Featured on Shine:

Food

Friday, December 11, 2009

Related Topics:

Lasagna: the ultimate crowd pleaser done 22 ways

partner

Few meals are as comforting as a hearty homemade lasagna. Master some basic techniques, and this impressive casserole will become an especially versatile favorite for family-style dining and entertaining. While the traditional baked pasta dish is made up of alternating layers of Bolognese sauce, thin sheets of pasta, and béchamel, the layers, fillings, and variations are infinite. Take inspiration from these recipes, and use the tips below to make the dishes your own.

Recipes:

For Meat Lovers
Three-Cheese Lasagna with Italian Sausage

Roasted Portobello and Prosciutto Lasagna

Turkey Sausage-Spinach Lasagna with Spicy Tomato Sauce

Sausage and Wild Mushroom Lasagne with Red Pepper Tomato Sauce

Lean Lasagna


For Vegetarians
Super-Fast Spinach, Pesto and Cheese Lasagna

Sweet Pea and Artichoke Lasagna

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Wild Mushroom Lasagne

Butternut Squash and Hazelnut Lasagne


Tempting Twists & Cannelloni
Lasagne Rolls with Roasted Tomato and Eggplant

Pumpkin Cannelloni with Clams and Sage Brown Butter

Ricotta and Red Chard Cannelloni

Spinach and Cheese Cannelloni

Salmon Cannelloni with Lemon Cream Sauce


Variations on the Classic
Greek-Style Lamb and Eggplant Lasagne

Vegetable Tortilla Lasagne

Polenta and Braised Pork "Lasagne"

Shrimp, Scallop, and Cod Lasagne

Fettuccine Meatball Lasagne

Mexican Poblano, Spinach, and Black Bean "Lasagne" with Goat Cheese

Eggplant Lasagne with Parsley Pesto


Recipe Tips:

Perfectly Cooked Pasta
The term "lasagna" actually refers to the wide flat sheets of pasta. Precook your lasagna by boiling just until it's almost al dente. Run it under cold water quickly to stop it from cooking further, and then lay it out flat in single layers on paper towels to cool and dry. If you do not wish to precook the pasta, use no-boil lasagna sheets.

Putting Everything Together
Lay out all of the ingredients, and cook the various sauces and fillings while precooking the pasta. Before assembling, spray the casserole dish with nonstick spray to ensure that nothing sticks to the bottom. The first layer should be sauce, then pasta, then cheese, and so on, repeating in that order until you have run out or filled the dish.

Baking It All Up
Cover the dish tightly with foil so that heat is trapped and everything cooks through. Remove the foil only for the last 10 to 15 minutes so that the cheese can bubble and brown.

Thinking Ahead
Lasagna is a great make-ahead dish and only gets better as the layers and flavors have a chance to blend together. Make it on the weekend, wrap securely, and freeze in anticipation of a day when you will want a warm, hearty meal but won't have time to cook.


Heather Tyree joined Epicurious after attending the Institute of Culinary Education and working in the renowned kitchens of New York 's Daniel and Perry St. Born in New York , Tyree grew up mainly abroad, both in Europe and Asia , where she acquired not only a permanent sense of wanderlust but a great curiosity for and love of other cultures and cuisines. Before deciding to pursue her lifelong interest in all things food related, she studied History at Yale and survived a two-and-a-half-year stint in finance.


MORE FROM EPICURIOUS.COM:

  • Recipes & Menus
    Epicurious.com's portfolio of dishes for all seasons, cuisines and occasions

  • Recipe Slideshows
    Assorted galleries featuring pictures and recipes from Epicurious.com

Related: party, family, dinner, budget

Syndication:

From the Community…

Comments 11-20 of 33
  • Sheila's Avatar
    Posted by Sheila Sun Oct 19, 2008 3:22pm PDT

    I make several when we go home to Maine for my mom, I never cook the noodles, or use the yucky no cook noodles, I simply layer them dry within the mixtures, press down into the liguids and let the juices absorb. She freezed them. I usually make a couple of each of the following; veggie, meat, and white. This is a richly layered dish of chicken, parmesan cream sauce, and proscuito ham. For this one, I do have to precook the noodles as the cream sauce is not "juicy".

    Report Abuse
  • SinDee's Avatar
    Posted by SinDee Tue Oct 28, 2008 6:40am PDT

    New to this site but i know i'm going to love it...see you guys

    Report Abuse
  • kimmy's Avatar
    Posted by kimmy Sat Nov 8, 2008 9:19am PST

    Sounds yummmmmy!!!! will try the cheese and sausage; however, I'll put my own twist on it!!!! Can't wait to eat!!!!!

    Report Abuse
  • kate's Avatar
    Posted by kate Tue Nov 18, 2008 10:55am PST

    i think any eggplant lasagna recipes are great!

    Report Abuse
  • dveite's Avatar
    Posted by dveite Tue Dec 30, 2008 4:22am PST

    I don't cook my noddles my sauce is my own and layering it with my meat and cheese, cover with aluminum foil, bake 45 min. Everything is done just right [ i put green peppers and mildly hot peppers also]

    Report Abuse
  • dveite's Avatar
    Posted by dveite Tue Dec 30, 2008 4:23am PST

    Think I'll try the pineapple one!

    Report Abuse
  • Bonnie's Avatar
    Posted by Bonnie Sat Jan 10, 2009 7:59am PST

    I make lasagna for family picnics or for the holidays and it don't get better than that.They all sound good if you like some of the things,but i am just regular lasagna with some sausage and ground hamburger with mix of sauces and mushroom and a blend of cheeses. I guess what ever your taste are that fits your family.

    Report Abuse
  • Tee's Avatar
    Posted by Tee Mon Jan 12, 2009 8:20am PST

    I am planning to make lasagna this weekend for some friends i have looked at some of your recipes and decided to try one. I will let you know how it turned out monday.

    Report Abuse
  • Larry's Avatar
    Posted by Larry Fri Jan 16, 2009 12:31pm PST

    22? not really, but it led to more useful info. Experiment, just use your imagaination and enjoy. Check out allrecipes.com worlds best lasagna. Thanks to all for the hints. I'm not a fan of ground beef, light on the sausage, but love a little for flavor. Also try thick slices of eggplant layers if you're a fan, and try cottage cheese instead of riccotta. No salt...don't need it! Fresh tomatoes and herbs are even better, many pastabilities...enjoy.

    Report Abuse
  • fayza's Avatar
    Posted by fayza Sat Jan 17, 2009 5:40pm PST

    I would like to knew how to cook lasagna with out meet.

    Report Abuse
Comments 11-20 of 33

leave your comment

You must sign in to post a comment

Sign In for personalized information

New User? Sign Up

Let’s talk: Manage My Stuff Write a Post

Updates Chatter on Shine…

See More Chatter »

food byte

December is National Eggnog Month! For a fresh twist on this holiday favorite, plus 19 more festive cocktails, check out BHG.com’s top picks.

Read more »

Sponsored Links