Lasagna???

[Callisto in NC]

Can I put it all together today and cook it tomorrow? My fear, since it's my first time is that I'll mess up the noodles and need to go buy more. I know, just go buy more just in case, well, I'm broke and the stores are cleaned out. I got two of the last 5 boxes of real pasta (not Walmart brand).

 

[Jeekinz]

I would cook it today, then re-heat tomorrow for the best flavor.

 

[Callisto in NC]

I would cook it today, then re-heat tomorrow for the best flavor.

Out of curiosity why would it taste better tomorrow reheating it? Doesn't reheating dry it out?

 

[Jeekinz]

Nope. Lasagna (and other pasta/red sauce dishes) always taste better the next day.

 

[*amy*]

Can I put it all together today and cook it tomorrow? My fear, since it's my first time is that I'll mess up the noodles and need to go buy more. I know, just go buy more just in case, well, I'm broke and the stores are cleaned out. I got two of the last 5 boxes of real pasta (not Walmart brand).

I would make it the same day. You asked if you could put it all together & cook tomorrow. Do you mean reheat tomorrow? Can you show us the recipe you have in mind? What are boxes of real pasta? Do you mean dry lasagna noodles? Noticed you mentioned in another thread you have canned diced tomatoes. Need more info - recipe & ingredients.

 

[Callisto in NC]

I would make it the same day. You asked if you could put it all together & cook tomorrow. Do you mean reheat tomorrow? Can you show us the recipe you have in mind? What are boxes of real pasta? Do you mean dry lasagna noodles? Noticed you mentioned in another thread you have canned diced tomatoes. Need more info - recipe & ingredients.

Recipe to follow. By "real pasta" I mean not walmart brand lasagna noodles. An actual brand name pasta. I find walmart pasta to be dry, or mushy and grainy, no matter what you do. By put it together I mean, put assemble the lasagna, let it sit in the fridge tonight and then bake it tomorrow.

Here's the recipe:

[FONT=&quot]2 pounds lasagna sheets [/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[FONT=&quot]2 cups hand cut 1/8-inch slices pepperoni [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]4 cups tomato sauce, recipe follows [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1 pound ricotta [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]16 ounces shredded mozzarella [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]2 pounds bulk Italian sausage, cooked [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]3/4 cup grated Parmesan[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Boil 6 quarts of water, add pinch of salt, and cook pasta to almost done. Remove from water and shock in ice bath. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]In medium saucepan add pepperoni and sauté over medium heat until crispy. Remove from heat and drain on a paper towel. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Tomato Sauce: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[FONT=&quot]3 ounces extra-virgin olive oil [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1 yellow onion, minced [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]5 medium-sized garlic cloves, crushed [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]6 cups skinned and diced Roma tomatoes [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano leaves [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Salt and freshly ground black pepper [/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil. Add onion and cook over medium to low heat until transparent. Add garlic and cook until almost brown. Then add tomatoes and cook for 1/2 hour over low to medium heat. Add the basil and oregano and continue to cook for another 1/2 hour. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper, cool and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]In a 10-by-14-by-3-inch baking pan or dish, pour 1 cup of tomato sauce in bottom and around sides. Layer lasagna sheets on the bottom of the pan, overlapping by 1/2-inch. Add 1/3 amount of ricotta, 1/3 amount of mozzarella, 1/3 amount of sausage, then sprinkle generously with the Parmesan, add 1/2 cup tomato sauce, and 1/4 cup of pepperoni. Repeat this 2 more times. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]On the very top sheet, top with remaining ricotta, tomato sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, and dust with Parmesan. Bake for approximately 45 minutes. Remove from oven; let sit for 15 minutes. Cut and serve immediately. [/FONT]

 

[Caine]

Put your lasagna together, put a sheet of aluminium foil over the lasagna pan and pinch the edges to form a tight seal, and stick it on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator. Then, tomorrow, remove it from the fridge, preheat your oven, and bake it. Take the aluminium foil off about 15 minutes before it's done cooking so the top cheese will get brown and bubbly.

 

[jet]

I have done both, and I would assemble today and bake tomorrow.

 

[Katie H]

Put your lasagna together, put a sheet of aluminium foil over the lasagna pan and pinch the edges to form a tight seal, and stick it on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator. Then, tomorrow, remove it from the fridge, preheat your oven, and bake it. Take the aluminium foil off about 15 minutes before it's done cooking so the top cheese will get brown and bubbly.

Callisto, you can do just as Caine noted. One thing I recommend is that after you have shocked the noodles in cold water, dry them on some clean towels. You don't want added liquid to water down your lasagna.

I have family from Sicily and here's Grandma Grillo's recipe. It's been in our family for generations and is just too yummy.

Enjoy your lasagna.

 

[*amy*]

Recipe to follow. By "real pasta" I mean not walmart brand lasagna noodles. An actual brand name pasta. I find walmart pasta to be dry, or mushy and grainy, no matter what you do. By put it together I mean, put assemble the lasagna, let it sit in the fridge tonight and then bake it tomorrow.

Here's the recipe:

[FONT=&quot]2 pounds lasagna sheets [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]2 cups hand cut 1/8-inch slices pepperoni [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]4 cups tomato sauce, recipe follows [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1 pound ricotta [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]16 ounces shredded mozzarella [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]2 pounds bulk Italian sausage, cooked [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]3/4 cup grated Parmesan[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Boil 6 quarts of water, add pinch of salt, and cook pasta to almost done. Remove from water and shock in ice bath. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]In medium saucepan add pepperoni and sauté over medium heat until crispy. Remove from heat and drain on a paper towel. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Tomato Sauce: [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]3 ounces extra-virgin olive oil [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1 yellow onion, minced [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]5 medium-sized garlic cloves, crushed [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]6 cups skinned and diced Roma tomatoes [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano leaves [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Salt and freshly ground black pepper [/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil. Add onion and cook over medium to low heat until transparent. Add garlic and cook until almost brown. Then add tomatoes and cook for 1/2 hour over low to medium heat. Add the basil and oregano and continue to cook for another 1/2 hour. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper, cool and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]In a 10-by-14-by-3-inch baking pan or dish, pour 1 cup of tomato sauce in bottom and around sides. Layer lasagna sheets on the bottom of the pan, overlapping by 1/2-inch. Add 1/3 amount of ricotta, 1/3 amount of mozzarella, 1/3 amount of sausage, then sprinkle generously with the Parmesan, add 1/2 cup tomato sauce, and 1/4 cup of pepperoni. Repeat this 2 more times. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]On the very top sheet, top with remaining ricotta, tomato sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, and dust with Parmesan. Bake for approximately 45 minutes. Remove from oven; let sit for 15 minutes. Cut and serve immediately. [/FONT]

I would make your sauce ahead (if you want to save time), and use your recipe to prepare your lasagna tomorrow - the day of. Don't worry too much about the noodles breaking. You can always doctor them up/hide the broken cooked noodles in your layering of ingredients.

 

[GotGarlic]

Out of curiosity why would it taste better tomorrow reheating it? Doesn't reheating dry it out?

It doesn't need to be cooked and then reheated, but it does taste better the day after preparing it, because then the flavors have time to meld. I always make lasagna one or two days before I cook and serve it. And reheating doesn't dry it out if you cover it with foil. Since there's only two of us, we usually end up eating lasagna for a few days (I make two half-pans and freeze one).

 

[Callisto in NC]

It doesn't need to be cooked and then reheated, but it does taste better the day after preparing it, because then the flavors have time to meld. I always make lasagna one or two days before I cook and serve it. And reheating doesn't dry it out if you cover it with foil. Since there's only two of us, we usually end up eating lasagna for a few days (I make two half-pans and freeze one).

So definitely make the sauce. I got that.

GotGarlic are you saying, which others seem to be, to build it today and bake it tomorrow? I think that is where I'm leaning.

 

[Katie H]

Build it today and bake it tomorrow? I think that is where I'm leaning.

Yep, yep, yeppers! I've done it many times with 100% success. Just take it out before you preheat your oven so it can warm up a bit. You'll be fine. Although, the smell may kill you while it's cooking. Lasagna is Italian perfume. Yum!!!

 

[GotGarlic]

So definitely make the sauce. I got that.

GotGarlic are you saying, which others seem to be, to build it today and bake it tomorrow? I think that is where I'm leaning.

Yes, that's what I do. Sorry, I should have said "assemble" the lasagna a day or two ahead, then bake. It will be great

 

[jabbur]

I agree. You can assemble it today and bake tomorrow. One thing I might add is to put a layer of plastic wrap on first and then the foil to store. I've found that sometimes the acid of the tomato sauce eats away tiny parts of the foil and the cheese won't stick to to wrap. Then of course remove the plastic wrap and replace the foil before baking. I've done this before and it works. Also if you end up not cooking it it is ready for the freezer!

 

[Callisto in NC]

Thanks everyone. My internet provider changed at noon today and I've been stressed for the last few hours trying to get it back thinking it was my computer or something. I am starting the sauce now and by tonight I'll have built my lasagna.

 

[Callisto in NC]

As chance would have it, my SIL called and said to definitely assemble it tonight (she's a chef but I never know where to get in touch with her). So that is definitely the decision.

 

[Callisto in NC]

Uh oh!! I was supposed to have, as I understand the recipe, 4 layers of noodles but I only ended up with three but I used all my sauce and all my cheese (plus extra). I also have extra sausage, which is fine I can use that in queso. But I don't know what to think. I'll, of course, cook it, but it's going to be a lot more cheese then sauce and noodles. I'm afraid it's going to be dry without more sauce. Dry lasagna would be so bad. Seriously, sometimes I wonder why I try with it being just my daughter and I. I guess I could make some sauce for the side just in case.....couldn't I??

 

[jabbur]

It should be just fine. The recipe I use has only 2 layers of noodles. It layers meat sauce, noodles, cheese mixture, noodles, meat sauce, mozzarella cheese. If you used all the sauce the recipe called for it should be fine.

 

[Callisto in NC]

Mine was sauce, noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, meat, parmasian, sauces, noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, meat, parmasian, sauce, noodles, sauce, cheeses.