No par-cook lasagna noodles

My wife was craving lasagna so I thought I would oblige her and make it, of coarse I love it too, and it is one of my favorite Italian dishes to make.

I would have to make as many as 15 full size hotel pans of lasagna in a day where I use to work, some vegetarian, and some with ground beef, and pork sausage.
Using fresh lasagna sheets, so I would not par-cook the noodles. I have done it this way for many many years. Have always received great comments from the guests.

My wife had purchased the no par-cook lasagna noodles that they have in grocery stores now. I didn’t think that there was going to be enough so I got some more, but different brand and length then the one my wife bought. I wanted to see the difference between the two brands. For a reference in this blog I will be talking about the Blue box or the Red box.
In the blue box came  flat rectangle shaped shells about  31/2″ x 61/2″ in size, and the noodle itself looked different then regular dried lasagna sheets, more of a fresh noodle look but dried. I hope that makes sense.
The red box was the same size of a spaghetti box, so the noodles where the length of the box, and as wide with ruffled edges on each side. The noodles looked just like regular dry lasagna noodles.
Now keep in mind both brands claim that they are No par-cook lasagna noodles.

I use as good a quality Ricotta cheese, and mix it with one whole egg, basil, oregano, red crushed pepper, granulated garlic, salt, black pepper, a pinch of nutmeg, grated parmesan, and shredded mozzarella cheese. You want to mix this all together without over mixing or the mix will be flat and dense, that is not what you want. The Ricotta cheese mix should be light and airy.

I browned off about 3/4  # of ground beef and 1/2 # ground pork sausage, and made a quick Bechamel sauce and let them cool.(seperately of coarse)

Now as I built the lasagna I started with a 3×9 pirex or oven proof casserole dish and greased it up with olive oil making sure you get the bottom, sides and corners.
Using my Marinara sauce I coated the bottom of the greased pan, making sure again you get to the edges and corners.
I then used the red box noodles which where the length of the pan, over lapping the edges as to cover the bottom of the pan it took about 4 pieces, once the pasta is in place, coat the pasta sheets with another layer of marinara sauce and of coarse getting the edges and corners. Now using a spoon, put dollaps of the Ricotta cheese mix onto the first layer of pasta, sprinkle with a fair amount of the cooked meat, drizzle the Bechemel sauce, and sprinkle a fair amount of parmasian and mozz. cheese. To finish this layer drizzle on top of the cheese some marinara sauce.
Then I used the pasta from the blue box over lapping the edges going in the oposite direction of the previouse layer. Once I got this layer  of pasta in place I started the process of the previous layer all over again.
Repeat the process of the first layer and finish with a layer of pasta, marinara sauce, parmasian and mozz. cheese. cover with wax paper (so the cheese won’t stick to the foil) and aluminum foil.
Bake in a 350 pre-heated oven for an hour and a half, remove from oven and let rest for about 15 min. before cutting. To serve put some hot marinara sauce on a plate and top with lasagna, garnis with basil or parsley. Of coarse hot garlic bread.

To conclude I thought that the blue box pasta was a little mooshie at first but then was OK, and the red box was just fine. I would use either red box and or the blue box pasta in the future. Is there a big difference between the No par-cook lasagna noodles and regulare dry lasagna noodles? In my opinion Not much!

Tags: Beef recipes, Blog