Lasagna Done Right

three layers of pasta and enough besciamella to hold it all together

Although lasagna is a popular dish at all times of the year, it especially is made for the holidays. A dish with many regional and family variations that is meant to be celebrated and savored with a well-laid table of generational recipes from kitchens that came before us. At Christmas it might be hearty. At Easter it might be light, made with carciofi (seasonal springtime artichokes) with just enough besciamella (hree layers of pasta and enough besciamella to hold it all together) to hold it all together. Yes béchamel sauce, a white lasagne sauce with a hint of nutmeg that our Italian family thought was one of the things that made the lasagna just right.

Layered pasta dishes like lasagna are globally popular. Perfect to make ahead of time, lasagna is the dish for feeding a crowd, freezer friendly and it reheats well for low-effort leftovers. However making a traditional Italian lasagna does take a fair amount of time and can be a little tricky. Perfecting your Nonna’s recipe or Nigella’s Lasagna of Love does take some effort and an understanding of the essentials of Italian cooking.

I’ve learned over the years that although Italian cooking looks easy there is a hidden talent to getting it just right. Call it sprezzatura and it is found in almost every aspect of Italian culture. It's what makes the fashion, food and design of Italy so sought after and inspiring. Sprezzatura is an old Italian philosophy on art and style giving the impression that any brilliant ideas came with minimal effort. In this case, the impression of lasagna as a casual, homestyle comfort food that takes little effort.

When actually it is one of Italy’s most well-thought out dishes. 

So whether you’re making a traditional Bolognese Lasagna from Emilia Romagna or a super quick Inside Out Lasagna that skips the layering and long baking, here are the Most Common Lasagna Missteps that can separate you from the perfection of one of Italy’s best loved recipes from Cositutti's Taste and Learn Series: Lasagna Done Right. 

Spolier Alert: Although there’s no “traditional” number of layers in a lasagna, most classic lasagnas have few. Our Italian family and friends believe that three

"e basta" is enough because otherwise it just turns into a solid brick without the subtle flavors of the ingredients defined to taste.