What is lasagna and how to cook it?

What is lasagna, many know. But if you have not tried this Italian dish, we strongly recommend that you do it. Depending on the region of preparation, the recipes of lasagna can be different. Some make it with tomato sauce, others use béchamel. The filling can be not only minced meat, but also various sausages, seafood or even vegetables, fruits and berries. Lasagna is popular all over the world. Over time, it has undergone significant changes. What is lasagna today? This is, rather, a method of cooking, which involves baking dishes, prepared from a layer of sheets of pasta with different fillings. There is no definite recipe that must be strictly adhered to. However, it is necessary to take into account some nuances and recommendations.

The right dough is the guarantee of a delicious dish

Pasta for lasagna is now sold in almost every supermarket. But to cook it yourself is not at all difficult. This does not require any specific skills. To make a dough for lasagna, you will need two types of flour - wheat of the highest grade and the second one (durum). In order not to be mistaken when choosing a durum meal, look at the label. On it must be specified GOST 16439-70. Take the flour (250 grams of each kind), mix and pour it on the table with a slide. Make a depression in the center, pour in there four large eggs. Add salt and 1 tsp to taste. olive oil. Now you need to knead the dough. When it is ready, it needs to be wrapped with a food film and put in a refrigerator for 30 minutes. After that, form a sausage from it. Cut into the same parts. Sprinkle a small amount of flour on each piece. Using a special machine or a conventional rolling pin, roll the dough into thin sheets. However, do not get too carried away - the dough should not be transparent, otherwise it can tear. The optimum thickness of the finished sheets is 1.5-2 mm. And now cut the dough into smooth, long and wide strips. Pasta for lasagna is not recommended for long storage, so it's best to use everything at once.

The main thing is stuffing

For the preparation of delicious filling for lasagna (ragout), we need meat of any sort. Often minced meat is fried with vegetables and onions, and then stewed with tomato sauce or finely chopped tomatoes. A very delicate stew is obtained if in equal proportions mix pork, chicken and low-fat ground beef. Finely chopped onions fry in olive oil. When it gets a light golden hue, add the mince and fry for 5-7 minutes, stirring continuously. The main thing is that the forcemeat does not burn. Then add tomato sauce or shredded tomatoes to it without skin. Salt and add spices - leaves of a laurel and black ground pepper. Strain for 20 minutes on medium heat, not forgetting to stir constantly. Ready filling should be cooled and add béchamel.

Lasagne Sauce

What is lasagna without this component? Of course, it is difficult to imagine. After all, there are many different sauces for lasagna. They are creamy, broth and, of course, tomato. But still, the classic bechamel sauce became classic and loved. Prepare it from butter (50 grams), flour (2 tablespoons) and cream (500 ml). Pour flour into the melted butter, fry for a couple of minutes. In another saucepan bring to a boil the cream (but do not boil), add salt. The hotter the cream, the less likely the appearance of lumps in the sauce. Cream should be poured into the toasted flour in small portions and constantly mix thoroughly. Ready sauce for consistency should be similar to sour cream.

Be sure to prepare this dish to know first-hand what lasagna is. It's very tasty and satisfying!