We’ve recently written at HuffPost UK about how Jamie Oliver’s “scruffy” lasagne breaks a cardinal Italian rule ― he snaps dried pasta sheets into shards, or tears fresh pasta “like a pack of cards”, to achieve the effect.
But as it turns out, those of us who were shocked by the one-pan controversy still probably aren’t stacking our sheets like a true Italian might.
Not only are Italian lasagnas more varied than a lot of Brits expect (traditional Neopolitan lasagne can contain sliced boiled eggs and meatballs, and a Genoan kind includes pesto instead of marinara, Britannica says), but we may be assembling ours wrong too.
How should we arrange the pasta sheets in a lasagne?
According to the Italian group tour Walks of Italy’s site, a lot of Italians alternate the direction their pasta faces on each layer (a bit like a Jenga tower).
“In order to ensure that a lasagne holds its shape after it is cut and plated, many Italians alternate the orientation of their pasta with each layer,” they advise.
“So if you lay your first layer of pasta lengthwise, you will lay your second layer crosswise, alternating each time. Although this may seem pointless, it’s one of those nonna secrets and we swear by it.”
A popular Redditor agrees with this advice, saying that in their experience, the criss-cross pattern “adds more structural integrity to each slice”.
Of course, letting your lasagne stand for long enough after cooking it (pros recommend leaving it for 30-45 minutes) will have more of an impact on its structural integrity than the orientation of its sheets.
Still, it’s got to be worth a try, right?
Any other lasagne tips?
Yes! Mary Berry doesn’t just let her lasagne rest after it leaves the oven ― she also lets it sit for six hours before cooking it, at least.
That way, the dried pasta sheets she uses have a chance to soften, meaning you won’t need to pre-boil them.
Meanwhile, Italians traditionally use a lot more nutmeg than most Brits realise ― adding it to your lasagne’s bechamel could give it that “wow” factor.