A Guide To Lasagna (Plus 3 Amazing Recipes!)
When it comes to comforting meals that warm you from the inside out, it doesn’t get much better than lasagna. The comfort that’s elicited from layers of tender pasta, velvety sauce, gooey cheese, and depending on the type, a myriad of different meats and vegetables is next to none. Recipes for this classic comfort tend to be passed down from generation to generation, some of which are more of a set of instructions than a list of specific ingredients.
In this article I’m sharing three recipes for this cozy dish, two of which are those that my Mom has been making for years. They’re simple and can easily be made on your busiest nights. The third recipe is a little more elevated, and is sure to impress! Read on to learn more about lasagna and try these recipes out yourself!
What Is Lasagna?
Lasagna is a baked Italian pasta dish featuring long, thin, flat sheets of pasta which are layered with various fillings. The traditional version features a rich red sauce, soft and creamy cheese, and ground meat such as Italian spicy sausage. It’s a beloved dish to many, with countless recipes and variations.
How To Make Lasagna
This quintessential layered dish is easy to make so long as you have the components of your dish prepared and ready to go. The key is ensuring you have multiple layers of your ingredients, yielding major flavor and delicious texture.
Here is the order of ingredients I use whenever I’m making lasagna:
- Sauce. Starting with a layer of sauce helps with sticking to the pan, and also allows the lasagna noodles to absorb the sauce as well.
- Lasagne. There are two types of lasagne you can use when making this dish: oven ready and those you need to boil in advance. The convenience that comes with the oven ready variety is tough to beat, and I personally can’t tell the difference between them!
- Filling. Whether you’re adding meat or vegetables to your lasagna, I like adding about 1/3 to half of what I’m working with in this first layer of filling.
- Cheese mixture. If you’re making a red sauce lasagna, adding a mixture of either ricotta cheese or cottage cheese mixed with parmesan provides small pockets of cheesey goodness. A sprinkle of shredded cheese also doesn’t hurt! Adding this layer of cheese before starting this entire process over helps keep everything glued together.
What To Serve With Lasagna
When lasagna is served as a main course, there are a number of delicious things you can serve with it to round out the meal:
- Wine. A glass of wine is almost a requirement with lasagna. Depending on the ingredients used in your lasagna, you can opt for a red or white wine. I love a Cabernet Sauvignon with a hearty red sauce Soave or Pinto Grigio with a lighter or white sauced lasagna.
- Bread. More carbs please! Bonus points if there’s copious amounts of garlic with it, too!
- Salad. Prepping your palate with something fresh is a pro move. I like my Fennel, Cucumber, And Hazelnut Salad
as a light and refreshing starter, or else mixed greens dressed simply olive oil and vinegar. - Something sweet. The only way to make this meal even more perfect is serving a sweet treat for dessert. Like wine, your dessert will depend on the type of lasagna you’re serving. Something dark and rich is unbeatable with a red sauce lasagnas. Try this Chocolate Pudding Cake or this 3 Ingredient Chocolate Mousse! If you’re looking for something lighter to pan with a white sauce lasagna, my Apple Frangipane Tarts or Amaretto Creams would be excellent options.
Delicious Lasagna Recipes
This is the lasagna I grew up on! It’s a cinch to prepare and always satisfies. Ground beef and Italian sausage are layered with a cottage cheese and parmesan mixture and rich marinara. This classic version is the kind that everyone has their own recipe for and loves! I, of course, am partial to this one.
Over the years my Mom continued to test and update her lasagna recipe, resulting in the addition of tender vegetables. Sometimes she would keep the meat in the dish, and other times should would make it vegetarian. This version (my favorite) includes par-boiled carrots and zucchini, along with mushrooms and spinach. It’s so hearty and filling, I often find that I don’t even miss the meat!
If you’re looking for a lasagna recipe to impress, this is it! Earthy mushrooms with pancetta are layered with a smoked mozzarella and sage cheese sauce that’s practically sinful. It’s topped with even more roasted mushrooms that not only is a stunning presentation, but also serves as a visual indication of what’s in this savory and incredible dish.
If you try any of my recipes be sure to use the hashtag #sohappyyoulikedit and tag @sohappyyoulikedit on social media so I can see your creations!
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