How do you get a lasagna to be perfect?

Question

How do you get a lasagna to be not too dry and not to juicy to be placed on the table? Specific Time? Tips? Ingredients?
It's supposed to be hot from the oven, but sometimes it's still all gooey. It gets better 10 minutes later, but then it's not as hot.

Answer 1

Many lasagna recipes actually say to let it rest for ten minutes before serving, so it isn't as runny. Ten minutes really doesn't make much difference in the temperature. Another thing you can do is reduce the amount of liquid in your ingredients. For example, if you use ricotta cheese, wrap it up in some cheesecloth and squeeze as much water out of it as you can. Cook your sauce until it's quite thick. get as much juice out of the tomatoes as possible before adding (fresh or canned). I put thawed frozen spinach in mine, but I wrap it in paper towels and squeeze like crazy until it's as dry as I can make it.

You can also use special no-bake lasagna noodles. They come either dry in the pasta aisle or fresh in the refrigerated section. The excess liquid in the lasagna sauce will be absorbed by the noodles while they cook. As an added benefit, the noodles will have a better flavor than if you boiled them in plain water.

Answer 2

What I do is i will cook a massive lasagna up then let it cool cover it and put it in the fridge the day before. This also allows the flavour to get much better. Then when it comes time to eat it microwave a piece. Can also freeze it to store it for longer I find that this is the best way to have lasagna as like you said straight out of the oven and it is all gooey and also if it is left overnight then the flavour is much better the next day too.

Answer 3

Cook your noodles till a little harder than al dente. Start with a little sauce spread evenly in the bottom of the pan (not too much! That will make it too runny; just a light coating. Then your noodles with another light "smear" of sauce, sprinkle your meat and cheeses evenly, and continue with noodles, sauce, and fillings till pan is full. Bake at 300-350 for about 20-30 min until the cheese on top is bubbling. Lasagna is supposed to be "gooey" when hot. You want it to look nice, wait till it's cool (or be really cheap with the cheese!).

Answer 4

NICK'S SPAGHETTI SAUCE

olive oil
1/2 pkg jimmy dean spicy hot sausage
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 chopped yellow onion
1 small can mushroom stems and pieces, diced
1 large can hunts brand spaghetti sauce with mushrooms
1 large can hunts brand spaghetti sauce with meat
2 cloves garlic, peeled and cut on ends
Italian seasoning
2 bay leaves
1 dash salt (to taste)
1 dash sugar (to taste)

Heat some olive oil in bottom of a large kettle then, add sausage and beef together and brown meat.

Then add the chopped onions and the mushrooms and saute to cook down and remove excess moisture.

When the onions get transparent and have cooked down add cans of sauce and seasonings. Then reduce heat to a low simmer and cook till small boil point. Careful to stir continually so as not to burn the sauce on the bottom of pan.

Serve over your favorite pasta or use for manicotti or lasagna.

Answer 5

Get the "Better Homes and Gardens" cookbook.. the one with the paisley cover.. look up the recipe for meat lasagna and follow it to a tee.. it is absolutely delicious.. no I'm not kidding.. its really, really good and it always turns out great for me.

Answer 6

lol you don't want it gooey but you want it to be hot go on the food network .com and look up lasagnas they'll have some recipes tips and how long it'll take to cook. good luck

Answer 7

don't boil the noodles - just put the dry noodles in the dish - a good recipe is on the Barilla lasagna noodes box

Answer 8

Pick it up from that Italian joint around the corner, and ask for extra bread sticks. Those things are so tasty.

Answer 9

mom's are the bestest helpest in the worldests!!!!

Answer 10

stauffers......in the frozen aisle.