This Aldi Staple Will Enhance Your Homemade Lasagna

Lasagna brings some of the most loved Italian flavors together in a decadent, layered mass of nap-inducing goodness. Making it at home doesn't always need to be a drawn-out affair either. While there are multiple components at play — the tomato sauce, meaty bolognese, béchamel, cheeses, noodles, and garnishes — you can go the readymade route with, say, a good store-bought marinara to simplify the process. In fact, if you shop at Aldi, you're able to pick up everything you need, plus an extra ingredient that effortlessly enhances lasagna. Known for its Italian staples, Aldi's Priano brand is ubiquitous at most of the international grocery chain's outlets. Pick up some Priano pesto alla Genovese, and use its versatile flavor in any one of several ways to add bright, herby complexity to your homemade lasagna recipe.

Basil pesto is a pantry staple that can easily be a dish's primary flavor-maker or play a supporting role. While Priano's offering may not be as good as homemade basil pesto sauce, it's excellent as a flavor enhancer. The strong basil and garlic notes complement lasagna perfectly, cutting through the layered pasta's richness. Whether you're using a deep bolognese or a light ricotta filling, a dash of pesto will complement the flavor. In fact, there are lots of different ways to make lasagna, and basil pesto can be used to enhance all of them. If you're feeling creative, consider trying Aldi's Priano pesto rosso, which is made with sundried tomato and has a deep umami taste that adds depth to store-bought tomato sauce or homemade meat sauce. While not as versatile as its basil counterpart, Aldi's red (or rosso) pesto gets stellar reviews for its well-balanced, authentic flavor.

A good place to start when incorporating Aldi's Priano pesto into lasagna is to figure out how dominant you want its zingy basil and nutty notes to be in a bite. For a subtle pesto flavor that simply adds complexity without changing the dish's profile, add a thin layer of pesto on alternate layers when building the lasagna. You can also add it to every layer or mix it with the béchamel sauce to simplify the process. Similarly, when using ricotta cheese to fill lasagna, mash a few spoonfuls of green pesto into the cheese to incorporate it into every bite. While heating the sauce is a common mistake when cooking with pesto, as it dulls the bright flavor, it's fine to bake it with lasagna since we're only looking for subtle pesto notes.

For brighter, more prominent pesto flavors, consider topping the lasagna with small dots of pesto just before serving. Alternatively, make a quick ricotta pesto blend for a zesty, creamy last-minute topping. Note that fresh basil pesto complements vegetable lasagnas particularly well, so if you're making one with lots of fresh produce, that finishing dollop of pesto is an absolute winner.

Finally, a quick version for pesto lovers is the lasagne alla Portofino — pesto lasagna that originated near Genoa, the birthplace of pesto. This version puts the verdant sauce's flavor front and center, with simple layers of béchamel sauce, pesto, and hard, nutty Italian cheeses. Top it with toasted pine nuts, a drizzle of raw pesto, and some fresh cherry tomato halves, and you have a simple lasagna bursting with flavor.