These are the 11 most common lasagna mistakes—and how to avoid them

Raise your hand if you don’t like lasagna. Okay, no one? That’s what I thought! After all, lasagna is the ultimate crowd-pleaser at every dinner table. Unfortunately, making lasagna can sometimes go wrong. To prevent you from falling into the lasagna pitfalls, we’ve listed the 11 most common lasagna mistakes for you, so you can make your next lasagna perfectly.

Colleague Eva, from Italiamo, of all people, readily admits: ‘I’m not exactly a master in the kitchen, and whenever I make—or rather, try to make—lasagna, something always goes wrong. From a layer that’s too crispy to getting the order wrong.’

11 lasagna mistakes you should avoid

From too much béchamel to too little filling… Do you also struggle with this Italian classic? Hopefully, the tips below will make that a thing of the past. These are the most common lasagna mistakes—and how to avoid them.

Mistake 1: Lasagna that’s too wet

You take the lasagna out of the oven, only to find a soggy mess. If you cook the pasta sheets yourself, make sure to dry them thoroughly before using them in the lasagna. Adding oil to the pasta water is sacrilege, but it can help. You didn’t hear that from us, though.

Mistake 2: Lasagna that’s too crispy

If you buy fresh lasagna sheets that don’t need to be cooked, make sure to cover them well with the filling on all sides. No corner should be left unsauced; otherwise, you’ll end up with crispy lasagna, and you don’t want that.

Mistake 3: Vegetable pieces that are too large

There’s nothing better than a creamy lasagna, right? A common mistake when making lasagna is using pieces of vegetables and meat that are too large in the filling. The finer the vegetables and meat, the better. Only then will everything be in balance. Large pieces in the filling result in an unpleasant texture, which is something you want to avoid.

Mistake 4: Uncooked filling

Lasagna is simply not a dish you can make in the blink of an eye. Although it may seem obvious, some people still forget to cook the vegetables and meat first. Blanching is fine, but don’t do yourself a disservice by putting raw ingredients in your lasagna.

Mistake 5: Too much or too little sauce

Too much filling? You’ll never be able to cut a nice slice again. Too little filling? Just pasta, and that’s really not the point. The filling should be perfectly proportioned to the pasta. Not too much, but certainly not too little either. This is the balance you need to find for a perfect lasagna.

Mistake 6: Too much béchamel

Béchamel can make your lasagna deliciously creamy, but too much is not good. In fact, it can ruin your dish completely. So use béchamel in moderation. The goal is a perfect balance between the layers, not a lasagna made entirely of sauce.

Mistake 7: Lasagna stuck to the dish

The filling is ready and the lasagna sheets have been dried. Now what? A common mistake is failing to grease the baking dish. You can do this with some béchamel sauce, butter or olive oil.

Mistake 8: The right layers

It’s best to start with a layer of red sauce, white sauce, followed by the sheets and cheese. Repeat this pattern until the dish is full, finishing with a layer of cheese.

Mistake 9: Burnt corners

If you use dry pasta sheets from the supermarket, the corners may burn in the oven. You can prevent this by adding enough sauce on top or pouring a little water or milk over it before the dish goes into the oven. No one likes hard corners, right?

Mistake 10: Baking it for too short or too long

You’ll get perfect lasagna by baking it in the oven for about 45 minutes at 200 degrees, but this also depends somewhat on the number of sheets you use and the size of your baking dish. Want to prevent your lasagna from still being cold inside while already deliciously crispy on the outside? Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil halfway through baking.

Mistake 11: Eating the lasagna too quickly

It’s very Dutch to eat the lasagna immediately after it comes out of the oven. Just like with a good Melanzane alla parmigiana, you should let your lasagna cool before slicing it. Ideally, leave the dish uncovered for half an hour to cool. But actually, lasagna is at its best the next day. And reheating your leftover lasagna? We also have the best trick for that!

Also read:

• This supermarket sells the very best ready-made lasagna bolognese
• This surprising ingredient turns your lasagna into a world-class dish
• You have to try this way of reheating lasagna

Sources: La Cucina Italia & Italiamo