Lasagna secrets?

Question

I know the concept of lasagna. My ex-husband makes lasagna my kids rave about, but I think it taste like a can of sauce. I boosted mine up with peppers and onions etc, but the kids hated it. And I honestly wasn't very impressed either. What is the secret to amazing lasagna?

Answer 1

Use sweet sausage instead of hamburger and add mushrooms and most important, let it sit on the counter for at least a half hour before you serve it. It lets it set.

Answer 2

This is classic lasagna, the old fashioned way does not call for ground beef, but if that's the meat you want to use it's ok.

1 pkt creamette lasagna, uncooked
1 pint ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 x eggs
1 lb bulk Italian sausage, cooked
drained
2 can classico di napoli, (tomato, and basil) pasta
sauce (or your own homemade sauce)
4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
orgeano

Preheat oven to 350F. Cook lasagna noodles as package directs. In bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan cheese and eggs; mix well. On bottom of 15x9" greased baking dish, spread 1/2 cup pasta sauce. Top with half each of the lasagna noodles, ricotta cheese mixture, sausage, pasta sauce and mozzarella.
Repeat layering. Top with parsley. Cover; bake 1 hour or until hot and bubbly.
Uncover; let stand 15 minutes before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

Note: You can now buy lagasna noodles that do not need to be pre-cooked. They work well just make sour you follow the cooking time on the box.

Answer 3

I use sausage and beef and season it with a package of spaghetti sauce seasoning mix and minced garlic. Pre-cook the meat to get most of the fat out before using. I also use spinach (that has been wrung out in a tea towel) and plenty of good ricotta NEVER cottage cheese. Season your ricotta with some parmesan cheese and some Italian Seasoning.

In a pinch, I've actually used a Stouffer's frozen spinach lasagna and took it out of the tray and put it in my own pan. I doctored the top with some good cheese and no one knew the difference.

Answer 4

Don't skimp. Use a good quality ricotti cheese between layers and glue the whole thing together with the best low moisture mozzarella you can get. I made tomato sauce from scratch and guess what? It tasted like it came out of a can! Which tells me that the secret is in the spices. Use fresh spices.

Answer 5

I think you have to use quality ingredients and that means a homemade sauce. I also use high quality cheeses including ricotta and pecorino romano. I use Barilla no bake pasta sheets with great success. Giada has a great recipe for classic lasagne on food network. I would try hers. It is a homemade style sauce that won't taste canned. It is a bechamel base with a tomato sauce added to it and it is more creamy than anything. I omit the spinach but otherwise make it just like she does and I think it is great. I bet your family will too.

Answer 6

I cook the noodles first so they are partially done. I also use ricotta, cottage cheese, mozzerella and a bechamel sauce. We usually skip on the meat sauce, since my kids won't touch that. I usually make a homemade sauce using tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and whatever seasonings I am feeling like at the moment.

Answer 7

Here are some perky lasagna ideas:

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/srch/recipe.cfm?bnrid=&recipe=lasagna&formSubmitVar=submitted

Sometimes I add Stouffer's spinach souffle (defrosted) to the ricotta mixture, minced garlic and fresh tomatos, and a layer of mozzarella cheese.

Similar to this filling.
http://www.stouffers.com/RecipesAndMenuIdeas/Recipe.aspx?RecipeID=28424

Answer 8

I use canned tomatoe sauce but I kick it up by,frying about two tablespoons of garlic in olive oil and then add tomatoe sauce and tomatoe paste add chicken bouillion and some red wine for flavoring and I think the sauce is what makes it good,then you add ricotta cheese,mozzerella and parmensan.

Answer 9

Use sausage instead of hamburger and when you make your sauce use one can of tomato paste and one of tomato sauce. Put in a package of spaghetti sauce mix and lots of garlic! I use cottage cheese because its cheaper than ricotta, I just use my hand held blender in it to smooth it out.
The real secret to good sauce is just enough sugar to barely be noticed. The sugar softens the acidic bite of the tomato sauce.

Answer 10

My pal says he places sugar in his marinara sauce and thats why it is so sturdy. i'm a Messycan, i will basically make tamales y enchiladas. i purchase my lasagna from Marie Callender.