What is the secret to a great lasagne?

One of the most comforting meals to grace our plates, everyone has their own way of making lasagne. Meaty, cheesy and carby, it’s downright irresistible when made right. Whether you prefer the classic or want to try veggie, vegan or low-carb options, these tips and recipe ideas will inspire you for when you next make this wonderful dish.

Unless you’re making a ragù from leftover meat, most people make lasagne with minced meat, which is affordable and easy to cook. If you can, stretch to grass-fed or organic meat, which is tastier and more sustainable too. Alternatively, as a treat, buy a cut of meat such as chuck or leaner rump (sirloin in the US) and ask the butcher to mince it for you – or you can finely dice it at home for a chunkier sauce.

For an especially flavoursome bolognese, try what Italians often do and mix your meats. A well-known method is mixing 50% beef mince with 50% pork mince. The extra fat in the pork will lend the sauce more moisture and a more luscious flavour too.

Streaky bacon, pancetta, chicken livers and full-bodied red wines all add the sauce extra flavour and richness. If you’re aiming for a more indulgent dish, find a recipe that incorporates some of these ingredients. If using wine, make sure you let the sauce simmer long enough to reduce the alcohol, otherwise you'll be left with a slightly bitter sauce.

This might seem obvious, but you'd be surprised how many of us try to cook in pots and pans that are way too small. You want all the ingredients to brown nicely before sautéing rather them boiling in their own juices so use a pan large enough to prevent overcrowding.

Used in lasagne al forno, ragù differs from bolognese sauce in that it's a meat sauce with little or no tomatoes, depending on the Italian region it’s cooked in. Ragù starts with il soffritto – a mix of chopped carrot, celery and white onion that's sautéed slowly in olive oil before the meat is added. After browning the meat, the sauce is made with stock, sometimes wine and tomato paste, if using.

Customarily, a lasagne made with the tomato-based meat sauce is called lasagne bolognese. In this version, there is no veg added at all apart from diced onion and garlic as it can water down the meaty sauce. Which sauce you choose for your lasagne is a matter of personal preference.

If you're making your lasagne with bolognese, passata is by far the superior choice. Made from uncooked, puréed tomatoes, it's flavourful but doesn’t have the aggressive acidity of tomato paste or the lumps of chopped tomatoes. If you don't have passata at home, simply sieve or purée tinned tomatoes instead.

Both ragù and bolognese need a lot of help and time to reach that rich, comforting flavour you want in a lasagne. Add bay leaves, oregano, rosemary or thyme while your sauce is simmering and don't skimp on salt and pepper, constantly seasoning throughout cooking. If using fresh herbs, don't forget to discard larger leaves or stalks before building your lasagne.

Once you've nailed your seasonings, the other crucial component to a good red sauce is time. As a rule, you'll need around a minimum of two hours to let the sauce simmer. As it reduces, it will become richer and more flavourful and, if you've added wine, the alcohol will have had enough time to evaporate. These sauces can also be made in a slow-cooker – allow at least three hours on high for this method.

It’s possible to make a lasagne without a white sauce – this works for people avoiding dairy while vegan cheese can be used as a topping, though it may result in a drier dish. However, if you want a classic lasagne, you can’t beat béchamel. Make a flour and butter roux, then gradually whisk in milk, a little nutmeg, salt and white pepper. Make sure the white sauce is thick enough before using – if it’s too runny it will seep through the layers.

If you’re a traditionalist, you’ll use Parmesan, but many people prefer mozzarella or ricotta (a combination of the two is particularly popular in the US). While using mozzarella means lots of lovely, stringy melted cheese and ricotta adds creaminess, some people find these types of cheese can make lasagne soggy. Ricotta (unless it’s whisked with an egg and seasoning) can crack when baked, which doesn’t look very palatable.

The jury is out on this one – some cooks favour fresh pasta, others dried. Fresh pasta is softer so there’s a risk it will cook to the point of mushiness, so if you like your pasta al dente opt for dried. For a richer lasagne, egg pasta will offer more flavour than the wheat-and-water variety. If you'd like to have a go at making your own then you can find our guide to homemade fresh pasta here. 

Cooking pasta before layering is also a matter of opinion, but the general consensus is that blanching (rather than boiling) dried pasta makes a better dish. Overcooked pasta sheets tend to clump together or become mushy so your lasagne won't hold shape, while if it’s not cooked the pasta absorbs the sauce which can make a lasagne dry. Once blanched, lay the sheets out separately so they don’t stick together.

To start, make sure the dish is deep enough. Ideally you want a glass or ceramic casserole dish at least three inches (7.5cm) deep, 13 inches (33cm) long and nine inches (23cm) wide – this gives plenty of room for the lasagne sheets without overlapping and is enough for at least three layers and cheese and sauce on top. There's nothing worse than the sauce and cheese bubbling over and burning on the bottom of your oven.

To make sure nothing sticks to the bottom, start with a layer of red sauce followed by a smaller layer of white sauce, then a layer of pasta. Repeat the process – red sauce, a smaller portion of white sauce, pasta – and repeat until the dish is full. Make sure the final layer of pasta is completely covered by either both sauces or just white sauce and top with cheese.

If you’d like more pasta layers, you can use the lasagne sheets to separate the red sauce from the white – so, a layer of red sauce, then pasta, white sauce, pasta, then red sauce again and so on. Always finish with sauce and then top it off with cheese for that signature bubbling, slightly charred top.

To avoid lasagne drying out, make sure you’ve used enough sauce and while it’s baking, cover the top with foil, removing halfway through so the top can brown nicely. Refer to your chosen recipe for the right oven temperature for your dish but expect lasagne to be a slow-bake dish that will take at least 40 minutes on a 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 heat.

You may be tempted to tuck in straight away, but you want to let it settle and cool a little – at least 10-20 minutes before serving. If you cut it too soon, the layers will be sloppy when you cut it and it won't hold together at all, plus the molten sauce is too hot to eat anyway. If batch-cooking for the week ahead, let it cool off completely, then cut into portion sizes. Discover the latest advice about how to store and reheat food safely here. 

This is up to you, but as lasagne is a relatively heavy, rich dish something light is recommended, such as a green salad or a tomato and red onion salad. Alternatively, a plentiful pile of steamed green vegetables such as broccoli or green beans will cut through the richness. Carb lovers can enjoy some garlic bread on the side.

Lasagne freezes well and can be frozen if it's been cooked (for example, if you have leftovers) or uncooked. Cover the lasagne with foil and freeze flat. If you’re making more than one, it’s a good idea to make them in disposable foil trays so you don’t use up all your oven dishes.

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You simply can't go wrong with a classic. Layers of silky pasta, creamy white sauce and rich meat sauce all come together in this tried and tested recipe. While the recipe does require quite a long cooking time, it's mostly hands-off as you're waiting for the sauce to simmer and the lasagne to bake.

Get the recipe for classic lasagne here

This is a fab veggie take on the classic that also saves on the washing up as it's all made in one pan. It also needs a lot less cooking time as everything's cooked in an ovenproof pan so it's ready in under an hour. To make it suitable for vegetarians, just swap mozzarella and Parmesan for rennet-free alternatives.

Get the recipe for one-pan vegetable lasagne here

A lighter lasagne for when you want comfort food that's a bit healthier, this is a vegan recipe that incorporates lots of nutty flavours like mushrooms, cashew ricotta and toasted pine nuts. If you don't need the recipe to be vegan, but just want a lighter alternative, you can skip the cashew ricotta and just use regular soft cheese instead.

Get the recipe for open lasagne with mushrooms here

If you'd like to avoid the carbs and skip the pasta, you can still enjoy a comforting lasagne. Swap the pasta sheets for butternut squash, courgette or aubergine slices – there's no need to pre-cook the butternut squash as it will cook in the oven while aubergine and courgette slices are best grilled before layering to minimise the moisture and avoid a gummy texture.

If you're not a fan of vegetarian meat substitutes, try making your bolognese with lentils. Add whatever mix of veg you want, like carrot, celery, peas and onions, and assemble exactly like you would a regular lasagne. As the lentil-based bolognese can be quite heavy, you might want to swap the pasta sheets for aubergine. If you skip the béchamel in this recipe or use gluten-free flour, it also makes the lasagne gluten free.

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Chicken and mushroom is a marriage made in heaven and the combination makes for a more subtle, light but still creamy lasagne. Swap the minced meat for diced chicken or ditch the red sauce altogether and incorporate the chicken and the mushrooms into the béchamel. This lasagne won't be as sturdy as a classic one, but it'll taste divine.

The preparation of this lasagne is exactly the same as the classic, only minced meat is swapped for sausagemeat from Italian sausages. Use mild or spicy sausage to suit your personal taste and you could sprinkle some sausagemeat bits across the top, to caramelise with the cheese.

To make a great spinach lasagne, you can layer sautéed spinach with the béchamel and pasta, or you can mix cooked spinach into the sauce while the sauce is still warm. We prefer the latter way for more even distribution but make sure you taste the mixture and season as needed before layering. 

Lasagne rolls are a popular American take on this dish where everyone gets their own wrapped portion. Meat sauce, or a ricotta and spinach mixture, is rolled in par-boiled lasagne sheets that are placed in a dish that is sometimes – but not always – spread with béchamel. The rolls are then smothered in red sauce and cheese, then baked until golden.

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Really fancy the comforting flavour of lasagne but can't be bothered to cook the real deal? This cheat's skillet lasagne is exactly what you need. Par-boil the pasta sheets, make a simple meat sauce (you could use ready-made sauce to cut even more corners) and mix blanched spinach with ricotta, nutmeg and seasoning. Layer the meat sauce, the cheese mix and pasta sheets twice, then finish off with a touch of the meat sauce, some of the spinach mixture and grated Cheddar. Slide under the grill and bake for around 15-20 minutes.