(Except After Ice Cream)
Occasionally, I come across a recipe that’s pure gold. One of my favorite things about cooking is searching for good recipes; there’s nothing better than that first bite of a dish made from an untested recipe and realizing you’ve made something delicious! Then comes the scary second cooking of that dish! Will things work out the same this time, or was the first attempt at success a fluke?
Linda’s Lasagna (bless you, Linda!) was one of my early finds. I’ve made it at least five times for various party occasions, and it was unfailingly a hit. Two other friends made it with the same success. The recipe worked for me time and time again, until…I accidentally grabbed a box of no-boil, “oven-ready” lasagna noodles instead of regular noodles (the ones you need to boil first).
It was a disaster. My lasagna was chewy with crunchy bits instead of al dente, which is perfectly cooked and neither too soft nor too tough. The worst layer of noodles was at the top, all curled up and rigid as a board. Every bite made me cringe, and I writhed in embarrassment whenever one of my dinner guests insisted that “it’s good!” It’s not. I’m eating it too, you know. Stop lying to me.
My lasagna sauce was simmering on the stove today when I realized, horrified, that I had once again picked up a box of oven-ready noodles. Panicking, I turned to Google for help. Remarkably, there weren’t many articles explaining what to do in this circumstance. Few solutions, but many complaints. Many others have experienced the same problem and switched from oven-ready noodles to regular noodles that need to be boiled.
Here’s what I gleaned from the Net:
- Cooking regular lasagna noodles can be messy business. As they boil, you must periodically stir them because they may stick to one another in the pot. They cook in about nine minutes, depending on the brand. After cooking, you must immediately separate them and drain them. They will stick together in the strainer and will undoubtedly tear apart if you attempt to remove them.
- You might assume that “oven-ready” implies that you can put the lasagna together and bake it right away. Not at all! There are steps to take to prevent an undercooked, dry-noodle disaster unless your recipe specifically calls for using oven-ready noodles, which most do not. These steps cut your sauce cooking time in half, but they add thirty minutes to the noodle preparation. This indicates that using oven-ready noodles for most recipes requires roughly the same amount of time overall as using regular noodles. Plus, you won’t have to clean up an extra pot.
I seem to recall that you had to use more liquid than usual and make sure the noodles were both above and below a moist layer. Additionally, you cooked everything for a fairly long time to allow everything to absorb (I want to say 350F for 1. 5 to 2 hours, though I usually just cooked it until a knife easily entered, at which point I placed it under the broiler to get it bubbly.)
Yes. For lasagna, I’ve used regular, dry noodles straight from the package. Make a lot of saucy meat sauce with cooked Italian sausage and ground beef. Recall that you must add a base of sauce to the pan before adding the first layer of noodles. Then, cover the noodles with a portion of the ricotta mixture (ricotta, eggs, parsley, parmesean cheese, and fresh basil). Add meaty sauce and then mozzarella. Repeat. If desired, you can make the lasagna the day before and let the noodles absorb the sauce. Either way, delish. ♡.
I’ve found that you need to add more sauce—not necessarily more water. I don’t want to use water or broth, but there’s a bit too much sauce for my taste. Even no-boil noodles, I’ve discovered, require additional liquid to cook through. I soaked regular noodles in hot water with two tablespoons of salt (for seasoning) until they were pliable, about 12 minutes. I stirred occasionally to make sure they didn’t stick together (some did, but the rest were fine). I used this alternative no-boil method tonight with great success. With tongs, I removed the dripping wet sheets and layered them as normal. I experimented because I was extremely exhausted. It worked perfectly. I avoided having to clean a second pot. I’ll never boil lasagna noodles again. Waste of a pot & fuel. Therefore, you can skip boiling regular noodles, but use caution (use extra sauce).
I hate to be the life of the party, but using pasta in a baked dish without boiling it first doesn’t usually work out. Even freshly made pasta requires a brief immersion in hot water. This is due to the fact that cooking pasta aims to hydrate and plump each grain of flour rather than just making it soft. Your sauce won’t get that hydrated without boiling, even if it’s extremely moist. That’s not to say the pasta won’t turn out well; it just won’t taste as good. It is comparable to the difference between homemade and boxed Jello pudding. In connection with that, the majority of no-boil pastas undergo boiling during production before being dehydrated.
I read all the above answers. But the best way to do it is to boil regular lasagna noodles for only half as long. In this manner, the noodles cook through without becoming mushy. Remember to turn off the pot when making two pans so that the leftover hot water can cook the noodles. Because most people have electric stoves, the heat stays when gas stoves shut off quickly, so use two pots! But the heat lasts long enough to cause your food to overcook. So be sober and keep an eye on your dish. There is less need to bake it if all the ingredients are cooked except for the cheese. My lasagna only bakes for thirty minutes before I cover it and let the residual heat finish the job.
