National Lasagna Day 2023: How to make lasagna at home in 10 easy steps

An ultimate weekend indulgence, a comfort food, and a rich flavoursome treat with the goodness of vegetables, meat, cheese et al, lasagna has acquired many fans across the globe since Middle Ages when it first originated in the city of Naples in Italy. It has come a long way since then and is now being enjoyed in many avatars including vegetarian and vegan versions. The baked delight offers a blast of flavour with each of its layers making the effort that goes into it quite worth it. Not surprisingly, the dish is one of the most searched recipes on Google and is popular in many Indian states. (Also read: Give your leftover rotis a redo with these 6 recipes)

Lasagna is believed to be derived from the Latin word ‘lasanum’ which means cooking pot. While some believe it is inspired from Greek flatbread laganon. It is made from wide flat pasta and layered with ricotta, bechamel, vegetables or meat, and other kinds of cheese. Lasagna sheets are the rectangular-shaped pasta sheets that can also be made at home with all-purpose flour, eggs and a pinch of salt.

National Lasagna Day is celebrated in the US on July 29 to pay an ode to this rich and flavoursome dish. On this occasion, here’s an easy recipe of lasagna that you can make at home.

Celebrity Chef Shipra Khanna shares easy steps to make lasagna at home:

Ingredients

12 – 14 lasagna sheets

1 Onion, finely chopped

3-4 cloves of Garlic, minced

1 cup Tomato sauce

1 cup Ricotta cheese

2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Fresh basil leaves, chopped

Salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning

Method

• Preheat your oven to 180 °C and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Boil lasagna sheets in salted water until Al dante and drain. Then run through cold water.
• Heat oil. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the skillet and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the onion becomes translucent.
• Stir in the tomato sauce and Italian seasoning. Simmer the sauce for about 10-15 minutes, allowing the flavours to melt. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• While the sauce is simmering, combine the ricotta cheese with a handful of chopped fresh basil leaves (if using). Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
• Now it’s time to assemble the lasagna. Start by spreading a thin layer of the meat sauce at the bottom of the greased baking dish.
• Lay the lasagna over the sauce, covering the entire bottom of the dish. Ensure they slightly overlap.
• Spread a layer of the ricotta cheese mixture over the lasagna sheets followed by a layer of shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheese.
• Repeat the layers – sauce, lasagna, ricotta mixture, and cheeses – until you’ve used up all the ingredients. Finish with a layer of sauce and a generous amount of shredded mozzarella on top.
• Cover the baking dish with aluminium foil, making sure it’s not touching the cheese to avoid sticking. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until the cheese on top is bubbly and golden.
• Once done, let the lasagna cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy your homemade lasagna.