How to Use Lasagna Sheets in an Alternative Way

Lasagna is one of the most iconic dishes of Italian cuisine: in addition to the great classic Bolognese, there are now countless variations. Egg pasta can be made at home, as well as bought at the supermarket, in fresh or dry, smooth or rough, suitable, in short, for all needs. It may happen that you have sheets left over and you don't know how to use them in an alternative way, so as not to immediately replicate another lasagna. The watchword is recycling, even better if creative: below, here are seven options (and as many recipes) with which to bring to the table dishes that are different from the usual, always under the sign of taste and ease of execution, between more traditional proposals and tasty and cheerful single-portion ideas.

1. Baskets

Playful and elegant at the same time. Bringing these tasty baskets to the table is really simple. How do you use the lasagna sheets? Blanch them, cut them in half and then use them to line muffin tins, creating cavities to fill with the ingredients you like best. A version can be made with fresh ricotta, sausage ragù, mozzarella and Parmigiano Reggiano, which gives a tasty crust on the surface, but you can also opt for a  Bolognese ragù , or sautéed mushrooms and béchamel. These mini lasagnas are ideal for a dinner with friends, a buffet aperitif or even for brunch.

2. Cannelloni

Ready-made puff pastry is the perfect base for making another great classic, cannelloni. A quick recipe that is prepared simply by filling the egg pasta and then rolling it up from the short side, so as to form the cannelloni. There are many variations: from the evergreen with ricotta and spinach to the traditional meat version, passing through a more creative dish with fish ragù. This last version is perfect for the summer season and is extremely easy: you can use fresh or frozen cod fillets and flavor them in a pan with cherry tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, salt and parsley. Cut them into small pieces by crushing them with a fork and mix everything with the béchamel, finally sprinkling with black pepper: the filling is ready.

3. Swivels

Lasagna sheets are perfect for staging very scenic recipes. An easy and effective idea is to stuff them with ham and cheese, form a roll and then cut it into smaller portions, so as to create pinwheels to arrange in a baking tray in a concentric way and garnish with béchamel. The lasagna roses variant is also very similar, with the pasta cut into thinner strips, enriched with a full-bodied ragù and béchamel. Once folded over themselves and placed in the baking dish they take on the appearance of a delicious bouquet: in the oven at 350°F/180° for 30 minutes and the dish is ready.

4. Bundles

The lasagna sheets are blanched, taking care not to break them, dried with absorbent paper, filled, closed like a bag by tying them with kitchen string, put in the oven and eaten. These parcels are a truly tasty proposal and, like the previous ones, very versatile. Here we have enriched them with a puree made from pumpkin, dill, parmesan and ginger, which gives a different combination than usual: you can personalize it by adding pieces of provola, to obtain a stringy heart.

5. Maltagliati Pasta

If you have leftover sheets of fresh egg pasta in quantities that do not allow you to create parcels, baskets or anything else, then the best thing to do is to transform them into another format. We suggest the simplest of all: maltagliati, typical of Emilia Romagna. In fact, the name itself suggests that the operation is within everyone's reach, since it involves obtaining irregular diamonds with a knife or a smooth wheel. How do you eat them? They are excellent added to chickpeas or beans soup, but also try them with gorgonzola and pumpkin, with a sausage ragù or with a pepper pesto: be generous, the more seasoned they are, the better.

6. Fried Sheets

Did you know that lasagna sheets can also be fried? Take the fresh ones, dip them in boiling seed oil: they will start to swell. Once golden and crispy, remove them with a slotted spoon and place them on absorbent paper so that they lose the excess oil. If you cut them into triangles you can obtain irresistible chips to dip in any sauce of your choice, for example guacamole, to enjoy as an aperitif. Or you can also make a savory millefeuille, alternating fried puff pastry squares in layers with béchamel and sautéed zucchini, or burrata and ratatouille: the motto is space for imagination.

7. Pan-Fried Lasagna

If you want a lasagna, but don't want to turn on the oven, this recipe  is the ideal solution. Thanks to the use of raw pasta sheets, in fact, the times are significantly reduced. In a saucepan, prepare a tomato sauce with garlic and oil, leaving it quite liquid, since it will be used to soften and hydrate the egg pasta. Once ready, pour a little on the bottom of the pan and place the pasta sheets on top, one next to the other and cover with more tomato, so as to moisten them well. Add the ham, diced scamorza and parmesan. Cover with another sheet of pasta and repeat the order of the same ingredients as before. Make many layers (about 4 or 5) until you run out: cover with the lid and leave to cook for about 30 minutes. For a vegetarian version, replace the sauce with grilled zucchini. The result will always be a surprising lasagna.