Christmas Lasagna For Beginners

On the Christmas dining table, a plate of steaming lasagna can warm people's hearts the most. The delicious layers upon layers emit an alluring aroma, adding warmth to the holiday dinner.

Required raw materials and substitutes

Main ingredients

Flour: The basis for making pasta sheets, providing toughness and layering to the dough.

Eggs: Add toughness to the dough and enhance the taste and nutritional value.

Milk: Used to make the White Soup sauce to make the taste more delicate and rich.

Meat sauce: Provides a salty and fresh taste and is an important source of layering.

Accessories

Butter: The basis for making the White Soup sauce, bringing a rich milky aroma.

Parmesan cheese: Adds milky aroma and a salty and umami taste, enhancing the layering.

Seasonings

Salt: Season and enhance freshness, balancing the overall taste.

White pepper: Adds a mild spicy fragrance and enhances the layering.

Substitutes

Flour: Can be replaced by high-gluten flour for a more resilient taste.

Butter: Light cream can be used as a substitute, but the aroma is slightly weaker.

Parmesan cheese: Other hard cheeses can also be substituted.

Milk: Diluted light cream can be used as a substitute for a richer taste.

Meat sauce: Beef sauce or vegetarian meat sauce can be selected as an alternative.

Is lasagna for Christmas a thing?

Eating lasagna on Christmas is indeed a common thing. Lasagna is indeed one of the traditional delicacies on the Christmas dining table and is particularly popular in Italy and many Western countries.

There are several reasons for choosing lasagna during Christmas. First of all, it is a large portion of food that can be prepared in advance and is suitable for family gatherings. Secondly, the layered shape and golden appearance have a festive atmosphere.

Most importantly, it is rich in nutritious ingredients such as cheese and meat sauce, and can provide sufficient heat in the cold winter.

Secrets of success

Making pasta sheets: When stirring the batter, it should be fully beaten to ensure there are no particles. When rolling out the pasta sheets, the thickness should be uniform. It is recommended to control it within 2-3 millimeters. If it is too thick, it will affect the taste. If it is too thin, it is easy to break. It is best to make the pasta sheets one day in advance. After proofing, they will be more resilient and will not break when boiled.

Making White Soup sauce: The ratio of butter to flour should be 1:1. When frying, the heat should be high to avoid gelatinization of the flour. When adding milk, it should be added in 3-4 times. Each time, it should be fully stirred evenly before adding the next time. This can avoid lumps. When adding cheese at the end, the sauce temperature should not be too high to avoid excessive melting of the cheese and loss of taste.

Baking skills: Place each layer evenly. Put a little more White Soup sauce on the edges to prevent drying out during baking. When baking, it is recommended to cover with tin foil for the first 20 minutes and then remove the tin foil for the last 20 minutes. This can ensure that the inside is fully heated while the surface is golden just right. Let the finished product stand for 10 minutes before cutting into pieces to keep the shape intact.

What makes lasagna taste better?

Selection of high-quality ingredients: Use durum wheat flour to make pasta sheets for a more resilient taste; use whole milk and high-quality Parmesan cheese to make White Soup sauce to enhance the milky aroma; you can mix beef and pork to make meat sauce for a richer taste; add fresh Italian herbs such as rosemary and thyme to add aroma.

Seasoning and enhancing fragrance: Adding a pinch of nutmeg powder to the White Soup sauce can highlight the milky aroma; an appropriate amount of red wine can be added to the meat sauce to enhance the layering; sprinkle different types of cheese on each layer, such as a mixture of mozzarella, cheddar and Parmesan, to create a rich cheese flavor.

Cooking skills: Boil the pasta sheets until they are 70% cooked to retain toughness; keep the White Soup sauce delicate and smooth; sprinkle more cheese on the last layer and bake until golden; let it stand for 15 minutes after coming out of the oven before cutting into pieces to allow the soup to fully penetrate and the taste will be more intense.