# First time lasagna



## mufan (Jan 30, 2007)

Hi all,
I just made my first lasagna and I ran into some problems maybe somebody can help me with.  I'm going to bullet these because there are so many 

My noodles stuck to the bottom of my pan.  How do you keep this from happening (my spaghetti does the same thing)
Which way do you lay the noodles?  I have a 9x13 inch pan and I laid them long ways.....is that right?  I ended up with a lot of left over noodles
The recipe said cook the noodles al dente so I pulled them out before they were limp.  However, they wouldn't lay in the dish flat.  They were curved (because they couldn't fit entirely into my pot until they were bendable).  I don't know if it is because they weren't cooked enough to be pliable or if I need a bigger pot so they can boil while laying flat (do they make a pot that big!)?
The recipe calls for laying the noodles, meat sauce, cheese sauce, ricotta cheese and mozarella.  But how in the world do you spread a ricotta cheese layer on top of a cheese sauce layer?  It ended up being more like a mixture of all three layers after I tried to spread it.  Am I supposed to melt the ricotta cheese in the microwave and pour it on?


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## Corinne (Jan 30, 2007)

Put a thin layer of meat sauce in the bottom of the pan before you put the noodles in, to keep them from sticking.

Yes, you will end up with a lot of extra noodles. You need to overlap them a little bit but you will only get 3 or 4 across, for 3 or 4 layers.

Al Dente means almost all the way - if there is a cooking time on the package - go with the lesser cooking time. For instance, if it says "Cook for 9-11 minutes", go with 9 minutes.

What kind of cheese sauce did you use? Could we see the recipe? Typically, the ricotta is the "cheese sauce".


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## jkath (Jan 30, 2007)

First, it's always best to put a few small spoonfuls of your sauce in the dish and cover the bottom completely- that will eliminate any sticking.

Second, I actually add water to my sauce. This way, I can put the noodles in without boiling them (yep - right out of the package!)

Here's how I layer: 
little bit of sauce
noodles
ricotta mixture (ricotta, egg, nutmeg, salt, sometimes spinach)
sprinkle of parmesan/mozzarella mixture
sauce
noodles
ricotta mixture
parm/mozz
sauce 
noodles
ricotta mixture
parm/mozz
sauce
Bake till bubbly, with foil over the top (really tightly fit on!)
Then, take off the foil and top with mozzarella. Bake for another 10 min till bubbly.


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## mufan (Jan 30, 2007)

My noodles stick to the pan I boil them in not the lasagna dish itself.  I didn't know if there was some trick to prevent this.  Here is the recipe.  It has a cheese sauce that you make separately from the ricotta.  Maybe it is a misprint and you should put the ricotta on the noodles.  Do you think that I didn't cook my noodles long enough.  I could still break them. 

Tammy's Favorite Lasagna - Allrecipes


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## StirBlue (Jan 31, 2007)

Basically everything was okay except cooking the noodles.  I cook mine in a dutch oven style pot.  I fill the pot about 3/4 full of water and turn the burner on medium.  You need the heat under the water and not around the sides of the pot.  
   You can count out 9-12 lasagne noodles and put them into the boiling water.  They lean against the side of the pot and slowly slide down into the water as they soften.  I usually put them around the side of the put and do not stack them together on one side.  
   When the water reaches the boil state again, I reduce the heat so that they don't boil to pieces and the starch doesn't foam up.  Sort of a slow simmering boil.  
   The cooking time depends on the thickness of the noodles but on an average, it's 10-20 minutes, testing for doneness occassionally.  
   You can add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to the water while cooking.  It makes them a little easier to deal with after you drain them.  
   By the way, I like the recipe.


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## Lynan (Jan 31, 2007)

I recommend cooking your lasagne sheets off in batches, as the Italians do. They only take a moment if fresh (homemade or bought), then take out of water and leave to drain on clean kitchen towels. ALL pasta must be cooked in heaps of water, not just enough to barely cover the uncooked pasta. Figure on 3 times as much as you thought!


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## lulu (Jan 31, 2007)

Interesting!  when we in UK I made a lot of lasagne as it freezes so well, and those foil boxes to take to work and shove in an oven at lunch time come in the right size for a lasagne sheet, lol!

I have, bizarrely, never read a recipe for lasagne just kind of made it up!  So slapped wrists for me!

The first thing I notice is that I am going to try with the ricotta mixture instead of my normal cheese sauce (typical middle England cooking I have always made a typical bechamel-cheese sauce with parmesan or grana) so this will be interesting, and I use more vegetables.  I stick carrots and celery in everything, and I put a little of my cheese sauce on the base not meat sauce, purely because I like a nice white bottom, lol...now while I am talking I realise I have my Il Cucciaio d'argento here, so hang on, I'll refer to my Italian cooking bible!

Interesting, I am still going to try the ricotta but the ingrediants here (oh cripes, copywrite?- i can list the ingredients but no more I believe!)

OK, a lasagne alla bolgnese for four people;

egg pasta
300g of minced/ground beef, 1/2 a litre of becciamella (bechamel sauce) 70 gr of grated cheese, 1/2 a glass of dry white wine, 250 gr tomato pulp/chopped tomato, 1 onion, 1 carrot, butter, oil, salt, pepper.


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## Candocook (Jan 31, 2007)

Many good ideas here. With regard to your noodles sticking in the cooking pan, have your BIG pot of water boiling and salted. Slide the lasagna noodles in individually, working around the edge of the pot so they don't "stack up". Stir a bit. Add a little olive oil. They need to be done but not overdone or they will tear. AND they are going to cook a lot more when in the sauce.
 A lot of people do not even cook the noodles (regular lasagna, not the no-boil variety!) If this is done, then the lasagna sauces need to have more liquid, but it does work.
I have been a much better lasagna maker since learning to cook the noodles and then take them out and put on towels on the counter. Having them all laid out and ready makes the assembly quick and easy.
As others said, put some sauce on the bottom of the pan.
The cheese layer for my recipe is either ricotta or small curd cottage cheese, parmesan, eggs and parsley--it is very spreadable.


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## mufan (Jan 31, 2007)

which way do you lay the noodles......by length or width of the 9x13 pan?  Do you wash your noodles with cold water in a drainer once you pull them out of the boiling water?  I've always seen people do this but never really knew why or if you were supposed to.


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## lulu (Jan 31, 2007)

You rince to wash of the starch, NO ITALIAN rinses pasta!  It seems to be an american thing   Lay the sheets the way they fit best in your pan, practice before cooking them.


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## urmaniac13 (Jan 31, 2007)

If the pasta got stuck, obviously the pot was not big enough and/or you didn't use enough water.  As with any kind of pasta, they need to swim around freely while being boiled.
However, the next time I suggest using fresh pasta, instead of dried.  No precooking necessary.  Just lay it out directly, and make sure all the pasta surface is covered with the sauce, it will cook perfectly in the oven.
Also for a second option, if you read the direction on the package while shopping, there are also "no precook" dried version of lasagne pasta available, too.  (They are very thin, so cook more easily.)
As Lulu said, there is no particular rule as to "how" the pasta is laid down, the important thing is, just cover the entire surface, it doesn't really matter.  Also as suggested, make sure you spread some of the sauce at the bottom of the baking dish.  This way the pasta will stay moist, no sticking.


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## CharlieD (Jan 31, 2007)

To make it simple use No-Boil noodles, Barila makes one. Second, like it was said before put some sauce on the bottom of the pan, I usually spray the pan with some olive oil. I'm not sure about spreading of ricota problem as I've never had this problem. Maybe our meat sauce it too thin.


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## Aria (Jan 31, 2007)

Many good suggestions given. Check the Lasange Box for directions on how to cook the pasta 

Yes cook al dante

A small amount of tomato sauce on bottom of pan (do not grease)

One layer of the pasta

A layer of grated mozzarella cheese

A little tomato sauce

Mix your Ricotta: Place in a bowl and add one egg for each pound of ricotta. Season with black pepper, parsley and spread on one layer of
pasta. THE SMALL AMOUNT of tomato sauce on top of the ricotta layer.

Continue. Remember to use "a small amount" of sauce between layers.
Top layer sauce and grated mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil. Cook
350 oven 45 minutes. Remove foil. Cook ten minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

Questions?


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## Alix (Jan 31, 2007)

mufan, I use regular noodles (that you are supposed to boil first) but I don't boil them. I put a heavy layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan and do my layering that way. You have to water down your sauce in this method though, I add about 2/3 cup more water to the sauce. 

If you are going to continue to boil your noodles first a couple of tricks that might work for you. 1) use a roaster to boil your noodles, they will lie flat in there and not get curled up. 2) put a tbsp of oil in the water so the noodles won't stick, 3) use a really big pot with lots of water in it so the noodles don't get close to the bottom of your pot. 

And as to the direction you lay the noodles, go length wise. Let us know how your next adventure goes!


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## jennyema (Jan 31, 2007)

Buy a box of *Barilla No Cook LAsagna Noodles* and use the recipe on the box. 

It's simple, foolproof and very good.


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## Michelemarie (Jan 31, 2007)

I was skeptical about the no bake noodles - but tried them and they worked fine but  better yet, tasted good. Urmaniac, fresh lasagna is hard to find here unless you make it yourself. In fact, I don't think I have ever seen fresh lasagna noodles, inforunately.  Good ideas here - I don't make lasagna too often because mines seems to collapse when put on the plate and looks like blob of mush! I must be doing something wrong!


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## Candocook (Jan 31, 2007)

About collapsing. Maybe make the sauce a bit thinner and the cheese layer thicker (with eggs to hold it?).  But even if it collapses, it tastes good, I'll bet.


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## BreezyCooking (Jan 31, 2007)

Another vote for Barilla no-cook lasagna noodles.  I LOVE them - taste, texture, ease of use, everything.

And the recipe on the box works GREAT, yet still allows you to add things to make it more "your own".


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## Katie H (Jan 31, 2007)

*Grandma Grillo's Baked Lasagna*

Hi, mufan.  Welcome to DC.

One of my family members came from Palermo on the island of Sicily and was an awesome cook.  Her lasagna recipe has been passed down from generation to generation.  It's delicious and, as far as I can tell, foolproof.  You might give it a try.

Here's a link to it here on DC: http://www.discusscooking.com/forum...html?highlight=Grandma+Grillo's+Baked+Lasagna


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## Aria (Jan 31, 2007)

Katie E, The lasagna or is it lasagne?  I am never sure. Gandma Grillo's Recipe should answer all the questions.  NEAT.  Thanks


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## Katie H (Jan 31, 2007)

Aria said:
			
		

> Katie E, The lasagna or is it lasagne?  I am never sure. Gandma Grillo's Recipe should answer all the questions.  NEAT.  Thanks



It's wonderful lasagna and Grandma Grillo always spelled it with an "a."  Sadly, she's long gone or I would ask her.


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## Robo410 (Jan 31, 2007)

the no boil noodles are very close in texture to fresh...thin and delicate...both the white and whole wheat are wonderful.  I love lasagna.  I love to make a very traditional one with various fresh made sauces.  BUt I also like the old standby jar sauce, cottage cheese, bag of shredded mozzarella, and burger or Italian sausage version too.  It is comfort food!


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## lulu (Feb 1, 2007)

Aria and Katie: pronounced like an "a" written with an "e", but tastes good any way!


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## bethzaring (Feb 1, 2007)

It took me years to get the courage to try making lasagna with uncooked pasta.  The brand Barilla is not available in my area, nor is any no-cook lasagna pasta.  I have been very pleased with my results of using lasagna uncooked, that was supposed to be boiled.  I do add extra fluid to the top of the casserole before baking.  This technique greatly speeds up the lasagna making process, and saves water and fuel by not cooking the lasagna prior to baking.  I make lasagna much  more frequently now than when I used to boil the pasta.


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## urmaniac13 (Feb 1, 2007)

Aria said:
			
		

> Katie E, The lasagna or is it lasagne?


 
Aria, actually there is no significant difference, it could go either way.  It is just that lasagn*a* is a singular form, and lasagn*e* is a plural form in Italian


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## lulu (Feb 1, 2007)

Ah, thanks Urmaniac....my wretched plurals again.......at least it isn't one of those ones that swaps from masculine to feminine when it goes plural....I'll never understand that.  And I have just stopped talking about figs in Italian, rofl


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## Joni (Oct 19, 2007)

*lasagna*

Hello!

When I make lasagna, I cook my noodles in a round large pan of water.  They do not fit at first, but you should cook them long enough to soften up and fit.  They are pretty well cooked before I take them out.  I have had lasagna where the noodles were cooked al dente and I thought they were too crunchy.  In layering, start out with meat at the bottom of your pan, then layer noodles, mozzarella, cottage or ricotta cheese, parmesan and start over with the meat sauce again one more layer and end with meat sauce and parmesan.  If your noodles stick to the bottom of your pan when boiling, add a little oil to your water.   good luck


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## miniman (Oct 20, 2007)

I have only ever used no cook lasagna sheets, and it usually works very well. You must only single layer them though otherwise it is very crunchy. I like the idea of adding extra fluid and I may do that with the no cook sheets to ensure they cokk really well.


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## BreezyCooking (Oct 20, 2007)

Miniman - with the no-cook type noodles, use extra sauce for the "fluid", as adding extra fluid that's thin (water, wine, etc.) can end up overcooking the noodles.


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## buckytom (Oct 20, 2007)

miniman, i just made a lasagna last night using ronzoni no boil noodles, and it came out great.

the definitive secrets to using no boil noodles are to use a lot of sauce, and leave a little room for expansion with no overlapping, sort of like laying a wood floor.

in a deep 9x13 glass baking dish, i put a healthy layer of plain sauce (no meat. i hate ground beef in sugo), then i pressed in 3 sheets of the hard ronzoni noodles, plus i snapped 2 small pieces off of another sheet, to help fill in the end a little.

on top of the first layer of noodles, i spread a good layer of undrained ricotta cheese that had been mixed with 2 eggs and a large handful of torn basil with a fork until smooth.

the next layer of noodles was pressed into the ricotta mix. then more sauce to cover all edges of the top of the noodles.

next, a layer of eggplant slices (that had been lightly sauteed in evoo) is layed down, topped with sauce, and another layer of no boil noodles pressed in. 

the next layer started with sauce, again, then i spread out an even layer of cubed/chopped leftover roasted chicken. top that with healthy slices of mozarella, then with sauce, and press on another layer of hard noodles. 

the pan should pretty much be full to the top by now, with a little room around the edges. top that final layer with, guess what, more suace, then a little more mozarella, and a few filnal sprinkles of torn basil.

bake the beast, covered, for 35 minutes at 375. uncover, and let it bake another 15 minutes, until the cheese on top melts.

let it sit a good 30 minutes to firm up before serving.


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## miniman (Oct 20, 2007)

Thanks for the advice and recipe - I will give it a go sometime.


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## Gossie (Oct 20, 2007)

jkath said:


> First, it's always best to put a few small spoonfuls of your sauce in the dish and cover the bottom completely- that will eliminate any sticking.
> 
> Second, I actually add water to my sauce. This way, I can put the noodles in without boiling them (yep - right out of the package!)
> 
> ...



What temperature and for how long? 

You guys are talking lasagna and my mouth is watering.   Thanks a  lot.  I don't have any ricotta or lasagna noodles, and don't have access to my car right now. LoL


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## Gossie (Dec 27, 2007)

Ok, getting ready to make TWO lasagna's.   One for the freezer. 

I'm planning on putting the pasta (lasagna noodles) in uncooked.  Will I need to bake the lasagna, fully or partially, first before freezing or can I assemble it and freeze it?  

I'll be baking at 375 degrees for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, I think.  Although I'll play the timing  by ear.


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## Callisto in NC (Dec 27, 2007)

Gossie said:


> Ok, getting ready to make TWO lasagna's.   One for the freezer.
> 
> I'm planning on putting the pasta (lasagna noodles) in uncooked.  Will I need to bake the lasagna, fully or partially, first before freezing or can I assemble it and freeze it?
> 
> I'll be baking at 375 degrees for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, I think.  Although I'll play the timing  by ear.


My SIL cautioned me big time about at least par cooking the noodles especially if you freeze.


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## Gossie (Dec 27, 2007)

I have one in the oven right now ... taking a rest before I prepare the one that will be frozen. I'm just too poop'd.  LoL


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## oneoffour (Dec 28, 2007)

I have made lasagna for years but when there is a bumper crop of zucchini or summer squash I have removed the skin cut them in 1/8 to1/4 inch strips as wide and long as the squash and used them instead of noodles. The squash is fresh no boiling needed. Use a thicker sauce since the squash releases moisture. Do everything else your favorite way but watch it cooks faster. It isn't as firm as usual but it tastes great and solves what to do with all that squash. I've even served it not telling it was a no pasta lasagna and everyone was surprised that it wasn't just soft noodles.


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## BreezyCooking (Dec 28, 2007)

*Lasagna For Freezing*

I always fully cook my Lasagna &/or other baked pasta dishes before freezing.


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## Gossie (Dec 28, 2007)

*I'm a BAD girl!!!*



BreezyCooking said:


> I always fully cook my Lasagna &/or other baked pasta dishes before freezing.



I was just way too tired when I finally got home, and only ended up making ONE lasagna, and put the 'insides' INSIDE the fridge.  Everytime I warmed up a piece of lasagna, I took a scoop or two from the bowl (that had the 'cheeses' in it).  No more cheese yet, SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO now I'll have to get more ingredients.


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