How come when I made lasagna from scratch my noodles were crunchy?!
Answers: I followed directions and cooking times exactly! This was my first time making this so I dont really know all the tricks but the noodles I got said right on the package oven ready no need to boil. Everything else was cooked right the filling tasted great but the noodles were not even edible! We ended up scraping off the noodles and eating only the sauce and cheese.
No boil lasagna recipes sometimes call for additional liquid and/or require you to keep foil on the lasagna while it's baking - you usually just take the foil off for the last part of the baking cycle to brown the cheese. Both of these steps will keep the noodles soft. If you're interested in trying it again, this is the recipe that I use and it really does turn out!
No-Boil Lasagna
(Prep Time: 45 minutes Baking Time: 70 minutes)
(Can be prepped ahead or made ahead and frozen)
Sauce:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
6 cloves, garlic
1.5 pounds of ground beef or Italian sausage or a combo of both
1/3 cup cream
1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 Tablespoon dried oregano or basil
Ricotta Filling:
32 ounces ricotta
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon fresh or dried basil
2 eggs, beaten
? teaspoon each salt and pepper
1 (9 ounce) box dried flat lasagna noodles
5 cups grated mozzarella
? cup grated parmesan cheese
Make the sauce by heating olive oil in a medium sized stock pot. Sauté onion and garlic until tender. Add meat and brown meat well. Drain any remaining grease and add rest of sauce ingredients. Simmer until ready to assemble lasagna.
Combine all ricotta filling ingredients in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
To make sure you have enough sauce for the top, reserve 3.5 cups of sauce before you start to assemble.
Assemble the lasagna in a 13x9x3” pan (I have also used a 14 x 9.5x2” pan) in the following order:
? Place 1.5 cups of sauce on the bottom of the pan
? Place 4 uncooked noodles on top of the sauce
? Spread about 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the noodles
? Sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella over the ricotta
Using the order above, add 3 more layers (use 1/3 of the sauce for each layer). After the final layer, spread the reserved 3.5 cups of sauce on top, sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese and the parmesan cheese. Cover tightly with foil that has been coated with olive oil
Bake in a 350° oven for 35 minutes, then remove the foil and continue to bake for another 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Serves: 10-12 (I freeze leftovers in single size serving foil packets for easy reheating)
This can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen. If freezing, place foil covered baking dish in a jumbo zip style bag before freezing and thaw completely before baking. Extended baking time may be necessary if refrigerated.
Good Luck!
Crystal
I've never tried the oven-ready noodles. I say next time just buy regular noodles and boil them first.
try to boil them a couple minutes before you put them in the ove. i boil mine for a few min let them cool so i can handle them, make the filling and put the noodles in, with extra sauce so the noodles wil soften. hope that works for you
It has to be one of 2 thngs: either you did not put enough liquid into the lasagna, or you did not cook it long enough. Sometimes the no-boil lasagna boxes have a recipe for boiling and a recipe for not boiling. Are you sure you followed the right one?
When using those noodles, you need to add extra liquid (sauce) to the recipe. In my opinion, it's better to use pre-cooked noodles.
i've made the no boil lots of times, make sure your pan is tightly covered, and you must add extra water to the sauce for the noodles, i will never boil again, this is wonderful
I have used "no boil" noodles with success as well as using regular lasagna noodles without pre-boiling. I suspect you did not add enough liquid or sauce. Also, if baked uncovered the top layer has a tendency to get crunchier - which I happen to like. Are you sure that you followed directions exactly?
I bought the oven ready lasagna noodles by mistake and it ruined my lasagna. Buy the normal lasagna noodles.
I also don't boil my lasagna noodles beforehand because they cook in the sauce for about 45 minutes and it makes for a firmer lasagna instead of one that just slides across your plate.
i use the other noodles but i don't cook then first i just put them in but i use an extra 1.5 cups of sauce and cook it for 20 min. longer
the same thing happens to me except i use regular noodles. i think its because when the oven is on.. whatever is on the top is going to be baked either way.
I would suggest if you want to use no boil noodles>>>>>rather than boil them pour some boiling water over them in a shallow dish and let them sit for 3-4 minutes. They say they are no boil, but the do need to be loosened up with some water or extra sauce. Good luck next time.
I make my lasagna with the no boil noodles, Add extra water to you sauce you are using and make sure you add extra sauce to your dish so the noodles will cook properly. And make you sure you cover your dish tightly with foil so it keeps all the moisture in. Cook for 45 min or longer if needed at 350*. Keep trying, it will come out good next time.