Classic lasagna: step-by-step recipe

 

Lasagna is a simple recipe for preparing a gourmet dish, reminiscent of the process of assembling a construction set. Only products are used as ingredients. In the classic interpretation, these are sheets of pasta and two types of sauce. The prefix “al forno” in the recipe means the cooking technology - baking in the oven.

In this post, we'll show you how to make restaurant-quality lasagna at home. We will describe the recipe in detail for each component element.

Classic or al forno lasagna

The calling card of Italian cuisine is, of course, lasagna. The classic recipe is prepared on the basis of wide sheets of pasta, bechamel and bolognese sauces. The cooking process is time-consuming. But an amazing dish will be a worthy reward.

What you will need for the paste:

• All-purpose flour – 450 gr.;
• Eggs – 4 pcs.;
• Salt – a pinch (to taste);
• Sunflower oil – 30 ml;
• Water – 15-30 ml.

Classic or al forno lasagna

How to cook:

1. We'll have a big lasagna. For a homemade recipe, start with the dough. Sift the flour into a bowl, add salt, make a small well in the center.
2. Break the eggs inside, add water and oil.
3. Mix the liquid ingredients by hand, gradually adding flour.
4. Knead the dough to a relatively loose consistency.
5. Dust the surface with flour, transfer the dough and knead until smooth.
6. Wrap the formed ball with film.
7. Before making lasagna at home, let the dough rest for an hour. During this time, prepare the remaining ingredients.

What you will need for bechamel sauce:

• Butter – 60 gr.;
• Onion – 1 pc. weighing about 20 grams;
• Flour – 100 gr.;
• Milk - 1.5 l;
• Nutmeg – ½ whole;
• Salt – 1 tsp. (or to taste);
• Ground white pepper - to taste.

Bechamel sauce

How to cook:

1. Melt half the butter in a deep saucepan.
2. Add flour, fry slightly.
3. Add onions to the sauce to create a flavorful lasagna. The recipe is simple: separately fry finely chopped onion in the remaining butter until half cooked.
4. Add the onion to the flour, simmer everything together for a couple of minutes.
5. Gradually pour in the milk in a thin stream.
6. Whip the mixture with a whisk so that there are no lumps.
7. Bring the sauce to a boil, stirring.
8. Reduce heat to low and simmer for another 15 minutes until thickened.
9. Grate half or more nutmeg, add white pepper and salt to make a tasty and aromatic lasagna. Continue the classic recipe with step-by-step photos by preparing bolognese.

What you will need for Bolognese meat sauce:

• Bacon panachetta – 50 gr.;
• Butter - 15 g;
• Tomato paste – 40 gr.;
• Olive oil – 15 ml;
• White wine – 240 ml;
• Onion – 2 pcs. medium size approximately 140 g;
• Pork pulp – 230 gr.;
• Beef pulp – 230 gr.;
• Carrots – 1 small per 40 g;
• Celery – 40 gr.;
• Cream – 240 ml;
• Broth – 380 ml;
• Salt, pepper, nutmeg to taste.

Bolognese meat sauce

How to cook:

1. There is no classic lasagna without Bolognese ragu. For the recipe with photos, start by frying the bacon. Cut the piece into cubes, place in a saucepan, add olive oil and butter and fry until golden brown.
2. While the panachetta is frying, peel the vegetables and chop.
3. Add celery, carrots and onions to the bacon and fry until half cooked.
4. Pass two types of meat through a meat grinder.
5. Add the minced meat to the vegetables, cook over low heat for 5-7 minutes.
6. Add the wine and simmer until the liquid has almost completely evaporated.
7. Then add broth to create a rich, meaty lasagna. The classic recipe with photos of step-by-step preparation is coming to an end. Cook for about 30-40 minutes to concentrate the flavor.
8. Salt, pepper, add nutmeg and tomato paste.
9. Before turning off, add cream, do not bring to a boil. Remove from heat.

What you will need for tomato sauce:

• Olive oil – 20 ml;
• Onion – 1 medium;
• Garlic – 20 gr.;
• Tomatoes – 1 kg;
• Basil leaves – 30 gr.;
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Needed for tomato sauce

How to cook:

1. Before making lasagna at home, cook the tomato sauce in advance. To do this, peel and chop the onion, place in a saucepan with olive oil and fry.
2. Add the peeled garlic cloves and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
3. Peel the tomatoes and chop with a blender or knife.
4. Add tomatoes to the saucepan.
5. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until sauce-like consistency (about 40 minutes).
6. Chop the basil leaves, add to the tomatoes, simmer for another 5 minutes and turn off.

All main components are ready. But to repeat the lasagna recipe at home, it is identical to the restaurant serving, except for the main ones, use additional ingredients. Prepare the assembled dish “al forno”.

You will need for lasagna:

• Cooked pasta – 900 gr.;
• Bolognese meat sauce – 1.2 l.;
• Bechamel sauce – 1.5-2 l.;
• Parmesan – 150 gr.;
• Butter – 50 gr.;
• Tomato sauce – 0.9-1 l.

Lasagna recipe classic

How to cook:

1. A little more and the meat lasagna will be ready. To assemble the recipe, start with the dough. Divide the ball into equal parts. Roll out layers 1.5 mm thick. The approximate size of the rectangles is 13x30 cm. Also, be guided by your baking dish.
2. Bring water to boil in a large saucepan.
3. Add salt and place the sheets in boiling water for 10 seconds. Remove each to another container of cold water for 2 minutes.
4. Drain the water and place the sheets on paper to absorb excess moisture.
5. Grease the pan in which the lasagna will be baked. Continue the step-by-step recipe with photos with meat sauce. Pour a few spoonfuls into the bottom of the mold and smooth it out.
6. Lay out the bottom in layers with a slight overlap.
7. Apply a few spoons of bechamel.
8. Grate the cheese and sprinkle a pinch of cheese on the sauce.
9. Repeat the same sequence of layers 5 more times.
10. The last layer is bechamel with grated cheese.
11. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 200 degrees.

Classic lasagna recipe with vegetables

The fall season makes for particularly good lasagna. Prepare the classic recipe with vegetables at this time. The dish will be healthy, aromatic and quite filling. At the same time, it is quite simple to prepare.

You will need for lasagna:

• 6 sheets of ready-made, or better yet, homemade dough;
• 1 large homemade sweet pepper;
• 1 onion;
• 1 zucchini;
• 150 gr. Mozzarella;
• 4-6 leaves of fresh basil;
• 300 gr. sauce;
• 50 ml. olive oil.

Classic lasagna recipe with vegetables

How to cook:

1. Before preparing lasagna, wash the vegetables and cut them into small cubes. The approximate size should be 5mm.
2. Heat a wide frying pan with oil, add onion. Fry until half cooked.
3. Add pepper, fry for another 3-5 minutes.
4. Then add the zucchini cubes and fry for 5-7 minutes.
5. Grate the cheese onto a coarse grater and place in a bowl.
6. Prepare the pan in which the lasagna will be baked. A recipe for preparing a dish with vegetables at home requires much less time than a classic meat dish. We don't use bechamel here.
7. Grease the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of thick tomato sauce.
8. Place a layer of raw pasta sheets.
9. Place a little more paste on top of the sheets and spread in a thin layer.
10. Place about 1/2 of the fried vegetables on top and generously sprinkle with cheese.
11. Place another layer of pasta sheets on top.
12. Coat with sauce, lay out a layer of the second half of vegetables.
13. Place basil leaves over the entire pan and sprinkle with grated cheese.
14. The use of béchamel sauce is optional in this recipe. But if you cook it, vegetable lasagna will taste better. The simple recipe is well described above. Pour sauce over top.
15. Place the pan in the oven preheated to 190 degrees. Bake for 40 minutes.
16. Remove the finished dish from the oven and leave for 10 minutes. Then cut into portions and serve.

Lasagna with mushrooms and minced chicken

Lasagna with Bolognese sauce is considered classic. A recipe for cooking with chicken meat has no right to be considered a classic. But children eat tender meat more readily. Therefore, a variation on the classic recipe with chicken has become very popular. If cooking for adults, add mushrooms to enhance the flavor of the tender chicken breast. They harmonize wonderfully with dough and creamy sauce.

Required:

• 6 large layers of homemade dough (from 0.5 dough);
• 500 ml. bechamel sauce;
• 300 gr. tomato sauce;
• 700 gr. chicken fillet;
• 1 large onion;
• 200 gr. Mozzarella or other cheese;
• 200 gr. champignons (if for adults).

Lasagna with mushrooms and minced chicken

How to cook:

1. Use homemade dough to make delicious lasagna. The classic recipe can be prepared using kitchen appliances. Measure the ingredients into the container of a bread machine or food processor. While the machine prepares the dough, you can prepare the ingredients for the filling.
2. Rinse the chicken fillet and grind it with a blender or meat grinder. You can also cut it into small cubes if you have the desire and time.
3. Peel the onion and chop into small cubes.
4. Heat a frying pan with oil, fry the onion.
5. Add chicken meat, stirring, fry for 5-7 minutes.
6. If you use mushrooms, wash and chop them finely.
7. Before preparing lasagna at home, fry the champignons in a dry frying pan separately until the juice has evaporated.
8. Mix mushrooms with chicken and onions, fry together for 5 minutes.
9. Salt and pepper the filling.
10. You can add tomato paste to it and simmer for literally 2 minutes.
11. Prepare bechamel sauce. The technique for preparing the sauce is described in detail in the first classic recipe.
12. Divide the prepared homemade dough into equal parts, roll out the first two in a shape identical to the baking pan.
13. Brush the bottom of a baking dish with bechamel sauce before preparing the lasagne. This way the bottom will not become hard.
14. Lay out a layer of dough.
15. It is stuffed with minced chicken and tomato sauce.
16. Top with white sauce.
17. Grate the cheese and sprinkle a pinch on top of the sauce.
18. Next, lay out another layer of dough. Repeat layers of filling.
19. Roll out the rest of the dough into layers, with layers of filling between them.
20. Pour sauce over the last top layer and sprinkle with cheese to form a crust when baking.
21. Bake at 180 degrees for 40 minutes.