Building the Lasagna
There are a couple of things you might do differently when making lasagna for freezing as opposed to baking it immediately, starting with the type of noodles you choose.
And no-boil noodles are a need if you intend to freeze your unbaked lasagna. It is possible to boil regular lasagna noodles, drain them, let them cool, assemble your lasagna, and then freeze it. However, this requires a lot more work, and since frozen lasagna requires lengthy cooking times, they will probably turn out mushy.
Conversely, no-boil lasagna noodles are designed to be frozen. All you have to do is arrange the dry noodles on top of your other ingredients. In fact, even if you aren’t freezing your lasagna, they’re far simpler and more convenient to use than regular noodles. But when preparing lasagna for the freezer, theyre a must. (Note: Sheets of fresh pasta will also work well. ).
If you’re only going to bake it once, the ricotta or cottage cheese filling will work just fine. However, if you choose to use a béchamel instead of ricotta or cottage cheese, it might survive the freezing process a little bit better.
The question of whether a vegetarian lasagna will hold up better than one with meat is also applicable. Again, as long as the lasagna is baked just once, you should not experience any issues as long as your freezer is maintained at 0 F or lower.
Here’s why you’ll love “no cook” freezer cooking too…
- The recipes are very quick to prep.
- There are less pans to wash after prepping your meals.
- The meals taste nothing like leftovers when they cook for the first time straight out of the freezer.
- Maintaining a supply of homemade meals in your freezer for hectic weeknights is simple.
Sounds like a win-win-win-win to me.
My cookbooks have a ton of “no cook” freezer recipes, and you can bet that this lasagna will be included if I write another one in the future. It’s a meatless, cheesy lasagna made with fresh baby spinach. Such a delicious and family-friendly meal.
I suggest making two lasagnas at a time when making this. Although “no boil” lasagna noodles have a slightly different texture than the kind that are boiled, my entire family tried this recipe and found it to be just as tasty and a great way to save time.
Bake First or Freeze First?
The most important query is probably whether or not to bake the lasagna before freezing it. Although lasagna freezes incredibly well, the quality of the ingredients is eventually compromised by baking, freezing, thawing, and rebaking.
To be honest, one of the best things about lasagna is how well it freezes. A baked, frozen, then re-baked lasagna will still be good. But its at the margins where quality is affected. Arguably, one of the most alluring aspects of baked lasagna is the crispy, caramelized crust that forms on top. Sadly, the crust will not be as fresh, brand-new, and sizzling after baking, freezing, and then baking it again as it would be after it has only been frozen and baked once.
When you cook something, you alter it fundamentally. The starches, sugars, proteins, and fats all fluctuate in different ways. Starches like pasta absorb liquid. Proteins denature, fats liquefy, and sugars caramelize.
These components change again when theyre frozen. The pasta’s texture changes as a result of the water in it crystallizing. When a lasagna is baked twice, the liquids in the sauce are heated twice as well, which could cause evaporation, dry out the sauce, and overcook the pasta. Dairy products can become separated even if they are cooked twice or frozen and thawed.
Numerous ways exist for food quality to degrade as a result of all these changes. Furthermore, although lasagna is very forgiving of all of this, it is still preferable to bake it just once.
Lets also think about the intent. Perhaps this isn’t as crucial if you’re making this lasagna for your family. However, lasagna is a wonderful dish to make as a present for a person who has recently given birth, is recovering from a medical condition, or is grieving. Therefore, serving someone frozen lasagna after it has been baked is equivalent to serving them leftovers. On the other hand, serving them an unbaked lasagna constitutes a fresh meal. Although they bake it with the same effort, the outcome is very different.
