Adding a small amount of anchovy paste to lasagne sauce can give the dish extra savoury depth without making it taste strongly of fish. The inexpensive ingredient, which costs around £1.50, is stirred into the sauce while cooking to enhance its flavour.
Anchovies are naturally rich in umami, the savoury taste also found in foods such as meat, cheese and mushrooms. Food researchers at the University of Reading have studied umami and flavour enhancement, with research showing how naturally occurring compounds can contribute to stronger savoury characteristics. The university describes umami as the fifth basic taste and has researched ways of using umami-rich ingredients to improve flavour.
A Staple in British Cooking
The technique is already used in British cooking. BBC Good Food recommends adding a touch of anchovy to meat sauces for extra saltiness, while its anchovy guide describes the ingredient as a way of adding a salty, umami flavour to sauces and dressings.
Only a small spoonful is needed to make a difference. It can be added while cooking the onion and garlic, or stirred through the meat sauce as it cooks. The important part is giving it time to cook into the sauce.
How to Use It in Lasagne
British food website Abel & Cole uses anchovies in its beef ragù, adding them after the vegetables have softened and cooking them briefly before the wine, stock and tomato passata go in. It should break down into the sauce rather than remain as obvious pieces. BBC Good Food similarly demonstrates anchovies dissolving during cooking in its umami gravy recipe.
That makes it a useful option for cooks who want more depth without adding another bulky ingredient to the lasagne. It is worth remembering, however, that anchovies are salty, so the finished sauce should be tasted before adding additional salt.
Beyond Lasagne
Anchovy is not limited to lasagne, either. Great British Chefs has highlighted anchovy paste for its umami contribution in barbecue sauce, while Abel & Cole uses anchovies in a slow-cooked beef ragù.
So if the next batch of lasagne tastes like it is missing something, a little anchovy paste could be worth trying. Used sparingly and cooked into the ragù, it can provide the savoury boost without requiring a complicated change to a favourite recipe.
