Classic lasagna: step by step recipe with photo

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Classic lasagna, along with pizza, is a real traditional Italian dish, as well as a culinary symbol of this state. In appearance, the dish is an original cake, in which special sheets perform the function of cakes, and bechamel sauce connects them together, complementing them with aroma and delicate taste. How to cook delicious and mouth-watering classic lasagna step by step, we will tell in our article.

The history of lasagna

Originally, the word "lasagne" was used to define dishes, according to the translation from Greek - the so-called hot plates. The Romans understood lasagna as boilers in which porridge was cooked. However, many years later, having undergone various semantic transformations, the meaning of the word was transformed and acquired a meaning that is understandable in our time.

The classic lasagna recipe has been known for a long time. Previously, it was cooked in a pan, putting stew or bechamel sauce on top of sheets of thin dough together with grated cheese. A little later, the inhabitants of Poland changed their uniformserving and named the Italian dish lasagne.

Indispensable attribute of modern classic lasagna is an amazing sauce that can be purchased at the supermarket or prepared by yourself, which does not require much effort or time. A detailed description of the preparation of the sauce can be found in the recipes of the Italian dish presented by us.

Helpful tips

During the preparation of classic lasagna, novice housewives, who are always afraid of spoiling the taste of a new dish for them, may have several controversial questions regarding the correctness of the selected ingredients. We will try to figure out what can affect the taste of an Italian dish.

1. In the event that ready-made purchased sheets are taken as the basis for lasagna, you need to carefully read the instructions, perhaps they should first be dipped in boiling water.
2. An excellent substitute for tomato paste is fresh tomatoes.
3. To make the lasagna juicy and well soaked, don't skimp on the amount of béchamel sauce.

Before eating lasagna, let it stand for a while so that all layers stick together better and it is convenient to cut it into pieces.

Classic lasagne step by step

The first time a traditional Italian dish can take at least half a day to prepare. This is due to the fact that in addition to cooking the lasagna itself, it is necessary to devote a lot of time to the constituent parts of the dish, namely: to prepare the sauce and thin sheets of dough. However, it's worth it. The dish is juicy, nutritious, satisfying, and also divinely delicious.

The following products are useful for the test:

• egg - 1 pc.;
• flour - 300 g;
• vegetable oil - 2 tbsp. l.

For stuffing:

• minced meat - 350 g;
• tomato paste - 3 tbsp. l.;
• onion - 2 pcs.;
• cheese - 150g

For sauce:

• butter - 120 g;
• cream - 300 ml;
• flour - 1 tbsp. l.

How to make sauce?

To start cooking classic lasagna (the photo of the dish is in the article), you need to prepare the ingredients for bechamel sauce. To do this, melt the butter, adding cream, flour, and some spices to it. As a rule, ground nutmeg is taken for this, but you can also stop at oregano or basil. After that, the future sauce is thoroughly mixed, until the lumps of flour disappear in it. In the event that when using the listed ingredients, the bechamel turns out to be too fat, you can replace the cream with milk.

In addition, minced garlic and a little pepper are also used to enhance the taste of the sauce, depending on the chef's preferences.

Practical part

Cooking lasagna should start with preparing the dough. To do this, you need to mix ingredients such as flour, s alt, egg, water and a small amount of vegetable oil. After obtaining a homogeneous mass, the batch must be laid out on a table sprinkled with flour and for sometime to crush it with your hands so that it does not stick to your palms. Then it must be covered with a towel and left for half an hour.

This time should be devoted to preparing the filling. Chop the prepared onion into small cubes and fry in vegetable oil until half cooked, then add the minced meat to the onion. Simmer for 3 minutes and use a spatula to grind all large pieces of meat. Then put the tomato paste into the pan and bring everything to a boil.

After a certain time, you must return to the test. It should be rolled out into 3 equal parts with a thickness of about 2 mm and cut off the edges according to the size of the baking sheet, from which another same layer should be obtained.

After that, you can begin to form the lasagna. To do this, the bottom of the baking sheet should be smeared with bechamel sauce, then lay the first sheet and place a third of the minced meat on top of it. Next comes another layer of sauce, which is covered with grated cheese. So all layers are repeated in turn 3 or 4 times, depending on the number of rolled sheets obtained. The top of the lasagna is covered with bechamel and a thick layer of grated cheese. This masterpiece of Italian cuisine is baked for 40 minutes in the oven.

Classic lasagna recipe with photo

If you cook a dish based on this version of the recipe, the lasagna turns out to be quite satisfying, appetizing and unusually tasty. As a rule, many housewives prefer meat stuffing, but it can be variedvegetables, fish, and mushrooms with olives. The resulting dish is great for both lunch and dinner. In its homeland, classic lasagna is served as a first course. It is more convenient to cook it in separate portions.

The following components will come in handy:

• minced meat - 350 g;
• lasagna sheets - 500g;
• carrot - 1 pc.;
• onion - 1 pc.;
• cheese - 250 g;
• flour - 3 tbsp. l.;
• cream - 450 g;
• wine - 180 ml;
• butter - 65g

Preparing sauce and lasagna sheets

The process must begin with the preparation of the ingredients. To do this, melt the butter, flour and cream in a saucepan. Stir the contents thoroughly so that no lumps form.

Purchased layers must be boiled for about 5 minutes. The water in which they will be boiled must be s alted and a little vegetable oil added to it.

Step-by-step recommendations

Preparing this popular Italian dish, you need to start by chopping onions and carrots. Then the vegetables need to be fried in a preheated pan until half cooked, then add the minced meat and mix all the ingredients. While frying, you need to constantly stir until the contents turn light brown.

At the time when the meat leaves the juice, you can pour a little red wine into the pan. Next, the filling should be stewed until the alcohol has completely evaporated. The next step is to add tomato paste or finely chopped canned tomatoes to the minced meat.(The paste should completely cover the future filling). The contents must be brought to a boil, s alt, pepper, add bay leaves and leave to simmer for 45 minutes.

After the allotted time, you need to start forming the classic lasagna. To do this, carefully grease a baking sheet with oil, then put the first prepared layer of lasagne sheets on the bottom, the third part of the filling, a little béchamel sauce and grated cheese. You need to repeat the steps 3 times. The top of the national Italian dish should be smeared with a layer of sauce and sprinkled with grated cheese. Bake the dish for 20 minutes in a preheated oven at 200 ° C.