Lasagna might be the ultimate comfort food. The layers of gooey, dripping cheese, the thick, robust helpings of meat and other delectable goodies, and the sheets of wonderfully unique pasta blanket the entire thing together. Its a food lovers dream.
However, youve probably been to your fair share of potlucks and have sampled a few less-than-desirable helpings. Beyond the fact that you know Susan from HR is just masquerading a store-bought lasagna as her own by slipping it into a baking dish, many simply leave far too much to be desired. The noodles are too limp, the sauce and meat are mild, the cheese is as bland as cheese can be, and, for some reason, the entire thing is damp, like someone spilled their water onto the lasagna before serving it.
Not to worry, though. Whether its your own lasagna that needs a little pick-me-up, or you want to share some secret cooking techniques to help out others you know are suffering, we are here to help. To assist you along the way, here are several ways you can take your lasagna from bland to glam in no time. Well make sure your dish becomes the talk of the town, so everyone is craving it the next time you show up with your world-famous lasagna.
Nothing takes the same old-same old lasagna recipe to new heights than diversifying the sausage spread. Were not saying you need to totally ditch the current sausage you have, but cut it in half and bring something new in. Maybe it is time to bring that spicy Italian sausage in from the bench, or if you really are into spicy pork sausage, you might want to grab a few links of chorizo sausage to test out. Weve found one of the best ways to make eyes pop and for people to ask what you did with your delicious lasagna is to have a new meat blend.
Is chorizo or spicy Italian sausage a bit too much fire for your taste buds? Reach for a kielbasa. Sure, it may be a dollar or two more than most regular sausages, but the flavor here is truly on point. There are so many sausages to experiment with, and it will help you customize your dish until it perfectly fits your taste buds needs. All of this is what makes lasagna beautiful. You dont have to exactly follow the recipe (just dont tell your Italian aunt this, because she might give you a death stare tomorrow). But tweaking and testing different meats can truly add a wow factor to your dish.
Use fresh, high-quality ingredients such as fresh pasta, high-quality meat, fresh vegetables, and high-quality cheese. Cook the sauce slowly: Lasagna sauce should be cooked slowly over low heat for a long period of time. This allows the flavors to develop and creates a rich, flavorful sauce.
Sswap out that sausage for seafood
Maybe you really want to get freaky with your lasagna. Who says you cant test out some seafood instead of meat? It brings an entirely new complexion to your plate, and, in no time, it can give the entire family a new favorite. We love it because it transforms the dish and makes it fresh again, as the seafood and meat options are so different.
With seafood lasagna, you want to swap out the meat with something that blends well with the sauce and cheese, and, almost more importantly, absorbs some of the liquid that might run off. Our favorites to consider are crab and shrimp meat. Crab meat is already on the milder side of the taste spectrum and can fully take advantage of the other flavors around it. Heck, you can even spring for lobster if you feel like treating yourself.
Using seafood in your lasagna opens you up to entirely new options as well. Instead of a red marinara sauce, you can use a white sauce instead. The creaminess of the white sauce perfectly blends with the cheese and the seafood mixture. Its a new take on lasagna you might not have considered before, but if youre feeling a bit bored with what you are making, we do highly suggest it (just make sure to check with any guests if they have seafood allergies).
Don’t skimp on the tin foil top
Lasagna is thick. One of the problems you run into when baking anything with the sheer size of a lasagna is the food not cooking all the way through. And is there anything worse than taking a bite out of a delicious-looking dish, only to have the middle give you frostbite? Okay, we can think of a few other worse things, but you get the idea. Its a quick way to ruin a delicious meal.
One of the problems with this is that the bottom will always cook faster, thanks to the base absorbing heat from the oven. And, yet, you cant add a physical top to lasagna due to the amount of moisture. Youll only trap all of that moisture inside the container, which would result in a gooey end product that doesnt have the kind of crispy noodle edges and perfectly rendered meat youd like.
The tin foil helps alleviate all of these issues. With a tented tin foil top youll keep more of the heat inside the casserole dish, which helps evenly bake the entire lasagna, all while allowing moisture to funnel its way out. This way, youll help reduce the chance of producing a swampy lasagna and everything will be cooked entirely through.
The Best Lasagna You’ll Ever Make (Restaurant-Quality) | Epicurious 101
FAQ
What can I add to lasagna to make it taste better?
How do you elevate lasagne?
How do you elevate store bought lasagna?
What not to do when making lasagna?
How do you make lasagna taste better?
Inside, noodles should retain a small degree of bite. If your lasagna has dried out or overcooked a bit, sauce can help. Make extra sauce to serve beside your dish. Unveiling a tray comes with a seriously great feeling of warmth and anticipation. Extra sauce, you can bet, will only enhance that feeling.
Can one eat lasagna?
Lasagna can be eaten, but we must know what the person needs, or better. If you seek weight loss, or control the consumption of pasta and cheese. If you are looking for weight loss, it is advisable to replace the layers of pasta with vegetables, such as zucchini or eggplant, helping to balance the nutritional value.
How to make lasagna healthier?
2. Healthier Lasagna Recipe Tip: Pump up the Jam Veggies. With most recipes, you can add more veggies than the recipe calls for. You’ll gain fiber, phytochemicals, minerals and vitamins. Start with 50% more and inch up from there if you can.
How do you make a good lasagna?
Consider leaving pasta sheets long on your top (and final!) layer, so they climb a little bit off the lasagna and up your pan’s sides. These bits will crisp during baking, giving them a satisfying crunch. They’ll make for more of a soft-crisp contrast—one thing that makes great lasagna. An overbaked lasagna can’t be saved.