What Americans know as lasagna is what Italians refer to as "lasagne imbottite," or stuffed lasagna made using ricotto sauce. Traditional lasagna from both northern and southern Italy is thin and delicate rather than thick and hearty due to the fact that the traditional kind is made with béchamel sauce.

To make the béchamel sauce, you'll start by gently heating milk in one saucepan, and by melting butter and mixing it with double the amount of flour in another. After the butter-flour mixture turns golden-brown and forms a roux, gradually incorporate the heated milk, followed by salt and nutmeg.

When you're ready to assemble your lasagna, spread a thin layer of the béchamel sauce over the sheet of pasta topped off with tomato sauce and grated cheese. The resulting lasagna is so tasty out of the oven you won't even miss the ricotta.