Do you cook your lasagna noodles before baking?

[Anonymous]

It seems you can make lasagna both with cooked noodles and uncooked regular noodles as well.

What’s your experience and preference?

[Anonymous]

Italian at birth, 20 years in US: no, but from the days l can remember my helping my mom cook, my family only ever bought Barilla lasagna pasta that won’t need cooking.

[Anonymous]

I used to, but recently I switched to using the the special no-cook noodles for lasagna, and I appreciate skipping this extra step.

[Anonymous]

I soak them in hot water, but don’t boil them. So, sort of cook them, but not fully.

[Anonymous]

Not anymore. So it only takes 5 minutes to prep + 35 minutes to cook at 375 degrees.Very easy.

[Anonymous]

I use regular noodles and never precook them. The trick is to use lots of sauce so there’s enough liquid for them to essentially boil as they bake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I use regular noodles and never precook them. The trick is to use lots of sauce so there’s enough liquid for them to essentially boil as they bake.

+1 I don’t strain my crushed tomatoes, so that liquid is what cooks the noodles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not anymore. So it only takes 5 minutes to prep + 35 minutes to cook at 375 degrees.Very easy.

If making lasagna is easy, you are doing it wrong

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I soak them in hot water, but don’t boil them. So, sort of cook them, but not fully.

This is what I do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I soak them in hot water, but don’t boil them. So, sort of cook them, but not fully.

This is what I do.

Anch’io.

[Anonymous]

I have done both. After extensive taste testing/multiple meals, my family reported they could tell no difference bewteen precooking the noodles vs. not. The resident family 'food snob' liked them better with regular noodles not pre-baked (it was a set of blind 'taste tests...alton brown would be proud). When I used the 'no bake' noodles a couple times, there were complaints of a gummy-texture.

Therefore, it takes me less time and is easier to make lasagna without pre-boiling (I have not tried soaking). I don't drain the crushed tomoates much, use plenty of sauce and cheese throughout. It still takes me far mroe than 5 minutes to prep but it is much less time than pre-boiling. I cook covered with foil for a while and finish it without the foil.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have done both. After extensive taste testing/multiple meals, my family reported they could tell no difference bewteen precooking the noodles vs. not. The resident family 'food snob' liked them better with regular noodles not pre-baked (it was a set of blind 'taste tests...alton brown would be proud). When I used the 'no bake' noodles a couple times, there were complaints of a gummy-texture.

Therefore, it takes me less time and is easier to make lasagna without pre-boiling (I have not tried soaking). I don't drain the crushed tomoates much, use plenty of sauce and cheese throughout. It still takes me far mroe than 5 minutes to prep but it is much less time than pre-boiling. I cook covered with foil for a while and finish it without the foil.

that should say the resident family food snob (which I'm saying with love, btw) liked it better without the noodles pre-cooked.

[Anonymous]

I make a lasagna with fresh noodles (that I make) so, yes, they do need a very quick boil before baking. Otherwise, they become a gloppy mess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I make a lasagna with fresh noodles (that I make) so, yes, they do need a very quick boil before baking. Otherwise, they become a gloppy mess.

??? Fresh noodles certainly don’t need to be boiled…

[Anonymous]

No. Soak in warm water is enough. Just make sure there’s enough sauce in the bake and no noodles are exposed at the top.