Though it has its humble origin in Italy, lasagna has truly become international now. This ultimate comfort food is tasty, easy to make and perfect for a lazy night or party day since it can be cooked in large quantities.

What adds to the flavor and taste of this dish is a perfect blend of mozzarella, parmigiano-Reggiano and béchamel cheeses. But then, lasagna is so versatile that we can give it many twists, like making a vegetable lasagna. Another option is to have a Greek twist by replacing the classic bechamel sauce with a blend of feta cheese and parmesan. One can also swap beef mince with lamb.

So, as we celebrate National Lasagna Day on July 29, here are few tips that help to make your lasagna perfect.

1) Cook your sauces first: It is always ideal to cook pasta sauces before the lasagna noodles. This is because the cooked noodles tend to stick to each other when cooled. Also, freshly cooked noodles are easier to work with and can help keep the sheets separate. And, pasta sauces can be kept for a while. If anything, this only adds to its flavor as over time, the flavors meld, and the sauce becomes tastier.

2) Choose the meat: While many use ground beef in their spaghetti sauce, lasagna tastes better with pork (or sausage) or beef-and-pork combo. This highly rated recipe for homemade lasagna has a recommended 1:1 beef-to-pork ratio.

3) Layer with care: After you get a proper lasagna pan, which is at least 3 inches deep, cover the bottom of the pan with a thick layer of sauce, then layer in noodles, followed by a third of your cheese mixture, then more sauce. Repeat until you've reached the top.

4) Try not to overbake: An overbaked lasagna is not good as the noodles mush and the layers disappear. So check lasagna often since a lot of factors can influence cooking time like pan size, the number of layers, fresh versus dry pasta, and whether your sauce was hot, room temperature, or cool when you layered.

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