Comments on: How to Make Lasagna

on 8/8/2006 I use an oblong, glass dish and I layer it. I test my noodles with a metal skewer by poking them; not to soft. You don't want mush.
It takes me 2 days because I make meat balls and sauce the first day. Day 2 I cook and drain the noodles (9) for this dish.

1. Cover the bottom of a (9x13) oblong baking dish with your home-made sauce.
2. Place 3 strips of cooked noodles over sauce, longways.
3. Cover the strips with Ricotta cheese mix--(recipe below)
4. Cover the cheese mix with thin slices of Mozzarella cheese.
5. Layer with 3 more strips on noodles.
6. Cover the strips with meat sauce.
7. Cover meat sauce with Mozzarella cheese.
8. Put the last 3 strips of noodles on top, and add sauce over the last 3 strips with about 3 or 4 pieces of Mozzarella. cheese torn apart." NOTE:" You will use 9 strips of lasagna, meat sauce, Mozzarella cheese sliced thin, Ricotta (large container) cheese mix, 3 eggs, parsley(chopped fine,1/2- to 1 cup), and some grated Parmesan cheese.

Ricotta cheese mix:

1. Large container of Ricotta cheese. To this add 3 eggs, about, 1/2 cup of parsley (fine) and, 1/2 cup grated cheese, and mix well. This will fill your baking dish to the top. It will be nice and firm. Don't cover it, just put it on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Cool completely before cutting, so it don't run. You can cut any burnt edges with a scissors or sharp knife.

on 11/22/2005 You need to cover the dish with foil so that the trapped steam cooks the raw pasta, then take the foil off and cook 10 more minutes to brown the cheese. Stack the noodles one way, the next layer the other way (like you do when you stack wood). That way when you cut into the lasagna it won't fall apart as you plate it. Save me the corner piece!

on 11/22/2005 Boiling the large noodles needed for lasagna can make even a seasoned cook get antsy - they are very awkward to cook! A tasty, almost perfect alternative is lasagna noodles made especially for baking, as they require no boiling beforehand. This makes lasagna an easy dish for anyone (regardless of cooking prowess) to make.

on 11/22/2005 You don't need to buy those "no-boil" noodles...use plain old lasagne noodles and don't boil them first.I use a rubber scraper to spread the ricotta cheese right onto the hard noodle before it goes in the pan.It makes layering so much faster and the noodles will cook right in the sauce, plus absorb the excess oil. Your lasagne servings will be firmer and not soupy.

on 11/22/2005 Instead of generously oiling the pan, put a ladle of the sauce on the bottom. This will prevent it from sticking and will be lower in fat. Also, just before you put it into the oven, give the pan a few taps to get all the air bubbles out.

on 11/22/2005 Add a raw egg to cottage cheese before assemlbing the lasagna, and even a little cinnamon. It will taste more like ricotta, but will be cheaper.

on 11/22/2005 Choose no-boil lasagna noodles instead. They are located with the regular noodles that require boiling so check the packages.

on 11/22/2005 Alternate meat sauce and eggplant layers.