This is the BEST no-boil lasagna recipe around. Made with a ton of cheese, beef, sausage, tomatoes, and ricotta cheese, this delicious dinner will be a hit with your kids. Gluten-free instructions included.
By incorporating all the flavors of homemade lasagna and doing away with the hassle of boiling noodles, our version simplifies things. Whether you are feeding a small group or a sizable crowd, it will quickly become a go-to recipe.
To make dinner preparation easier, we’ve also included a variety of quick meal suggestions. These recipes enable us to juggle our responsibilities as working parents and still serve dinner every night of the week.
This recipe is a combination of my mom’s lasagna recipe from my childhood and the World’s Best Lasagna recipe from Allrecipes. Using no-boil noodles, this recipe definitely combines the best elements of both while cutting cooking time!
Start things off by gathering the equipment and ingredients. By substituting regular pork sausage for the sweet Italian sausage and gluten-free lasagna noodles for the regular sausage, this recipe can easily be made gluten-free.
For detailed instructions on making this filling homemade lasagna, print the recipe card below or watch the video!
Oven-Ready Lasagna Noodles Are Great For Consistency And Convenience
Going the oven-ready route is the best course of action if you have to prepare a lot of food for a big family or if you want to prepare lasagna for a large party at home.
You won’t have to worry about the noodles being overcooked and you’ll get consistent flavors.
Since each batch should cook roughly at the same time, you could theoretically make several lasagna dishes at once without even hoping they turn out well.
Some claim that regular lasagna noodles can be used without being boiled. This is effective as long as they receive additional moisture during cooking, just like the no-boil noodles (either by soaking before assembling or by using a watery sauce and covering the dish). However, remember that boiling regular lasagna noodles removes some of their starch, so skipping this step may result in the noodles tasting a little bit gummy.
Because any exposed edges will become hard and crunchy, make sure the noodles are completely covered in sauce. The majority of no-boil noodles will typically expand while cooking, so it’s best to slightly overlap them so they don’t touch the dish’s sides. Otherwise, they run the risk of growing up the dish’s sides and becoming exposed. To help the final casserole maintain its shape, switch up the directions of the noodles in each layer.
TEST KITCHEN: When making lasagna, a few straightforward safety measures must be taken to prevent a crunch.
Lasagna is not meant to be crunchy. Not one bit of it. Not even the vegetables. But if those incredibly time-saving no-boil noodles don’t soften, you’ll end up with crunchy, disagreeable lasagna.
But dont write off those noodles just yet. The trick is making sure they have adequate moisture. Consider making your tomato sauce a little bit waterier so that the noodles will have more liquid to absorb. Before assembling the lasagna, try soaking the noodles in a bowl of hot water if you want to use a thick sauce, like béchamel.
Pro: High-quality no-boil noodles are out there
Gian Paolo Bruschi, a trained chef who currently consults for New York City restaurants D.O.C. Wine Bar and Norma Gastronomia Siciliana, insists there are perfectly good options for no-boil noodles out there.
According to Bruschi, the no-boil lasagna has attained a quality level that is quite elevated and nearly identical to the traditional, freshly made lasagna. “There is no discernible difference in flavor between homemade lasagna noodles made with Italian ingredients and high-quality no-boil lasagna noodles. However, the cook must be mindful of the procedure when using the no-boil lasagna noodles. “Bruschi advises adding a little more liquid if you’re using a dry sauce like a bechamel so the no-boil sheets can better absorb the moisture. Advertisement.
Formicola swears by Barilla’s Oven-Ready Lasagne. “Never had them go wrong!”
FAQ
What is the difference between oven ready lasagna noodles and regular lasagna noodles?
They are precooked, dried, and thinner than standard lasagna noodles so they can soften in the oven with just the moisture from the sauce. The dried noodles cook while the casserole cooks once they are added to it.
Do you have to boil oven ready lasagna noodles?
There is no need to boil Barilla® Oven-Ready Lasagna before cooking it. Simply put the lasagna dish together in an oven-safe dish, and bake it. However, you can boil Barilla® Oven-Ready Lasagna for 3-5 minutes if you’re making lasagna roll-ups so the sheets are more pliable and can be rolled up with ease.
How do you substitute regular lasagna noodles for oven Ready?
- Compared to regular noodles, oven-ready noodles absorb up to 50% more liquid, so either increase the liquid (i e. 50% less water) in your sauce, or shorten the simmering time
- Make certain that the sauce or a moist cheese mixture is in contact with each layer of noodles.
Should I soak oven ready lasagna noodles?
No, you don’t need to soak or steam oven-ready noodles before using them unless you want to use the noodles in another recipe or variation of lasagna. The lasagna noodles may become overly mushy if you soak them first and then finish cooking them in the oven with it.
