No-Boil Lasagna.

[CharlieD]

Gosh, once again I agree with Breezy , exelent point. I do the same thing and yes it is always great. Couldn't agree more.


BTW, this does make difference in the fact of cooking or not, if I had used boiled noodles, it might be that I would not cook lasagna first. I've never done it, so I do not know, but with "no boil" noodles, the result is always perfect when I cook it first. I always make a lot, usually 5 half foil pans (that what the amount of the recipe works out to be) and I keep it in the freezer sometimes up to 6 month.

[BreezyCooking]

Originally Posted by CharlieD

but with "no boil" noodles, the result is always perfect when I cook it first.

I must be missing something because this doesn't make sense Charlie. With "no boil" noodles the whole point is that you DON'T cook them first.

[CharlieD]

No-no, Breezy, you are not missing anything, I agreed with you 100%. I also always cook my lazagna with no boil noodles and then freeze. I must be speaking some other lenguage here.

[CaliforniaCook]

In keeping with the "No-Boil Lasagna" theme, has anyone tried using wonton wrappers? Here are some yummy ideas:

Wonton Lasagna (or lasagnettes)
http://mangotomato.blogspot.com/2009...a-moulton.html

Shrimp & Crab Lasagnettes
http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/l...saganettes.htm

[Adillo303]

Anyone ever go the other way and make the noodles?

[Cooksie]

Originally Posted by Adillo303

Anyone ever go the other way and make the noodles?

That's sort of on my to-do list.....not lasagna though. I'm going to make some homemade ravioli soon, probably with some kind of seafood stuffing and a pink/vodka sauce.

[BreezyCooking]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaCook

In keeping with the "No-Boil Lasagna" theme, has anyone tried using wonton wrappers?

While I've never used wonton wrappers to make lasagna, I do use them (as well as gyoze/potsticker wrappers) to make all sorts of different raviolis.

[CaliforniaCook]

Another interesting take/twist, is an Asian lasagna, made w/ egg roll wrappers:

http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=70079

[CharlieD]

Originally Posted by Adillo303

Anyone ever go the other way and make the noodles?

Some times, mostly I make noodles for chicken noodle soup. But I suppose if I do not cut them I could use them for lasagna too.

[BreezyCooking]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaCook

Haven't tried the no-boil noodles, yet. I usually boil the noodles, or prepare the lasagna as Fryboy mentioned (covered w/ sauce & some water).

If you want it really easy... years ago I made ravioli lasagna. Here's a variation w/ meatballs & veggies:

http://www.recipe.com/ravioli-lasagna/

I'm guessing you just threw this recipe out there without having ever tried it. Yes?

Because I have it in the oven right now & it's been a screw-fest from point one. Definitely needed TWO jars of pasta sauce, & may find out that I may have needed three.

Please don't post recipes like this unless you've tried them. Thanks in advance.

If it turns out edible, I'll definitely post back with an amended actually workable recipe.

[Mama]

Originally Posted by BreezyCooking

I'm guessing you just threw this recipe out there without having ever tried it. Yes?

Because I have it in the oven right now & it's been a screw-fest from point one. Definitely needed TWO jars of pasta sauce, & may find out that I may have needed three.

Please don't post recipes like this unless you've tried them. Thanks in advance.

If it turns out edible, I'll definitely post back with an amended actually workable recipe.

I gathered from reading CC's post that she had not tried the recipe since it clearly says that the recipe she was posting was a variation of a recipe that she used to make. In fact, I would venture to say that probably half of the recipes posted on this forum are not TNT recipes. If you would like to try a recipe and you are not sure if it's TNT, just ask the poster...I'm sure they will be happy to tell you whether or not they've tried it.

[Fisher's Mom]

Absolutely right, Mama. There is a reason for the phrase TNT and if you want a TNT recipe, make sure you check to see if it's TNT.

BTW, if you read the comments at the bottom of this recipe, you will find that someone says it is copied from Real Simple and gives the web address. http://www.realsimple.com/food-recip...496/index.html Some of the comments there mention the recipe needing more sauce.

[Tuscan Chef]

This thread started as what is good for making a traditional lasagna, now went on a tangent with asia lasagna, canned tortellini over lasagna, meat ball lasagna and cottage cheese lasagna.
So all what has a layer of something becomes a lasagna.

Why easy or leazy means adding something from the can. It's not that hard to do a besciamel sauce. Takes less than opening a can or ravioli.

Also why meat balls are considered italian sauce. No one does meat balls sauce here. It was a way to do a worker's lunch but now we would get pasta on one dish and meat balls in another.....

[FryBoy]

Originally Posted by Tuscan Chef

...Also why meat balls are considered italian sauce. No one does meat balls sauce here. It was a way to do a worker's lunch but now we would get pasta on one dish and meat balls in another.....

Americans learned about Italian food from the poor immigrants who came to our shores in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Most of the Italian restaurants they started served inexpensive dishes based on tomato or "red" sauce, such as spaghetti with meatballs or sausage, meat or cheese ravioli, lasagna, and pizza, which other Americans came to love.

There are now many wonderful Italian restaurants here that serve all the foods of Italy, but a lot of Americans still think things like spaghetti and meatballs are all there is to Italian food.

[buckytom]

Originally Posted by Adillo303

Anyone ever go the other way and make the noodles?

it sure as hell is gonna cost you a lot more than a lasagna!

[Adillo303]

Probably will Buckey - The question is would it taste better. I cook 20 minute wonders all week. On the weekend I like to make some kind of fancy meals.

[Mama]

Originally Posted by buckytom

it sure as hell is gonna cost you a lot more than a lasagna!

[Tuscan Chef]

I think the name Lasagna is now applied also that what should be called pasticcio.
Baked pasta is a pasticcio.

[BreezyCooking]

Actually, Tuscan Chef, you're incorrect.

"Pasticcio" is an operatic musical term.

The Italian "Pastitsio" is a "pie" in which pasta & sauce are contained in a pastry crust.

The Greek "Pastitsio" is a layered pasta dish using small tubular pasta, meat, & a bechamel sauce.

So Lasagna is not a "pasticcio" or a "pasticcio". It's simply Lasagna.

[Tuscan Chef]

The greek pastizio comes from italian pasticcio. Pasticcio is used when you make pasta with bechamel in the oven. Pastitsio is not Italian. So whenever someone uses pasta like maccheroni or ravioli in the oven, to me belongs to pasticcio cathegory and not to the lasagna cathegory. But it's semantic. The food is the same

[Sherman]

I saw some lasagna that is in perfectly flat sheets today at the market.

It is also oven-ready (no- boil).

[SilverSage]

Originally Posted by BreezyCooking

Actually, Tuscan Chef, you're incorrect.

"Pasticcio" is an operatic musical term.

The Italian "Pastitsio" is a "pie" in which pasta & sauce are contained in a pastry crust.

The Greek "Pastitsio" is a layered pasta dish using small tubular pasta, meat, & a bechamel sauce.

So Lasagna is not a "pasticcio" or a "pasticcio". It's simply Lasagna.

Originally Posted by Tuscan Chef

The greek pastizio comes from italian pasticcio. Pasticcio is used when you make pasta with bechamel in the oven. Pastitsio is not Italian. So whenever someone uses pasta like maccheroni or ravioli in the oven, to me belongs to pasticcio cathegory and not to the lasagna cathegory. But it's semantic. The food is the same

Hey you guys, you're 2 cooks in 2 different countries who speak 2 different languages as your native tongues.

Tuscan Chef is Italian (you'll notice her grammar and spelling occasionally if you're here a lot), who lives in Italy, and teaches cooking in Italy. Sometimes her terms are different from ours.

Breezy was born and raised in the US and an understanding of terms as we've adapted them in America.

I think you're both correct for where you live.

[Tuscan Chef]

Yes it's semantic.
Pasticcio in italian means "mess". In culinary terms lasagna has an "order" of layers. When you use same ingrediends in a disordered way, that is pasticcio. So that is appied when you bake pasta with meat sauce, bechamel and do a gratin with pamigiano on top.

There is a large influence of Italian cuisine on greek cuisine....plus ottoman for sure (yogourt for tsatsiki, pita gira and so on). I know that Greek are annoyed to give any influence to Turks on their coltire so I apologise in advance for saying that.
Moussaka is practially a combination of lasagna and melanzane alla parmigiana. I heard a story, take it with benefit, that the name OUZO, for the most common anisette beverage in greece comes from the bottle given to italian soldier with a sambuca kind of spirit, which had a "per USO militare" label.
In italian the "ts" or "tz" does not exist. I believe tha pastitzio is the translation of pasticcio.

In Italy we extend Lasagna to all what has layers of pasta but different ingredients. In the US Lasagna extended to havy lasagans using cheese instead of bechamel. That Lasagna does not exist in Italian tradition but is made in the south. Pasticcio also can be called Pasta al Forno.

[goatherder]

well, this thread brought me out of the closet... lol...I had wanted to say two things, but the posts are gone...so on to comment #2

for at least 25 years I have made lasagna with regular noodles, since long before I had even heard of no boil lasagna pasta. I just make sure I add some water around the edges of the casserole and cover the dish while cooking. But what I do most often is to use up my home canned lasagna sauce that sometimes comes out too thin, this works perfect..

[BreezyCooking]

Originally Posted by goatherder

well, this thread brought me out of the closet... lol...I had wanted to say two things, but the posts are gone...so on to comment #2

for at least 25 years I have made lasagna with regular noodles, since long before I had even heard of no boil lasagna pasta. I just make sure I add some water around the edges of the casserole and cover the dish while cooking. But what I do most often is to use up my home canned lasagna sauce that sometimes comes out too thin, this works perfect..

Isn't that something when posts are deleted without any warning or explanation. Gotta love it. Well, all I can say is, just believe in whatever gets left up. LOL!!!