Six chefs have shared their ultimate tips for making the perfect lasagne, with a unanimous recommendation: let the dish rest after cooking. This simple technique prevents messy slices and watery layers, ensuring a well-structured, flavorful result.
Soak Pasta Sheets and Use Bechamel Base
James Cotton, development chef at Brakes Foodservice, advises soaking dried lasagne sheets in boiled water for 10 minutes before layering. He also emphasizes spreading bechamel sauce at the bottom of the dish to provide moisture and prevent crunchy edges. Covering the dish tightly with foil for the first 20-30 minutes traps steam, then removing it for the final 10-15 minutes browns the cheese.
Cotton adds a secret ingredient: a pinch of cinnamon or a cinnamon stick simmered in the meat sauce for a sweet-savory depth. He reminds cooks to remove the cinnamon stick before assembling.
Make Lasagne a Day Ahead
Jesse Kempner, head chef at Mindful Chef, recommends preparing lasagne a day in advance, or at least the morning of. This allows the sauces to soften the pasta sheets and enhances flavor. "All the moisture from the sauces will be absorbed by the sheets, allowing them to soften and hold better structure at the end of the cook," he explains. Resting the dish before slicing prevents messiness and wateriness.
Quality Ragu and Meat Selection
Chef Enzo Oliveri, Cirio Ambassador and President of the Italian Chefs Federation (FIC UK), stresses that the "true Italian secret" is a slow-simmered ragu with depth. He uses a mix of beef and pork for extra richness and sweetness. "The pork brings a little extra richness and sweetness to the ragu thanks to its higher fat content," he says. He also advises coating the base with bechamel and maintaining a consistent layering sequence: pasta, ragu, bechamel, and Parmesan. Targeting five or six delicate layers delivers optimal balance.
Oliveri warns against cutting lasagne immediately out of the oven. Resting for 15-20 minutes allows layers to settle and firm up, producing neat slices.
Bechamel Cushion and Generous Parmesan
Yassir Chair, chef founder of Tagine & Grill and Afuego Burger, highlights spreading a thin layer of bechamel on the base as "one of the most overlooked lasagne tricks." This creates a protective cushion that prevents the bottom layer from overcooking or drying out, resulting in a consistent, silky texture from top to bottom.
Maurillo Molteni, head chef at TOZI restaurant & bar, prefers thin pasta, rich bolognese, and not-too-thick bechamel. He is generous with Parmesan in every layer and always makes lasagne the day before to allow flavors to bond.
