Lasagna

  • After Iowa State won the Big 12, a Cyclone made a wonderful offer to We Will that now increases our match. Now all gifts up to $400,000 between now and the Final 4 will be matched. Please consider giving at We Will Collective.
    This notice can be dismissed using the upper right corner X button.

One or two

  • One

    Votes: 77 84.6%
  • Two

    Votes: 14 15.4%

  • Total voters
    91

MeanDean

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
Jan 5, 2009
13,250
17,898
113
Blue Grass IA-Jensen Beach FL
Meh. Even chefs agree with me:


Try some aglio e olio, some cacio e pepe. Both are better seasoned, and they don't just glob on sauce like lasagna. Actual Italian food is nowhere near as over-sauced as we do here, and lasagna is the worst offender. The pasta-to-toppings ratio is unlike any other pasta dish, so I would say it doesn't even count as pasta - pasta is just a guest star.
I respectfully state that you're not doing it right.
 
  • Like
Reactions: urb1

alarson

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Mar 15, 2006
53,741
61,536
113
Ankeny
I stand by it. The noodles are either soggy or crunchy half the time, soupy often, it's actually Greek and not Italian in origin, and it's basically a casserole. It's the green bean casserole of pasta.

This just seems to be an argument that its difficult to make well. And i'd buy that.

But thats hardly the only food for that. One of the reasons i usually won't order macaroni and cheese when eating out is for the same reason- its incredibly hit and miss. Sometimes you get great mac and cheese, and most of the time you get some blandness of dry noodles with a hint of cheese.
 

Angie

Tugboats and arson.
Staff member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Mar 27, 2006
28,183
12,852
113
IA
This just seems to be an argument that its difficult to make well. And i'd buy that.

But thats hardly the only food for that. One of the reasons i usually won't order macaroni and cheese when eating out is for the same reason- its incredibly hit and miss. Sometimes you get great mac and cheese, and most of the time you get some blandness of dry noodles with a hint of cheese.

I think that is a correct assessment of about 80-90% of my problem with it! And bless them, but almost everyone says that theirs is great, and it very very rarely is. They overdo the toppings almost every single time.

I 100% agree on mac and cheese. I'm not quite as smart about not ordering it, however - if I see it listed with the crumb topping and I'm really in the mood for it, I can usually get suckered in by it. It's almost always not good. It's usually one-note - it needs a hint of interest in it, like some gouda or some feta or something unique to give it some complexity.

Fast food mac and cheese is a joke, in particular - my daughter loves Noodles and Company's mac and cheese, but it appears to literally just be noodles with shredded cheese on top? No bechamel of any sort? Panera's is legit delicious, however (even if not complex).
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gunnerclone

BCClone

Well Seen Member.
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Sep 4, 2011
61,414
55,962
113
Not exactly sure.
I think that is a correct assessment of about 80-90% of my problem with it! And bless them, but almost everyone says that theirs is great, and it very very rarely is. They overdo the toppings almost every single time.

I 100% agree on mac and cheese. I'm not quite as smart about not ordering it, however - if I see it listed with the crumb topping and I'm really in the mood for it, I can usually get suckered in by it. It's almost always not good. It's usually one-note - it needs a hint of interest in it, like some gouda or some feta or something unique to give it some complexity.

Fast food mac and cheese is a joke, in particular - my daughter loves Noodles and Company's mac and cheese, but it appears to literally just be noodles with shredded cheese on top? No bechamel of any sort? Panera's is legit delicious, however (even if not complex).
I think most people don’t use enough noodles. It starts to taste like you are eating spaghetti sauce with meat and a random noodle mixed in. Noodle heavier and blend different cheeses with it and it will be better, and I don’t think mine is the best. I think it’s like a middle of the road food. Don’t love it but don’t hate. I won’t order it at a restaurant.
 
  • Winner
Reactions: Angie

MLawrence

Well-Known Member
Jan 21, 2010
11,776
4,485
113
34
I think most people don’t use enough noodles. It starts to taste like you are eating spaghetti sauce with meat and a random noodle mixed in. Noodle heavier and blend different cheeses with it and it will be better, and I don’t think mine is the best. I think it’s like a middle of the road food. Don’t love it but don’t hate. I won’t order it at a restaurant.

I think it also depends on if people are using jarred sauce or making their own. I think jar sauce is too runny for lasagna. But I will admit my that I wish my sauce I use for lasagna was a bit more saucy rather than thick.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Angie

urb1

Well-Known Member
Jan 23, 2010
3,360
1,912
113
Urbandale
We still use a 1981 Better Homes and Gardens cookbook recipe. It uses twice the cheese as the current Better Homes and Gardens cookbook recipe calls for. I don't care because we make it once a year. But it's great.

If I had a complaint, it needs a little more sauce, which is not out of a jar, BTW.