I was watching a cooking show a while back and they mentioned an easy way to make lasagna was by using the "no-cook" noodles. That way you don't have to bother boiling the noodles and then potentially tearing the noodles when you are layering the lasagna. That truly is a great tip--a real time saver.
But you know what? You don't have to do that.
You can use plain ol' lasagna noodles. And you don't have to boil them either. Now, you do have to plan ahead and let it sit. All you simply have to do is layer your dish with your uncooked noodles, tomato/meat mixture, and cheese mixture as you normally would then put the pan in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook it. Allowing it to sit overnight is best, but I made lasagna just last week around lunchtime and we ate dinner between 5 and 6 pm. I cooked the lasagna for about 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven and it was cooked perfectly. No undercooked noodles.
I have to admit when I do this, I always worry there won't be enough moisture, so after I layer the lasagna, I usually add about another 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water, just to be on the safe side. And it turns out wonderful every time.
In addition, purchasing your standard lasagna noodles is about a 60% savings over the "no cook" variety! (At least where I normally shop.) How awesome is that?
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You know, I've kind of suspected that this would work on account of mistakes I've made (or thought I've made) in the past. It's great the way you spelled it out, though - how freeing to think that I can do away with the pre-cooking or the buying of no-cook noodles for good!
ReplyDeleteI´ve also done this when making lasagna in the crockpot when the recipe called for no-boil noodles. Works great.
ReplyDeleteI do this, too! I always just make sure there is a little extra liquid to make sure the noodles have enough to cook. I like doing this also because where I shop, there are no oven-ready whole wheat noodles. I like to use whole wheat, so I just buy the regular ones and do like you said!
ReplyDeleteI love this tip! I haven't made lasagna in a while, so I might have to make some soon. :D
ReplyDeleteGreat tip! Instead of the extra water, I usually mix a can of diced tomatoes with the juice in with a jar of sauce. Voila! Enough liquid for the noodles!
ReplyDeleteWe love lasagna and I had switched to the no boil kind because the cooked kind is such a pain--extra pot to clean, sticking together...you know. I'm going to give your idea a try!
ReplyDeleteThat is a great tip! I was working on my menu for next week and decided to have lasagna-- I am gonna try this next week. Being a working momma outside the home, making the night before works great for me!!
ReplyDeleteLove this idea too!
ReplyDeleteIt works!
Can I make a lasagna with regular non-cooked noodles and then freeze it for later? One of my weekly meals is from the freezer. Thanks!
ReplyDelete