Why won't it stick?

[Fandango 1,440]

IF the gravy isn't thick enough, you need to either cook it down a bit or add some tomato paste and seasoning and cook that.

The egg should be added to the ricotta before layering. It should still be a fairly thick consistency.

The beef theoretically shouldn't be added into the gravy, but layered by itself and THEN adding the gravy on...or adding the beef before...just not together.

And if you put the ricotta mixture between all the layers (thinner), then the gravy will 'stick' there.

[Marilyn. 340]

Yea I definitely drain the meat, but perhaps I need to add more sauce. The recipe I use does call for a cup of water,but I never follow that because I thought it would dilute the sauce giving me the exact same problem I am complaining about now.

I've never had this problem, but I'm not familiar with the "oven ready" pasta that you're using. Does the oven ready pasta require water to be added before baking?

The oven ready noodles are the shizzle

my mom buys the regular noodles that you have to boil but she doesn't boil them, she uses them like you would the oven ready noodles, she just makes the lasagna a couple of hours ahead of time and makes sure there is enough sauce to cover the noodles and then just lets it sit in the fridge for a few hours... this softens the noodles... she never has had any problems doing it this way... I have never tired it though.. I just buy the oven ready noodles...

[NavarreMan 10]

I think we're going to need a sample of your work to get to the bottom of this...

[Fandango 1,440]

Now I'm goin for pizza, lol.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Then the gravy isn't thick enough.....

Did you drain the meat before layering it? Or is the grease from the meat diluting the gravy?

oh and marilyn........cottage cheese?!?!?!?!? Oh the horror!

I've been making lasagna since I was in my mother's womb and she always used cottage cheese. I've made it with both ricotta and cottage cheese - I think the cottage cheese version is tastier, but I have no Italian taste buds in me.

[Emancipation 2]

Then the gravy isn't thick enough.....

Did you drain the meat before layering it? Or is the grease from the meat diluting the gravy?

oh and marilyn........cottage cheese?!?!?!?!? Oh the horror!

I've been making lasagna since I was in my mother's womb and she always used cottage cheese. I've made it with both ricotta and cottage cheese - I think the cottage cheese version is tastier, but I have no Italian taste buds in me.

mmmm cottage cheese..

I make mine with cottage cheese as well... yummers..

[Jenn! 918]

Then the gravy isn't thick enough.....

Did you drain the meat before layering it? Or is the grease from the meat diluting the gravy?

oh and marilyn........cottage cheese?!?!?!?!? Oh the horror!

I've been making lasagna since I was in my mother's womb and she always used cottage cheese. I've made it with both ricotta and cottage cheese - I think the cottage cheese version is tastier, but I have no Italian taste buds in me.

I'm gonna set my nonna on you. She's not going to be pleased so watch out!

[payxibka 10,048]

I never have any problem with the frozen lasagna that I put in the oven... 60 minutes start to finish.. no muss no fuss....

[JODO 2]

Yea I definitely drain the meat, but perhaps I need to add more sauce. The recipe I use does call for a cup of water,but I never follow that because I thought it would dilute the sauce giving me the exact same problem I am complaining about now.

I've never had this problem, but I'm not familiar with the "oven ready" pasta that you're using. Does the oven ready pasta require water to be added before baking?

No.

Well then I think you're right about not adding water, I've never added water.

I think Lisa's right in that the sauce you're using must be too thin. I make my sauce with crushed tomatoes and paste. That seems to have a good consistency for the lasagna...

OK it looks like I need to add tomato paste next time and maybe a little more sauce and or crushed tomatoes?

[Marilyn. 340]

Then the gravy isn't thick enough.....

Did you drain the meat before layering it? Or is the grease from the meat diluting the gravy?

oh and marilyn........cottage cheese?!?!?!?!? Oh the horror!

I've been making lasagna since I was in my mother's womb and she always used cottage cheese. I've made it with both ricotta and cottage cheese - I think the cottage cheese version is tastier, but I have no Italian taste buds in me.

have you ever tired it?? don't knock it until you do although now I like to mix a bit of ricotta and cottage cheese together in my lasagna.... the only problem with using ricotta cheese in lasagna is that it doesn't freeze well....

[Jenn! 918]

I never have any problem with the frozen lasagna that I put in the oven... 60 minutes start to finish.. no muss no fuss....

[JODO 2]

IF the gravy isn't thick enough, you need to either cook it down a bit or add some tomato paste and seasoning and cook that.

The egg should be added to the ricotta before layering. It should still be a fairly thick consistency.

The beef theoretically shouldn't be added into the gravy, but layered by itself and THEN adding the gravy on...or adding the beef before...just not together.

And if you put the ricotta mixture between all the layers (thinner), then the gravy will 'stick' there.

Ahhhh

[Nessa 23]

I'd use milk instead of water, but that's me.

Milk?

I guess it's a brazilian thing, or maybe a nessa thing, I use milk instead of water on a lot of things, it's thicker that way.

When I have cappuccino i heat milk instead of water to mix with the cappuccino powder. When I have those canned soup that you need to mix water, sometimes I mix milk, or half milk, half water, and when cooking something I use a bit of milk sometimes to make it thicker.

[Marilyn. 340]

IF the gravy isn't thick enough, you need to either cook it down a bit or add some tomato paste and seasoning and cook that.

The egg should be added to the ricotta before layering. It should still be a fairly thick consistency.

The beef theoretically shouldn't be added into the gravy, but layered by itself and THEN adding the gravy on...or adding the beef before...just not together.

And if you put the ricotta mixture between all the layers (thinner), then the gravy will 'stick' there.

Ahhhh

you weren't adding the cheese between every layer?? that would be the problem then

Edited October 2, 2007 by MarilynP

[Jenn! 918]

Yea I definitely drain the meat, but perhaps I need to add more sauce. The recipe I use does call for a cup of water,but I never follow that because I thought it would dilute the sauce giving me the exact same problem I am complaining about now.

I've never had this problem, but I'm not familiar with the "oven ready" pasta that you're using. Does the oven ready pasta require water to be added before baking?

The oven ready noodles are the shizzle

Are they hard?

I've only ever used the kind you need to boil which I hate, or else fresh which is so easy. I imagine the oven ready would be similar to using fresh pasta...