Lasagna

Bake an assembled lasagna at 180°C for about 35–45 minutes, covering it with foil if the top browns too quickly. Uncover for the final 10 minutes, then leave it to stand for 10–15 minutes so it cuts neatly.

Check whether the sheets are labelled as oven-ready: those go straight into the dish. For dried sheets that need pre-cooking, boil them until just flexible, then lay them flat on a clean tea towel so they do not stick together.

Cook watery vegetables such as courgettes and mushrooms before layering, and drain spinach well. Keep the sauce thick rather than soupy, and let the baked lasagna stand before cutting.

Cool leftovers promptly, transfer them to a covered container and refrigerate within two hours. Eat them within two days, reheating until steaming hot throughout.

Yes. Freeze it in meal-sized portions, either before or after baking, wrapped or sealed well. Thaw it in the fridge before reheating, and heat until steaming hot throughout.

A crisp green salad with a sharp vinaigrette cuts through the rich layers; garlic bread is a familiar side if you want a more filling meal. Roasted aubergine or courgette also works well alongside it.

For a lower-carbohydrate layered bake, use thin slices of aubergine or courgette, grilled or roasted first to drive off moisture. Wide strips of fresh pasta can also stand in for dried sheets.

Vegetable lasagna has 112 kcal per 100 g, compared with 149 kcal in beef lasagna. The vegetable version has more fibre—1.96 g against 1.4 g per 100 g—while beef lasagna has more protein, with 8.6 g against 3.77 g.