How much sauce do you use? I’m new to uncooked lasagna. I’ve tried it using two jars of sauce. If you’re adding more water, do you use less sauce?
My ricotta has an egg added, but the mozzarella is applied separately as its own layer.
I use “oven-ready” noodles these days, so no flexibility or floppiness, and no cohesion between noodles. That means I have to break off corners and ends to get a good fit in the pan. But, as mentioned, the biggest issue is keeping them in place side by side long enough to spread the ricotta or meat sauce on top. The three strips of ricotta was satisfactory temporary mortar, but I suppose meat sauce would also work. Just doesn’t seem like it would lift out of the pan as part of a solid square.
I use my own homemade sauce, but it’s probably 18-24 oz of sauce. I always use 3/4 cup of water. As long as it’s baked with a tight covering of foil, there seems to be enough moisture to cook the pasta sufficiently. I should have mentioned you can remove the foil for the last 5 minutes or so and set on broil if you like the cheese on top to brown a bit.
My wife like to mix the ricotta cheese with a bit of sour cream. She is not a fan of the full taste of ricotta so this cuts the cheesiness some and has the extra benefit of making it easier to spread.
As for the bottom layer, no spray only sauce and that seems to keep it from sticking.
I put cling film on then foil. That help the foil not getting acidity eaten from the tomato sauce. I also use the no cooked noodle way.
The film doesn’t melt in the oven?
Nope, I thought it would but at the assorted restaurants I’ve worked at the cooks said it help help with the steaming and cooking the noodles. At the end of the cook, carefully remove the covering and brown the cheese in the oven .
My lasagnas tend toward the gigantic. I generally make them in the roasting pan, and have been known to top fourteen pounds. As such, sauce in the bottom just becomes a layer of burned tomato. I use the “no boil” noodles, so I put a thin layer of hot water on the bottom of the pan, and use a thin marinara in the rest.
Ditto to whoever said pipe in the ricotta. I use a gallon-sized ziplock and just mix the ricotta, egg, spices and herbs by mushing them around in the bag. Then I just snip one of the bottom corners and “pipe” out the ricotta mix where I want it. You’d be amazed at much of the clean-up is nullified by this method.
Because mine are so big, I usually cook all the meat through before adding it. Then I let the whole thing sit for an hour at 250F before I put the final cheese layer on top and turn it up to 350.
Another great tip: When the lasagna is gone and it’s time to clean the pan, put some dishwasher detergent into it and fill with hot water. Leave it over night and in the morning it will just wipe clean.
This thread is making me so sad no one else in my household likes lasagna. Maybe I’ll just make a giant one for myself and eat it for lunches.
“Mushing”is a well known culinary term that is exactly what it is.
It’s onomato-poetic license. 