To Boil Noodles or Not to Boil Noodles - Easy Lasagna Recipes Needed Please...

[Wendy31]

This is all started because I bought a bottle of Italian soda the other day at our local whole foods type grocery store.

So then I thought we needed something Italian to go w/ it - except not our normal spaghetti or pizza. LOL!

So I have the following:

2 boxes of lasagna noodles
2 jars of spaghetti sauce - no, not homemade, but a "good" sauce
1 pound of ground beef
an onion
a bell pepper
32 oz of ricotta cheese
shredded mozzarella cheese
and eggs (maybe for the ricotta cheese mixture according to some recipes)

I've never made an actual baked lasagna before. In looking at recipes, in some the noodles are pre-boiled &, in others, the noodles are not.

I've found various "easy" recipes, but I also have one of Giada (from the Food Network)'s cookbooks.

So does anyone have a tried & true (fairly simple) lasagna recipe you'd like to share?

Also, precooked noodles or no?

Thank you for the help!!

 

[lynxstch]

I always precook the noodles, drain them under cool water, and blot dry with paper towel..Mix the ground beef with the sauce ( don't use peppers or onions,, but I guess you could mix those with the meat and sauce) , spread some on the bottom of the pan you are cooking in..layer noodles, add a layer of cheese- both some ricotta (and or cottage cheese) and some mozzarella, a layer of sauce, and keep repeating till you have as much as you want. I put more cheese on top, more sauce, then I spray foil with Pam and cover tightly and bake for about an hour at 350. That's about as complicated as I get with lasagna!

 

[Disneylover99]

What kind of noodles do you have? Are they oven ready? Or do you need to boil them?

 

[Wendy31]

I always precook the noodles, drain them under cool water, and blot dry with paper towel..Mix the ground beef with the sauce ( don't use peppers or onions,, but I guess you could mix those with the meat and sauce) , spread some on the bottom of the pan you are cooking in..layer noodles, add a layer of cheese- both some ricotta (and or cottage cheese) and some mozzarella, a layer of sauce, and keep repeating till you have as much as you want. I put more cheese on top, more sauce, then I spray foil with Pam and cover tightly and bake for about an hour at 350. That's about as complicated as I get with lasagna!

Thank you! That's exactly the kind of information I needed!

So - your top layer - it's just the meat? Do you take it out of the oven when it's about done & sprinkle more cheese on top & then put it back in the oven w/o the foil?

What kind of noodles do you have? Are they oven ready? Or do you need to boil them?

They're just regular noodles. But some recipes I've been reading are saying that you don't have to precook even the regular noodles - as long as the noodles are completely covered by the meat sauce in the casserole dish.

But I think I'm going to precook the noodles.

And several recipes mix a couple of eggs & parmesan cheese in w/ the ricotta cheese. I have eggs. I don't have parmesan cheese.

Giada's recipe also mixes spinach into the ricotta cheese. I don't have spinach either. LOL! I just grabbed what I thought were the basic ingredients at the store yesterday.

 

[Arkansan]

I never boil the noodles and I never buy "no boil" noodles. Start with a layer of sauce and then noodles, cheese, sauce, etc. it should be fine.

 

[Micca]

Anyone here ever tried a crockpot lasagna? I stumbled across a recipe on-line the other day, but didn't save it. Seems like it might be a good idea.

 

[Wendy31]

I never boil the noodles and I never buy "no boil" noodles. Start with a layer of sauce and then noodles, cheese, sauce, etc. it should be fine.

And the noodles aren't too hard - even at the edges?

Anyone here ever tried a crockpot lasagna? I stumbled across a recipe on-line the other day, but didn't save it. Seems like it might be a good idea.

I saw some crockpot recipes too. But I've started too late. I need it to be ready to eat by 7:00 pm tonight. LOL!

 

[Disneylover99]

I never boil the noodles and I never buy "no boil" noodles. Start with a layer of sauce and then noodles, cheese, sauce, etc. it should be fine.

Hmmm. I didn't realize you didn't have to boil the regular noodles. Good to know.
I wonder what the difference is between the "no boil" and regular noodles that you would normally boil?

 

[lucas]

I just follow the recipe on the lasagna noodle box.

 

[Wendy31]

I just follow the recipe on the lasagna noodle box.

The recipe on the back of mine is for a skillet lasagna! LOL!

 

[mjkacmom]

Only one egg with the ricotta, and probably only half of that container.

 

[HeatherC]

Don't have to boil the noodles, just use extra sauce for moisture and cover tightly with aluminum when baking.

 

[Julylady]

I always boil and rinse the noodles. Otherwise it tastes "pasty" to me. I just don't like unrinsed pasta at all. I made the crock pot recipe with the no boil noodles just once and threw the whole pot away after trying it.

 

[kimblebee]

Anyone here ever tried a crockpot lasagna? I stumbled across a recipe on-line the other day, but didn't save it. Seems like it might be a good idea.

Whenever I've tried a crockpot lasagna they've turned out really sloppy and greasy. I think it's because the grease from the cheese doesn't get a chance to cook out if that makes sense. Add that to the extra moisture from cooking in a crockpot and its a big NO.

 

[MickeySP]

I do my lasagna like my stuffed shells - just like my Noni. Partial cook on the pasta, you cook 1/2 the time, then follow you recipe for stuffing

 

[Wendy31]

Well, for better or worse, it's in the oven.

I boiled the noodles first, but didn't boil them for as long as I normally boil pasta. I also drained, rinsed, & patted them dry.

I made WAY TOO MUCH ricotta mix - 3 eggs, the 32 oz of ricotta cheese, & some parsley (since I didn't have Giada's spinach). Pioneer Woman used parsley, so I thought it'd be okay! LOL!

1 pound of hamburger meat was not enough for all the layers I needed. I browned the meat w/ a chopped onion & bell pepper & then added 1 jar of sauce. But I had more noodles & more ricotta mix than I had meat mixture. So, for the top layer, I ended up having to open another bottle of sauce to have something for the top. I wished I'd just added both jars of sauce to the meat mixture. Hopefully, it'll be okay.

If not, I also have a tossed salad, a loaf of Italian bread, & a chocolate cream pie (from Publix bakery).

 

[Arkansan]

Hmmm. I didn't realize you didn't have to boil the regular noodles. Good to know.
I wonder what the difference is between the "no boil" and regular noodles that you would normally boil?

I'm not sure what the difference is, but there is a difference in price. The "no boil" noodles are always more expensive by a lot--like twice as much.

I've never had a problem with too crunchy noodles, but I do usually make it either early in the day or the day before and store it in the fridge until it is ready to cook. Then, like a PP, I cover it with foil and bake. Another thing I often do is make two at once--freeze one (unbaked) and eat the other. Thaw the frozen one prior to baking (cover with foil). The amount of dirty dishes for one at two is the same, so may as well get a future dinner done at the same time.

 

[indimom]

Never boil the noodles. I use my mother's recipe. I layer noodles, meat/sauce, cheese, noodles, meat/sauce, cheese. Then I add just a bit of water until I can see it peeking around the edges of the pan. Lightly cover with foil and bake. About 15 minutes before it's done, I remove the foil to brown the cheese on top. Perfect every time. One of the easiest recipes I make.

 

[jdb in AZ]

I tried the no-boil noodles and they turned out crunchy. The recipe said to begin layering with the noodles. If I'd put a layer of sauce under the noodles they probably would've been o.k.

If I don't boil the regular noodles they taste too starchy.

So I just boil the noodles and everybody is happy, tho it's one more large pan to wash, and when I set the boiled noodles aside on a cookie sheet while I finish the rest of the prep, that means washing a cookie sheet too.

Good thing the recipe makes enough for two pans (one goes in the freezer.) Plus each pan still has enough for leftovers.

 

[denisem]

I always use the 'World's Best Lasagna' recipe from allrecipes dot com. It calls for making your own sauce with ground beef & italian sausage, but it's really no big deal - just takes awhile to simmer. Like Lynxstch, I precook the regular noodles a bit before layering. (I use the Fasta Pasta thingy.)

I made a Bob Warden pressure cooker lasagna once and threw it all out. That turned me off trying a crockpot version, LOL. I guess I like my lasagna on the dryer side with extra sauce served at the table. The PC version was too soupy.