lasagna

I've been wondering since we moved here nearly three years ago whether the bechemel (sp?) sauce they use in England to make lasagna is the authentic Italian way to make it--as opposed to the layers of mozzarela cheese, pasta, tomato sauce and ricotta cheese I was used to in America.  I have to say that I really don't like lasagna in England.  Is it just me? I've enjoyed other pasta dishes in England, but not lasagna!

From what I understand different regions in Italy prepare it different ways (ie bechamel versus ricotta).

(and i think it's spelled lasagne, not lasagna!) 

I love the bechamel sauce!   My DH says this is the way he's had it on many visits to Italy, but i've only ever been to Venice and didn't eat it there...

Either spelling is correct, if you look it up in a dictionary. That said. I haven't had decent lasagna in the seven years that I've lived here. Brits don't "do" lasagna. 

GO wiki.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lasagna

:-)

I prefer the one with bechamel as I find a straight ragu one a bit too strong...but love either one if done right....:-)

Or a spinach one, or a mushroom one, or my fav.. butternut squash...

Brits don't "do" lasagna. 

Yes we 'do'.

I guess I should have looked up the spelling, to be certain... apologies for my misplaced pedantry. 
It just looks stupid as 'lasagna' to me, having only ever seen it spelled with an 'e' at the end. 

I didn't mean to sound pedantic; I just wanted to correct a simple error. Anyway, no hard feelings.

Just wondering!  To each their own, I guess!

I didn't mean to sound pedantic; I just wanted to correct a simple error. Anyway, no hard feelings.

as you said, both ways are correct, so... no need to apologise!

My Roman friend told us that what he is used to is no bechamel but a much lighter dish period. Not that many layers, etc.

I can't stand the liquidy cheesy sauce-style lasagne over here. I make mine more solid (i.e. you cut it like a cake). The ricotta-style I guess you would say, with more of a bolognese sauce.

I had lasagne when we were in Venice and it was the same kind as what I make. I'm not really a cheese person though. Can't stand rich cheesy sauces and I hate Stilton, which is probably why I don't care for the UK style lasagne. 

I'm not a fan of red sauce, so I've always done my lasagne with bechamel and a spinach-y sauce. It's a white and green lasagne.

I thought I had time to get my mom's recipes, but I didn,t. However, she got her recipes from my Sicilian grandmother, and there was no competition. I agree that British lasagna is far too runny, and bechamel shouldn't figure in the picture (no offense meant to bechamel lovers).

Any Brits that have eaten my American style lasagna have absolutly loved it and most have asked for the recipe.  I think the British style lasagna can lack flavor so I never order it out at restaurants here.  As for the bechamal sauce I can't remember the lasagna we had in Tuscany having any but it also wasn't full of mozzerella chesse either, but it did have ricotta of course and it was just so yummy.

I thought I had time to get my mom's recipes, but I didn,t. However, she got her recipes from my Sicilian grandmother, and there was no competition. I agree that British lasagna is far too runny, and bechamel shouldn't figure in the picture (no offense meant to bechamel lovers).

I think you're right that Sicilian recipes wouldn't use bechamel, but northern Italian food probably would. And I've actually always preferred northern to southern.

As for UK lasagne, most of my relatives make it here and it doesn't taste any different to me from what people in the US made!