The recipe on the box of the Trader Joe's no-boil lasagne noodles is fabulous. I would highly recommend it (and the noodles). Most of the ingredients I have at home. I do make substitutions though - I use slightly heated cream cheese instead of marscapone cheese. Also brown my own meat (ground beef or sausage) instead of using jarred meat sauce. I still use a jarred marinara.

Pioneer Woman's is a big hit at my house. Her photos and recipes are dummy-proof (signed: a dummy)

Barefoot contessa recipe is always a big hit at my house. It's really good. And I've made it with no-cook noodles before and it came out fine.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/turkey-lasagna-recipe2/index.html

Anonymous wrote:is it just me, or is lasagna pretty foolproof?

Yup. Don't think I've ever made a "bad" one.

For me, the key is to add sausage in, use the fattiest cheeses, and a thick sauce.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The secret to a good lasagna is to not boil the pasta and to layer it dry.

Do you mean with regular pasta for any basic lasagna recipe? I haven't done that before.

Make sure to put a thin layer of no meat sauce on the bottom of the pan, then pasta. Break the dry pasta to make it fit. Layer ingredients, making sure to have meat sauce next to the noodles. Finish with cheese. Seal with foil until the last ten minutes when you take it off to brown the cheese.

Lasagna will be perfect if you use dry noodles and will not fall apart or be runny and soggy as can happen when you boil the noodles first. The key is to have sauce against the noodles so they absorb the moisture and also to cover with foil so it doesn't dry while cooking.

PP here. I'm a long-time cook but will give it a try! Thanks!

I use a recipe similar to the PP's dry lasagna recipe:
Mix ricotta (or cottage cheese, but ricotta is better), shredded mozzarella, some parmesan, a raw egg, spices (i like oregano), usually some shredded zucchini or spinach, ground (browned) meat or shredded chicken.

Then I use either marinara (with meat) or alfredo (with chicken).

Layer:
Sauce
Pasta
Sauce
Riccotta mixture
Pasta
Sauce
Mixture
Pasta
Sauce mixture (repeat until pan is full)
For final layer:
Pasta sauce sprinkle with mozarella and parmesan

Pour a few tablespoons of water around the edge if using alfredo.

Seal tightly with foil and bake at 375 covered for 1 hour, then uncovered for 15 min.

To make it healthier, do the exact same thing, but with slices of (peeled) eggplant instead of pasta.

This is easy:
lasagna noodles-whole grain [family doesn't like whole wheat]
small pack ground beef-1/2 finely chopped white or yellow medium onion
classico-basic marinara or trader joes arrabata [spicier]
small container reduced fat riccota
1 pack shredded mix italian cheese
basil/garlic/oregano/salt/black pepper
2 eggs

1. use 1/2 the above to make 1 lasagna in a 9x12 baking dish
2. cook noodles
3. saute meat with onion, salt, pepper
4. while 2 and 3 are going on mix riccota with egg and all the listed spices
5. drain cooked noodles
6. spread some sauce in the bottom of the baking dish
7. 3 noodles across bottom with an overlap-cut ends with a scissor
8. spread mixed riccotta cheese
9. another noodle layer
10. top with meat [grease blot it before adding]
11. another noodle layer
12. sprinkle shredded cheese
13. put some sauce on top of the cheese
14. cover with foil [not touching]-bake at 350 for 1 hour

Prep time is 30 minutes. While the noodles cook you are doing the onion chopping, meat cooking, riccota.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The secret to a good lasagna is to not boil the pasta and to layer it dry.

Do you mean with regular pasta for any basic lasagna recipe? I haven't done that before.

Make sure to put a thin layer of no meat sauce on the bottom of the pan, then pasta. Break the dry pasta to make it fit. Layer ingredients, making sure to have meat sauce next to the noodles. Finish with cheese. Seal with foil until the last ten minutes when you take it off to brown the cheese.

Lasagna will be perfect if you use dry noodles and will not fall apart or be runny and soggy as can happen when you boil the noodles first. The key is to have sauce against the noodles so they absorb the moisture and also to cover with foil so it doesn't dry while cooking.

is it just me, or is lasagna pretty foolproof?

Use plenty of sauce, do NOT cover with aluminum foil.

I totally disagree with PP. Any lasagna I've had made with dry, uncooked pasta has been crunchy, or dry, or otherwise gross.

In all honesty, for a beginner, following the directions on the box of lasagna will give you a decent lasagna. As you acquire skill you can start to tinker, but for the first time stick with basics. Key is using good tomato sauce, not crappy canned sauce that you wouldn't eat on its own.

Using fresh pasta, you can buy it in the refrigerator section if the grocery store, would be one other way to step it up a little.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Three-Cheese-Lasagna-with-Italian-Sausage-3152

Excellent recipe

Anonymous wrote:The secret to a good lasagna is to not boil the pasta and to layer it dry.

Do you mean with regular pasta for any basic lasagna recipe? I haven't done that before.

The secret to a good lasagna is to not boil the pasta and to layer it dry.

Not much of a cook but becoming interested. I heat up these frozen lasagnas you buy from the store, and it seems this might be a good experiment in real cooking. I'd like a step-by-step lasagna recipe that, you know, says to cook the pasta before putting it in the pan, etc. Suggestions greatly appreciated.