Tips and Tricks to Bake a perfect Lasagne

by - 12:23



The word lasagne is pronounced as la-saa-nia and it is nothing but flat sheets of Pasta. Nowadays, it has become a trend in metros to make something new at home for parties and Italian food is quite a rage - be it Garlic Bread, Pita Bread, Pizza, Pasta, Risotto (Italian rice cooked in cheese and white sauce), or lasagne, people are open for experiments. And I am surely one of them. I had friends for a party at home last Saturday and the menu was Garlic bread, Focaccia bread, Red Sauce Pasta and Lasagne. It sounds lot of dishes but then I am talking about eleven people.



Lasagne tastes best with white sauce. This is my opinion and also from the experience with more than 50 people eating this dish.  While in different countries, it is served in different ways. For example Maldives includes lot of sea food in the white sauce; Switzerland (a very bad experience) served boiled lasagne sheets with boiled vegetables and some tomato ketchup. I was looking at the dish for 5 minutes and was wondering how to eat it. I had no option but to gulp down the 14 Frank + taxes worth small raw pasta.  Spain serves it in red sauce with lot of pork or beef.



So after the above reviews, here is how I bake it. The recipe and few tips for making it for 10 people –

Ingredients
  1. Lasagne sheets (different companies such as Spigadoro, Baronia)
  2. Onions (finely chopped three medium sized)
  3. Cloves (Not more than 3)
  4. White Flour (3-4 Tablespoons of Maida)
  5. Milk (half litre)
  6. Cream (optional)
  7. Spinach (finely chopped and boiled)
  8. Mushrooms (finely chopped)
  9. Cheese cube (2 cubes)
  10. Butter or oil
  11. Italian seasonings (Oregano and Chili Flakes)
Yes, this is all you need and doesn't it sound simple. Yes, it is very easy and takes maximum one hour to prepare it.

Directions

  • Heat 2-3 tablespoon butter or oil in a pan and add clove and onions to it. Saute them till light brown
  • Turn off the gas and add flour to it and then stir fast to avoid lumps.
  • Saute both of them on medium flame and then again turn off the gas
  • Add milk slowly and stir continuously to avoid lumps
  • Add grated cheese and cream if you want.
  • Stir and then switch on the gas.
  • Stir to avoid the sauce to stick to the bottom of the pan
  • Once the mixture gets heated, take out one cup of the white sauce and keep it aside.
  • To the rest, add spinach and mushroom and stir well
  • Add seasonings and keep it aside.
  • In a separate flat pan, boil lasagne sheets one by one to avoid sticking to each other

How to set it –

In a glass rectangular dish, add some white sauce (one with mushroom and spinach) and spread it across. Lay the boiled lasagne sheet on it. Then add the same sauce on top of sheet then again lay another sheet. Repeat till there are 6 sheets and white sauce between them.
On top of the last sheet, add the white sauce which was kept aside in a cup. Add grated cheese for garnishing. Now your lasagne is ready. Before serving, bake it for 15 minutes at 180 degree in the oven.




Personal Tips:
           
  1. Adding cloves before onions to the pan makes them saute in clove flavored oil and it is tasty apart from making it digestible for sensitive stomachs
  2. Milk can be full cream if you want it to be rich and creamy or toned for keeping it on lighter side.
  3. By adding cream, you make it even more rich and tasty. Though it is optional.
  4. Finely cut spinach can be boiled in the microwave by adding 1 tablespoon of water to the  spinach and microwaving it for 8 - 10 minutes
  5. You can make it with 6 or 8 sheets. Top 3 should be in the center  one above the other. However the rest can be placed to maintain symmetry in the dish.
  6. Always cut with pizza cutter in a perfect square and serve it with pie-serving spoon with a little bit of chili sauce on it.

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