This Is the Absolute Best Way to Layer Lasagna, According to an Italian Chef

In an ideal world, a picture of homemade lasagna would show up right next to “comfort food” in the dictionary. A savory spectacle, lasagna combines the best textures and tastes — gooey melted cheese, rich tomato sauce, and toothsome ground meat — in a slam dunk dinner that’s even better the next day. The holy trinity of ingredients (pasta, sauce, and cheese) is simple, yet profoundly customizable, with options ranging from changing up the cheese to using pesto instead of tomato sauce and even utilizing leftover spaghetti instead of lasagna noodles. 

Related: Our 15 Best Lasagna Recipes of All Time

The Best Way to Layer Lasagna

“I prefer lasagna with a traditional meat Bolognese sauce, a stiff bechamel, whole milk mozzarella and Pecorino Romano,” says Kevin Maxey, chef and owner of Pendolino in Sandy Springs, Georgia. If you prefer distinct boundaries between your lasagna layers, try his method: 

1. Coat the bottom of the pan or dish with a thin layer of marinara sauce.
2. Add one layer of pasta, then top with Bolognese. 
3. Add a second layer of pasta, then top with cheese mixture. 
4. Add a third layer of pasta, then top with Bolognese. 
5. Add a fourth layer of pasta, then top with cheese mixture. 
6. Add a fifth and final layer of pasta. Top with marinara and lots of grated Pecorino. 

Maxey’s method is light on tomato sauce. He saves the marinara for the first and last steps, and serves extra on the side. He also likes to keep the dairy ingredients together in layers and separate from the Bolognese. Is this the only way to make lasagna? Of course not. If you like your cheese and sauce mixed together, then by all means put them in the same layer. 

More Lasagna Layering Tips

No matter which ingredients you prefer, there’s a golden rule with lasagna layering that should always be heeded: start off with an even layer of sauce. Inserting a layer of moisture between the baking dish and first lasagna noodle will prevent the pasta from getting stuck and ensure a seamless slicing (and scooping) experience. 

There are a few variables that need to be considered with assembling a lasagna, says Ben Skolnick, pasta virtuoso and sous chef at BoccaLupo in Atlanta. The first is the number of layers: If your lasagna will have a lot of layers (think 15 and above), you’ll want to blanch and dry off the pasta sheets ahead of time. This means you won’t have to provide additional moisture for the noodles like you would if you used uncooked noodles. Conversely, if your lasagna doesn’t have a lot of layers, it’s better to use dry noodles and provide extra moisture by adding a little extra sauce. 

“There’s an amount of liquid that’ll be absorbed by the pasta to cook and hydrate it if it’s raw,” Skolnick says. “If there’s an abundance of liquid, you’ll wind up with a sloppy mess.” He also adds that a thin bechamel or mornay (cheese bechamel) is a good tool for binding up excess liquid in ragu, and recommends not making layers more than ¼ inch thick. For one last trick using raw noodles, be sure to add an extra touch of seasoning — the last thing you want is a lasagna with no flavor.