Freezing lasagna: pre-cook or not?

[Kat]

so i am making lasagna for the first time this weekend. most of the recipies i've found use a 9x13 pan. since it's just me and my boyfriend that will eat it, i was planning on splitting it into two pans and freeze one for later. my question is should i underbake the one taht i'm going to freeze, or leave it raw? i have barilla no boil lasagna sheets and i'm not sure if freezing the pasta sheets dry will mess up the texture. also, waht's a good ratio of cheeses, i have ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella? thanks alot

[GB]

I would leave it raw. Line your baking pan with aluminum foil and build your lasagna in it, then fold the foil over and pop it out of the pan. Wrap it up well and put it in the freezer. Then when you are ready to cook it pull out the same pan you used to make it and just pop it right in and then in the oven.

[Chef_Jimmy]

agreed, lasagna is a perfect candidate to freeze and then cook, there is not much of a difference at all

[CharlieD]

I disagree.

I always cook my lasagna first (I too use Barilla pasta), then cool it down cut into portions and freeze it individually in the Ziploc freezer bags.
What is the point of freezing uncooked pasta?
You can freeze ingredients and then defrost them and assemble new lasagna, if that is what you want to do, but to freeze uncooked pasta makes no sense what so ever. Then you can reheat it (as much or as little as you need/want) in the oven or for a quick fix through into the microwave.

[Lizannd]

it his way and cook it first. This does warm up nicely in the microwave if it is in small pieces.
It always seems to dry out the lasagna when I try to reheat a large piece. Since you are using no boil noodles then I would cook both pans then make sure I froze the extra in smaller portions not the whole pan.

[GB]

Originally Posted by CharlieD

What is the point of freezing uncooked pasta?

The point would be that you do not have to double cook anything. Your way you cook it, freeze it, then cook it again. My way you assemble it and freeze it, then when you are ready to cook it all you have to do it pop it out of the freezer and into the oven.

That is not to say your way is not right too. Both ways have their advantages and disadvantages.

[BreezyCooking]

I completely agree with CharlieD. I always make a big pan of lasagna (using Barilla pasta), & then, AFTER cooking, I cut up the leftovers into individual portion-size squares & wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap, then put all the individual portions into a Ziplock bag & freeze.

They thaw/reheat beautifully in the microwave as fresh as ever.

I don't understand the point of making a pan of lasagna & freezing the whole thing uncooked. Where, exactly, do you save the time? And what do you do with the leftovers, since after they're cooked you are, in essence, freezing them twice. I can't see how that contributes to the quality.

Everyone is truly entitled to their own opinion, but really, freezing something twice is not conducive to good quality the 2nd time around.

[GB]

LOL you are assuming there will be leftovers

[CharlieD]

Originally Posted by GB

... assemble it and freeze ...

So, why not simple assemble it before cooking. Like I said freeze the ingredients, but not he pasta. And again, we do not know what ingredients she is using. Besides, according to your way then you should only cook two little pieces, because "it is only her and her boyfriend".
And you really do not have to cook it twice; all you have to do warm it up. You do warm up soup the second day, do you?

(We seriously lacking a wink here)

[GB]

OK I think I missed the part about it being just her and her boyfriend, but I still think either way would work.

What is wrong with freezing uncooked pasta vs freezing cooked pasta?

By assembling it ahead of time you do not have to do it when you want to eat it. It is just a way to save a little time on the eating end as opposed to saving that time somehwere else.

Yes I reheat soups, but soup and lasagna are not the same thing. Not all foods are as good reheated as others. I am not a fan of reheated meats personally. If the lasagna has a lot of meat they reheating it will compromise the taste and texture IMO.

Again this is just my opinion. I am not saying it is right or wrong. This is just how I would do it.

And yes Charlie we really do need a wink smily