Lasagna

[anyroads]

After having a terrific lasagna ( I made it of course ) this evening, my wife was wondering if you can readily get the "sauces" in Spain. I do know you can make the white sauce yourself, and could use a can of tomatoes as a red sauce. You can also of course take the lasagna sheets out in a suitcase.

However having said all that, can you get the kosher stuff,as it were, in Spain ?

anyroads

[El Cid]

Of course you can. Lasagna sheets are readily available in most supermarkets. Best to make the two sauces yourself but you can buy Ragu Bolognese sauce and also Bechamel sauces in cartons or jars.

Sid

[Manchesteral]

Lasagne can be made totally from scratch if you can be bothered! nat hard really you just need time, google for fresh pasta, loads of internet recipes,
make your own pomadorino sauce, fresh tomatoes, basil, onions, salt, pepper.
cook the mince with the pomadorino (to your satisfaction.
make the béchamel (flavored with a cheese of your choice) I like to use cheddar or stilton.
Make the lasagne cook and eat,with garlic bread and Barolo wine of course! enjoy!

[peteroldracer]

It might help you to know the ingredients and methods in Spanish?
http://www.pequerecetas.com/receta/lasana-de-carne/

[Wicksey]

Lidl do large jars of Neopolitan sauce which you can add to mince for a quick Bolognese style sauce. Mercadona do cartons of bechamal sauce too. I do make my own all from scratch but it is time consuming and when I feel the need for a quick lasagne I do cheat and it still comes out pretty well. For the lasagne sheets of pasta, make sure they do not need cooking beforehand so you put them straight into the dish from the packet. I have bought those from Mercadona I think in the past. I do add a little water or tomato frito to the sauce to ensure it is doesn't dry out when cooking as well, plus of course some parmasan or Gran Padano (also available form Mercadona or Lidl) on the top.

[El Cid]

I have found that the precooked pasta sheets tend to dry out the lasagna a bit. What I do now is just soak them in warm water for about 10 minutes before using them.

Sid

[Wicksey]

That's why I make sure that the sauce is extra wet Sid. I have used some in the past which does say to put a spoon of water on the sheet of pasta before putting the next layer of sauce on it which also seems to work.

[anyroads]

Thanks folks !

The recipe sounds interesting. I would not add carrots normally, but the glass of red wine sounds interesting. May even go mad and add some chorizo !.

Getting back to the lasagna sheets. I do know my son boils them for a few minutes. I tried it and had great trouble separating them. Guess he is even a better cook than I am !

anyroads

[El Cid]

Yes, if you use the proper sheets and boil them, they really do stick together. That's what makes the precooked ones so much better. Yes, I know you can add extra liquid to compensate for the dryness, but the other thing is that when wet, they expand quite a lot, so it makes spacing them correctly in the dish easier if they are full size. That way you get the best of both worlds, no need to boil, but presoaking them makes them more like the real thing.

Sid

[anyroads]

Cookery lesson taken on board !

anyroads

[Wicksey]

I shall try that next time Sid. I thought they may become difficult to handle so would have normally avoided soaking them. I have memories in the dim and distant past (before the days of no-cook lasagne sheets) of wrestling with them after they had been cooked as they all stuck together and you couldn't do a thing with them!

[JuliaStein]

I love cooking lasagna by my myself but it takes a long time. When I work hard I can't cook it for me and my husband. Do you know some "fast" recipe of lasagna? But without ready sheets from supermarket

[CurtThoughts]

You can get lasange sheets at most supermarkets so that's no problem at all

[peteroldracer]

I don't get your question julia - if you want "fast" then you use supermarket sheets, if you make your own pasta dough and roll it and cut it it is not fast!
These days we buy the ready meal lasagne from Mercadona - 3€ and enough for two comfortably with some fresh salad and/or chips!