Basic Italian Lasagna Recipe

To make basic lasagna, one of the first things that you should know about Italian

lasagna recipes is authentic Italian lasagna will call for simple, bchamel sauce, in addition to shredded cheese and ricotta cheese. When choosing a lasagna noodle, know that it really doesnt matter what type of a lasagna noodle you use, the layering process is going to be the same regardless. Ideally you really should use a 13-by-9-inch metal, glass or ceramic pan so that your sheets of lasagna can easily rest against the corners of your pan. It is also helpful to grease the bottom of your pan using a cooking spray or olive oil. Have several cups of your favorite homemade spaghetti sauce or ready-made spaghetti sauce or something in between. When making a meat lasagna, ground beef and/or ground Italian sausage work well.

1. Layer of Sauce-Spread a small amount of your sauce, preferably a chunky, meat sauce, to moisten the bottom layers of your pasta

2. Layer One of Lasagna-On the bottom of the pan lay down your first layer of noodles. This needs to be a layer of large, whole noodles that are laid crosswise. If there are any broken noodles, use them in the middle where they will not be seen. Spread with a ricotta mixture. Pour in a cup or so of sauce, you will want to spread your sauce evenly over the ricotta.

3. Layers Two to Four of Lasagna-repeat the following until the layer is about of an inch in on the top of pan: lasagna noodles, tomato sauce, shredded cheese, and bchamel sauce

4. Top Layer of Lasagna-Whenever you reach your top and final layer you will want to spread a layer of your tomato sauce, make sure that the pasta is covered, then you will cover it with bchamel sauce, shredded cheese, and grated Parmesan. This top layer is the same regardless of whether you are using meat or vegetable (spinach) based sauce because it will give your lasagna an attractive crust. Make sure that you dont add any small pieces of vegetables or chunks of meat to the top layer of your lasagna though because they will simply dry out while you are cooking your lasagna in the oven.

5. Baking the Lasagna-You will want to cook your lasagna at 350 degrees until the top turns brown in spots and the sauce is bubbling throughout the pan. This usually takes 40-50 minutes. If you have any doubts as to whether or not your lasagna is actually done, you can stick a knife into the center of your pan. You will want to hold it there for a couple of seconds. Whenever you remove your knife, it should be really hot. This is one sure way to know that your lasagna has been cooked the whole way through. If you use a cooking thermometer, the temperature should be 160 degrees.

Once your lasagna is cooked, you will want to take it out of the oven and allow it to sit for five minutes to ten minutes before serving it. This will allow it to set and it will hold firm when cutting.

Not in the mood to do it yourself? Head over to an Italian restaurant like Mama Jennies for delicious homemade Italian lasagna.

by: Kristy Mills

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