Prevent lasagna dry on edge?

[chueh]

2 questions please:

1. how to prevent the top edges of the noodles become hard?
2. I always have a dome shape lagsagna (like a baked cake). The dome is NOT caused by the baking as a cake does, yet i think it's the way I am layering the noodles and stuffing. Any trick to make the shape nice and flat?

Thanks

 

[Andy M.]

1. It's difficult to avoid it all together. Apply a little extra sauce around the edges. Bake it covered in foil and tightly sealed. That should minimize the drying out.

2. Ensure you spread all the ingredients evenly. Also, some ingredients in combination may be causing the hump. Can you post your recipe (ingredients and process)?

 

[jennyema]

The crispy edges are the best part!

 

[Ksm]

The crispy edges are the best part!

I will second that thought. That was my first thought when I saw the post! lol

Kinda like the crispy corners on brownies.

 

[Andy M.]

The crispy edges are the best part!

I will second that thought. That was my first thought when I saw the post! lol

Kinda like the crispy corners on brownies.

Not for me! Pasta is supposed to be soft. The dried pasta around the edges of baked pasta dishes is too similar to uncooked pasta for my liking.

As a result, the only baked pasta dish I make is lasagna. I keep the top covered so there are no hard edges.

 

[taxlady]

The only way I like crisp pasta is when cold pasta is fried. Top it with some parm or perorino Romano and .

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

To keep your lasagna noodles soft, make a runny sauce of tomato puree, and crushed tomato. Shaved or grated carrot, and the noodles will tame the acidity of the tomatoes. I over spice mine sauce I love the fresh herbal flavors of oregano, sweet basil, rosemary, and thyme. I find that the noodles can overpower the other flavors. Sometimes I turn ii into an Arrabbiata sauce by adding crushed red pepper flakes. I like to use large curd cottage cheese, 4% milkfat, rather than ricotta as I like the flavor, and texture better. Other cheeses include one, or a mixture of Parmigiana Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, Asiago, and Grand Padano.

I like to use chunky ground beef, cooked with chopped onion, and freshly minced garlic, seasoned of course with S&P. Black olives also works in lasagna, as does fresh spinach, and Italian parsley.

Build by putting down a layer of sauce only, the uncooked noodles (the uncooked noodles will absorb the excess liquid in you runny sauce, making it rich, thick, and flavoring the noodles), then sauce with meat, cottage cheese, veggies, olives, other cheeses, making sure to spread ingredients evenly, and filling any side gaps. Repeat, finishing with sauce, then cheese. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at340' F. for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let restfor10 minutes. uncover, and serve with buttered, crusty garlic bread, or Bruschetta, and your favorite beverage.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Cooking Goddess]

The crispy edges are the best part!

Nope, burnt cheese on the edges for us. But to each his/her own, right?

2 questions please:

1. how to prevent the top edges of the noodles become hard?...

Make sure the corners/edges are pushed down a bit and covered with enough sauce and cheese to hide the pasta. Bake with the dish covered for most of the baking time, taking the cover off for the last 10-15 minutes to brown the cheese a bit.

 

[CharlieD]

I agree with what Andy said above. Additionally, I like to use Béchamel sauce, it is thick and stays on the edges when baked.