Anyone Can Do It: 4 Tasty Lasagna Recipes Made Easy

Lasagna is one of the most popular dishes of Italian cuisine, which has long been loved by Russians as well. It’s an excellent choice for both a cozy family dinner and a celebration. Some might think that making lasagna at home is difficult, but we assure you it’s not. We’ve prepared four simple recipes for you that even beginner cooks can handle.

Classic Lasagna

The classic recipe is made with beef mince. In addition to the main ingredients, you can add other vegetables to taste — carrots, bell peppers, celery. Tomatoes can be fresh or canned. Be sure to read the packaging instructions on how to use the lasagna sheets — whether they need to be boiled beforehand or not.

Ingredients:

• lasagna sheets — 9 pieces;

• hard cheese — 200 g.

  for bolognese sauce:

• meat mince — 500 g;

• tomatoes — 350 g;

• onion — 1 piece;

• garlic — 2 cloves;

• vegetable oil — 2 tbsp;

• Italian herbs — to taste;

• salt, ground black pepper — to taste.

  for béchamel sauce:

• milk — 700 ml;

• butter — 70 g;

• flour — 70 g;

• nutmeg — 0.5 tsp;

• salt, ground black pepper — to taste.

Preparation:

1. Sauté the onion and garlic in vegetable oil for 2–3 minutes.

2. Add the mince, after 5 minutes — finely chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper, dried Italian herbs. Simmer for 10–15 minutes over medium heat.

3. For the béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan. Add all the flour and quickly mix. Sauté for one minute. While stirring constantly, gradually pour in the milk in a thin stream. Use a whisk to remove lumps. Add ground nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Bring to a thicken.

4. Pour a little béchamel into the baking dish. Layer the lasagna sheets overlapping. On top — a layer of bolognese sauce. On the mince layer — béchamel sauce, spread it over the meat. Sprinkle grated cheese over these layers. Repeat the layers.

5. Finish the lasagna with sheets coated in béchamel sauce. Bake the dish in the oven for 40 minutes at 180°C (356°F). Remove the lasagna and sprinkle more cheese on top. Return to the oven for 5 minutes.

Vegetable Lasagna (Vegetarian)

Compared to the classic version, vegetable lasagna is even easier and quicker to make. Zucchini, eggplant, and mushrooms are best sliced. You can experiment and add any other vegetables to your taste.

Ingredients:

• lasagna sheets — 8 pieces;

• zucchini (small) — 1 piece;

• eggplant — 1 piece;

• bell pepper — 1 piece;

• mushrooms — 5–6 pieces;

• leek — 50 g;

• mozzarella cheese — 150 g;

• garlic — 1 clove;

• milk — 500 ml;

• flour — 60 g;

• butter — 60 g;

• nutmeg — to taste;

• salt — to taste.

Preparation:

1. For the béchamel sauce, toast the flour in a dry pan, add butter and mix. Pour in milk, whisking vigorously. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook over low heat until the sauce thickens. Add salt and nutmeg. Remove from heat.

2. Slice the zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms thinly, leek into rings, pepper into strips, press the garlic.

3. Pour a little béchamel sauce into the bottom of the baking dish, place lasagna sheets overlapping. Layer eggplants, zucchini, mushrooms, pepper, and spinach on top. Add some garlic and leek. Drizzle with a couple of spoons of sauce, cover with lasagna sheets, and repeat the layers several times.

4. Top layer with béchamel sauce, arrange mozzarella slices. Place the lasagna in a preheated oven at 180°C (356°F) for 25–30 minutes.

Fish Lasagna

For this lasagna variation, you can use any fish of your choice. We opted for tilapia. This recipe, of course, is far from classic, but definitely deserves attention.

Ingredients:

• fish fillet — 300 g;

• lasagna sheets — 6 pieces;

• potatoes — 300 g;

• onion — 1 piece;

• butter — 50 g;

• wheat flour — 50 g;

• milk — 700 ml;

• hard cheese — 70 g;

• nutmeg — to taste;

• salt, ground black pepper — to taste;

• vegetable oil — for frying.

Preparation:

1. Boil potatoes in salted water. A couple of minutes before done, add the fish fillet.

2. Finely chop the onion and sauté in vegetable oil. Mix the onion with potatoes and fish, mash with a masher. Add nutmeg, salt, pepper.

3. For the béchamel sauce, melt butter in a pan, add flour and sauté for a couple of minutes. Gradually pour in milk, stirring constantly with a whisk. Bring to a thicken.

4. Pour some sauce into the baking dish and lay the first layer of lasagna sheets. On top — potato-fish mixture, drizzle with sauce. Cover with lasagna sheets. Repeat until the filling is used up.

5. Top the last layer of lasagna sheets with remaining sauce, sprinkle with grated cheese. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 180°C (356°F).

Chicken Lasagna

This lasagna variation is quite unusual but very tasty. The dish includes cheeses — ricotta and mozzarella, which have long been available on our store shelves. Instead of chicken thigh, you can use breast.

Ingredients:

• chicken thigh meat — 500 g;

• lasagna sheets — 12 pieces;

• hard cheese — 100 g;

• eggs — 2 pieces;

• breadcrumbs — 50 g;

• ricotta cheese — 300 g;

• mozzarella cheese — 125 g;

• crushed tomatoes — 200 g;

• spinach — 200 g;

• basil — 3 sprigs;

• olive oil — 4 tbsp;

• salt, ground black pepper — to taste.

Preparation:

1. In a bowl, mix half of the grated hard cheese with breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. In another bowl, beat the eggs.

2. Dip the chicken fillet in egg, then coat in the breading mixture, shake off excess. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 180°C (356°F). Then slice the fillet.

3. Combine ricotta with the remaining hard cheese and chopped basil. Grease the baking dish with olive oil, pour a layer of crushed tomatoes and cover with lasagna sheets. Layer the chicken slices and ricotta, spinach. Repeat the layers.

4. Top the lasagna sheets with tomatoes. Cover the dish with foil and bake in the oven for 25–30 minutes at 180°C (356°F).

5. Remove the lasagna, distribute sliced mozzarella circles on top, bake for another 5–10 minutes.