There are few things sadder than pulling a bubbly tray of lasagna from the oven only to discover it’s too watery, and that the layers have collapsed. Listen: It’s happened to the best of us, it’s surprisingly common, and of course, the exceptional Gordon Ramsay has the solution. In an interview with The Kitchn, Ramsay said a watery lasagna usually comes down to two concerns — it’s either an issue with the meat sauce or a too-thin bechamel sauce. He told the publication that his fix for sauce is to roast a few spoonfuls of flour on a tray until golden and then sprinkle it over the lasagna’s vegetables. This, he said, will allow the vegetables to better absorb the excess stock. When it comes to cooking the sauce, it also pays to slow down a bit and let the meat sauce simmer to reduce properly, as otherwise you’re almost guaranteed a bit of a sloppy sauce. Patience is key.
And when it comes to bechamel, Ramsay isn’t taking any risks there either. He shared that includes a generous amount of cheese in the sauce, which not only gives it a gooier texture and cheesier flavor but will also thicken the whole thing out. Technically, there’s no real debate when it comes to the difference between bechamel and white sauce — they’re pretty much the same thing, but what Ramsay does is enrich the classic with extra cheese to keep it all from watering down.
How to keep lasagna from falling apart on the plate
Once you’ve mastered avoiding a too-watery bechamel and meat sauce, there is another key move to ensuring a firm lasagna. Lasagna should be left to rest for at least 30 minutes before you start slicing in; without this time, gravity wins and the pasta sheets will often slide all over the place. And another overlooked element here is the pasta itself. If you’re cooking it in advance and not draining it properly, that’s a surefire way to end up with a soggy lasagna.
The origin story of lasagna may not have started in Italy, but if we want to get it right, we should definitely be emulating how the Italians do it. For many in Italy, lasagna is a true labor of love, but it’s basically foolproof if you’ve got the right sauce thickness, chosen the right pasta, and given it adequate time to rest. Whether you serve it up on it’s own or alongside an easy kale Caesar salad for some balance, it will taste truly divine, a dish that rewards patience with sturdiness, comfort, and that satisfying sense that you’ve made something worth lingering over.
