[SallyintNorth]

I make fabulous-tasting lasagne that looks brilliant when it comes out of the oven but I can never get the layers to stay, well, layered, when I serve it, so you end up with a gloopy glop on your plate.  Still tastes fabulous, but it is so disheartening!  (And means I can only do lasagne for people who know me very well!)

I've watched a friend making her lasagne and her ragu is sloppier than mine, and her white sauce runnier than mine - but her lasagne comes out just like one in a restaurant.    

Are there any hints or tips people can give me?

[Fowgill Farm]

I normally make lasagnes when i have left over spag bol and then freeze them for emergencies (and something to bung in the oven for an hour when we come home late from shows) and they do tend to become watery & sloppy after thawing and cooking, if you're going from fresh the only thing i can think of is that you're not putting enough sheets in to hold it together? as you say your mixtures aren't over runny when you make it. The only other thing i can suggest is to make individual one in rectangular pots and then nobody would know!!
Mandy 

[Leri]

When lasagne stays solid I feel the pasta isn't soft enough for my liking - alway much nicer when the sauce has properly soaked in it and it's cooked well. But then I never get any marks for presentation! x

[SallyintNorth]

if you're going from fresh the only thing i can think of is that you're not putting enough sheets in to hold it together?

Aha.  So how many layers do people do?  I always make the ragu layers as thin as I think is possible, the white sauce layers really just an all-over dribble except the top one is more of a complete covering, just one sheet thick of lasagne sheet in between white sauce and ragu - and I hardly ever manage to fit in more than two layers of pasta.

The individual portions solution is looking like the only one so far!

[JulieS]

Use at least 3 layers of pasta and then only meat sauce between the layers.  Then one final layer of white sauce on the top.

Let us know how you get on.

[Simon O]

You are not pre-cooking the lasagne sheets are you - the dried sheets should absorb the water from the sauces and it all hold together though I prefer it a bit sloppy

[SallyintNorth]

Aha.  Thanks folks - white sauce on top only, more pasta layers.  Will report back!  (Could be some time, I make a big 'un when I do one and we're still eating the current one.  The meat is venison mince with leftover home-cured gammon and it is absolutely scrumptious.  Just looks dreadful!)

And Simon O, over the years I have tried it both ways, pre-cooking the lasagne sheets and not.  This last one was not pre-cooking the sheets.

[melodrama]

I always find that if I let it cool down and then re-heat that it solidifies a bit.  I try to make mine first thing in the morning, have it sitting out and then put back in the oven to heat up for tea time.  Works a treat - no more lasagne soup for us ha ha

[Bionic]

Somehow reheated lasagne or bolognaise or chilli for that matter, all taste better when reheated.

Why is that?

Sally

[SallyintNorth]

Aha.  Leaving it to cool and then re-heat - more of the fluid will get absorbed into the pasta, huh?

[OhLaLa]

Don't cover the lasagne when cooking it, also leave it in the oven longer - this will dry it out no matter how much 'goo' you put in.

 

[ellisr]

I always make lasagne in batches and freeze them, they make great evening meals and are always that bit more solid as from when they were fresh

[SallyintNorth]

Thanks folks, I just bought some more lasagne sheets so will get some mince next week and have another bash.  I'll report back!

[northfifeduckling]

I make 3 - 5 layers, depending on how much sauce I have. the pyrex bowl is a deep one, though  . I also change the direction the sheets are pointing to, that seems to hold it together quite well , my mum taught me that

[Blueeyes]

Hi Sally any progress with your Lasagna? Just seen this link and was so excited you might have solved my problem too    my Lasagna apparently is totally scrummy and looks great in the Lasagna dish but when served it becomes a great pile of Lasagna mush and as you say still tastes great but doesn't look much like Lasagna!

If you've made more since all these tips, let us know how you got on please 

Liking the idea of individual pots though, but I'm guessing cooking times etc would have to be altered?!?

Blueeyes xx