!
Welllllll…
To me lasagna is not one dish, it is a type of dish, with many possibilities. It’s sort of like asking “What is the perfect sandwich to you?”
Marbled rye, lean corn beef, Havarti, cranberry mustard.
I apologize but you are all wrong, because the best lasagna is mine, and I have witnesses.
I rarely use ricotta, but sometimes; while mozzarella, parmesan and a sharp cheddar are always present, the other cheeses are mixed and matched for the correct balance of taste, weight, and moisture, depending on the conditions. It’s very saucy, beefy, and ideally has at least three layers (if I am making it at someone else’s house - and yes, people ask me all the time - it all depends what tools are at my disposal.) Spinach added to the goop makes for excellent texture and a more interesting appearance.
Of course there is no cinnamon in it.
Exactly. So what’s your favorite type of lasagna? I could easily answer the sandwich question for the purposes of a thread.
Here’s my standard recipe:
1/4 cup tomato sauce (with “Italian spices” and garlic powder mixed in) along the bottom
Layer of pasta, then ricotta, then 1/2 cup sauce, then a layer of spinach, then a layer of mozzarella or “Italian 5-cheese blend”; repeat three times, then a fifth layer of pasta on top, then 1/4 cup of sauce on top of that. The only problem is, it’s higher than the edges of the baking dish.
No, I didn’t “forget the meat for the sauce”; for some reason, I prefer meatless sauces with pasta - especially with leftovers.
I’ve never made lasagna, as that’s one of the wife’s dishes. These all sound good. I can tell you the worst lasagna I ever had was a vegetable version. Undercooked veggies and undercooked pasta in a totally bland sauce. Blech.