12 Celebrity Chef Tips For Making Lasagna

“It is better to blanch them first yourself with a little bit of oil and then drain them and put them in”

1. Skip no-boil noodles, according to Michael Symon

   One of the fundamental elements of lasagna, the noodles, is also the hardest to get right. It can be tricky to know which pasta to pick up in the store and how that pasta correlates with the specific timings and ratios of the recipe you're following. But there's one noodle you should avoid above all others: The no-boil variety. No-boil noodles are an attractive option because they can save you time and effort by being placed directly into your lasagna without cooking first. But, according to Michael Symon, this pasta never belongs in lasagna. No-boil noodles don't have the same structure as regular lasagna noodles. They also don't have the same starch levels, meaning that you end up with noodles that feel flimsy and too thin. In an interview with Food & Wine, Symon said, "Don't bother with those no-boil noodles — they compromise the texture." So, make sure yo

2. To get a crunchy topping, use a broiler like Alex Guarnaschelli

   The best lasagnas combine a chewy, soft center with a crispy outside to achieve textural nirvana. But getting that much-desired crunchy topping can be tricky. The longer you leave it in the oven, the longer the inside of the lasagna cooks as well. And this can mean that once you take your lasagna out, the interior can be overcooked and soggy. Celebrity chef Alex Guarnaschelli regularly sidesteps this problem by using her broiler. In a post on Instagram, the "Chopped" judge shared an image of her lasagna, which boasts a showstopping crispy topping with browned, lightly charred cheese. Her secret was revealed to a commenter asking whether she used her broiler to get maximum crispiness, to which she responded that she did. Naturally, mozzarella cheese is the ideal type to put on top of your lasagna, as it browns wonderfully and becomes soft and chewy on the i

3. You don't need to use lasagna noodles at all, says Giada De Laurentiis

   What's the most important part of lasagna? The meat sauce, the béchamel, or the noodles? For most people, this classic dish is nothing without the pasta pieces that make up each layer. And while gluten-free and vegetable-based imitations can make a delicious alternative, they're not quite the same. But one of Giada De Laurentiis' top tips is that a superb lasagna doesn't need lasagna noodles at all. Rather than using traditional pasta sheets, Laurentiis makes a version of her lasagne using cheese ravioli, she revealed in a post on Instagram via her lifestyle platform Giadzy. This may seem like an indulgent left-turn for your lasagne, but it's actually an excellent time-saving move. In this version, the cheese-filled pasta replaces both the pasta sheets and the traditional ricotta cheese layer. By doing this, you achieve a lasagna pie that's full of cheese all the

4. Lorenzo Boni greases his pan to stop things from sticking

   One of the biggest tragedies that can befall a lasagna is the sticking effect. The moment where, after spending hours lovingly putting a lasagna together, getting each part to the perfect consistency, and cooking it for the right time, you try to pull out that first piece, and half of it sticks to the bottom of the pan. It's definitely not the greatest feeling, but all it takes is some practice and a bit of grease. Lightly rubbing your chosen dish with fat is one of the easiest ways to elevate your lasagna, according to Barilla America's executive chef Lorenzo Boni. This will stop anything from getting trapped on the bottom or the sides of the dish as it cooks, ensuring that everything gets released when you slice into it. Additionally, which layer you start with is an important factor in how easy it'll be to remove from the pan. Putting pasta on the bottom wi

5. Ina Garten's turkey lasagna is boosted by an unusual cheese

   The purists out there might insist that lasagna always needs to be made with pork and beef. But anyone who's ever made one with ground turkey will know that it can make an excellent and light substitute for red meat. Crucially, though, ground turkey has its own unique flavor profile, so when used in lasagna, you might need to adjust your recipe. And that's where Ina Garten comes in. Garten uses a particularly tangy cheese to elevate her turkey lasagna — goat's cheese. After spooning the more traditional ricotta cheese into a bowl in an episode of her show, "Barefoot Contessa," she takes a package of goat's cheese and crumbles it in, too (via YouTube ). "I know it's unusual in a lasagna, but I think it really gives a great flavor," she said. We can see why, too. Goat's cheese has an especially complex, slightly briny taste, which underpins and deepens the sl

6. If you're bored of regular lasagna, make it into a dip like Kardea Brown

   Lasagna tends to be one of those classic recipes that's usually uninterrupted and followed across the board. But the "Delicious Miss Brown" star Kardea Brown's revolutionary take on preparing lasagna has us hooked. Instead of serving her lasagna as a traditional dish of baked pasta, meat, and cheese, Brown turns it into a dip that begs for a cracker or carrot stick to be plunged into it, she shows via her Instagram. She begins by making a classic Italian meat sauce with two types of meat, chopped vegetables, garlic, and tomatoes. Once this is ready, she whips up a béchamel sauce and spreads it over the meat mixture in a large, cast-iron pan. The celebrity chef then tops this with two types of cheese, and for the pièce de résistance, she deep-fries some cooked lasagna sheets. This turns the sheets into super-crispy morsels that make the perfect boat for this la

7. Combine your meats, says Valerie Bertinelli

   The meat sauce in lasagna is a key component, but it's also the part that people can tend to think about the least. As a lot of people have a basic understanding of how to make a traditional bolognese ragu, arguably more time and focus can be put into the béchamel sauce, which takes a bit more specialist skill. Overall, the meat sauce in lasagna provides a great deal of complexity. And one way to create even more layers of flavor is to combine your meats. Rather than using just beef to make her sauce, actress and "Valerie's Home Cooking" host Valerie Bertinelli puts in a combo of beef and sausage, as her mom did (via Facebook ). Bertinelli uses hot Italian sausage, which she removes the casings of before putting it into the pan and breaking it up with her spatula. Using spicy sausage gives an additional flavor profile and piquancy, which means you don't have

8. Follow Rachael Ray's advice, and let your lasagna rest

   Look, we get it. A freshly-baked lasagna is a thing of absolute beauty. And when that tray comes out of the oven, it's hard to hold the hungry masses back from digging in and taking a slice. But if you want a truly exceptional lasagna, a key step lies at the very end of the cooking process, and it involves doing absolutely nothing. Celebrity chef Rachael Ray recommends allowing your lasagna to rest after you pull it out of the oven, ideally for up to half an hour. Simply put it on the countertop on a heat-proof mat, and keep your hands off while, presumably, batting your family and guests away, too. Although this may seem like a long time, it's vital to make sure the finished product is both delicious and structurally sound. As your lasagna cooks, everything gets unbelievably hot between the layers, which thins things out slightly and creates steam. If you serve it

9. Aldo Zilli states that how you cook your pasta is crucial

   Lasagna sections do more work than we give them credit for. Without those pieces of pasta, lasagna would turn into a soup in the oven. Each layer of noodles serves as a buffer between your piles of cheese and meat sauce and gives the whole thing support and height. However, cooking your pasta sheets wrong can mean you end up with either sloppy noodles that are way too starchy or still-crunchy pieces that ruin the whole thing. Avoid this with chef Aldo Zilli's tips on how to cook the noodles. The celebrity chef recommends always buying fresh pasta — if possible — and, most importantly, cooking them slightly before use. In an article in the Mirror, Zilli said that "It is better to blanch them first yourself with a little bit of oil and then drain them and put them in" instead of throwing them in straight off the shelf or, even worse, using dry sheets that don'

10. Ree Drummond uses an unlikely but effective cheese in her lasagna

    With a ranch full of people to feed, "Pioneer Woman" star Ree Drummond knows something about catering to a large crowd. And her "cowboy-friendly" lasagna does just that, with Drummond making a meal to feed the masses. One way that she stretches out her lasagna, though, is with a clever tip that everyone should try. Rather than using a more traditional layer of ricotta cheese, Drummond opts for cottage cheese combined with some beaten eggs, as seen via YouTube. Some people might raise their eyebrows at this choice, particularly those who don't like cottage cheese. But there's a method to her process. Cottage cheese is a dairy product that's packed with protein, full of vitamins and minerals, and is also often very low in fat. This protein can help to alleviate hunger and may make your lasagna even more satisfying. To add to this, cottage cheese is often easie

11. Try to keep your lasagna on the dry side, says Gino Angelini

    One of the greatest tests of lasagna is how well it keeps its shape when you cut into it. All too often, lasagnas can look perfect until the moment you try to divide them up, and then things fall apart. The layers separate, everything's wet, and your guests are left with lasagna soup — which is a whole other recipe in itself. To avoid this, you need to think ahead and make sure that your individual components are slightly drier than you think they need to be. For Angelini, it all starts with the sauce. When asked if preferred lasagna ingredients to be wetter or drier in an interview with La Cucina Italiana, celebrity chef Gino Angelini said, "You want it to be drier. When you're making the lasagna, you'll want to heat up the ragu so it reduces the sauce down even more. Especially because we're still going to add the béchamel and the parmigiana and you don't wan

12. If you don't have an oven, Sunny Anderson's no-bake lasagna is for you

    Not everyone has the luxury of living in a space with an oven. But that shouldn't stop you from being able to enjoy your food. And even oven-specific meals like lasagna can still be achieved, thanks to celebrity chef and "The Kitchen" co-host Sunny Anderson's neat no-bake, one-pan lasagna hack. According to Today her lasagna, which she calls a "pan-sagna," is a chicken version of the classic pasta dish, which she puts together with ease. After sautéing some onions with seasonings and simmering them with tomatoes and chicken stock, she throws in some no-boil lasagna noodles. While some chefs might recommend steering clear of no-boil lasagna noodles, this is a great option for those who don't have access to a fully functioning oven. Anderson explains that these noodles have "been par-boiled for you," which allows them to cook quickly in the sauce without needing