Why You Should Always Cover Lasagna Before Baking - Tasting Table (2024)

Why You Should Always Cover Lasagna Before Baking - Tasting Table (4)

Alhussein Alhadi/Shutterstock

ByLucy Clark/

Lasagna is a much-loved baked pasta dish involving layers of lasagna noodles, sauce, meat, and cheese, but there are countless unique ways to prepare and arrange these ingredients. The origins of the dish are a little fuzzy, but it undeniably originated in the Mediterranean region. Some believe the dish comes from ancient Greece — its name is derived from the Greek word laganum, which refers to the first type of pasta, according to CucinaVenti. The earliest lasagna recipe dates back to ancient Rome in a first-century cookbook, per La Cucina Italiana.

Nowadays, the pasta dish is made throughout the world. Lasagnais a comforting family recipe in many households, with recipes being passed down from generation to generation. Everyone has their own way of preparing it, but there are a few procedural standards that you should always follow to ensure your lasagna is moist, flavorful, and hearty. One of these standards is to always cover your dish before popping it in the oven.

How to avoid a dry lasagna

Why You Should Always Cover Lasagna Before Baking - Tasting Table (5)

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The biggest causes for concern when baking lasagna are more technical. While there are recommendations for the best kinds of cheeses, noodle brands, how much sauce to use, and more, it all comes down to a matter of personal preference. The issue lies in not properly preparing the dish, like not covering it during baking, warns Cooking Chops.

One of the best parts of lasagna is the crispy top layer of cheese, but this can be achieved through a quick pop under the broiler at the very end — not by leaving it uncovered the entire time. Half Scratched estimates that most lasagnas need to be cooked for at least 30 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. If uncovered, the prolonged exposure to heat will quickly dry out your lasagna, no matter how much sauce you've added. Make sure to always add a layer of tin foil over your baking dish, which will trap the moisture inside while still allowing the dish to cook properly. Once it's done or nearly all the way cooked through, remove the foil and change your oven to its broilersetting. This will give the top layer of cheese that classic bubbly, brown, crispy top without drying out the entire lasagna.

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Why You Should Always Cover Lasagna Before Baking - Tasting Table (2024)

FAQs

Why You Should Always Cover Lasagna Before Baking - Tasting Table? ›

If uncovered, the prolonged exposure to heat will quickly dry out your lasagna, no matter how much sauce you've added. Make sure to always add a layer of tin foil over your baking dish, which will trap the moisture inside while still allowing the dish to cook properly.

Why do you cover lasagna when baking? ›

One of these rules is to always cover your lasagna before popping it in the oven. Most lasagnas need to be cooked for at least 30 minutes at at least 375 degrees Fahrenheit, and if left uncovered, heat exposure will quickly dry out the entire dish.

What if I don't have foil to cover lasagna? ›

So when you're going to cover your marinara sauce, whether it's a lasagna or any kind of Italian dish, use Parchment paper and bake it in the oven.

Should you cover pasta bake with foil? ›

We add stock to the baking dish along with the chopped tomatoes and veggies and cover with tinfoil before popping in the oven which keeps the heat and moisture in allowing the pasta to cook perfectly.

Why do you cover food when baking? ›

It's always a great idea to cover your dishes with aluminum foil while cooking at high temperatures in the oven. It protects your food from drying out or burning and helps keep in the heat and moisture, ensuring a perfectly cooked meal.

Is it better to bake lasagna in a glass or metal pan? ›

Save your glass pans for lasagna, plátanos maduros horneados, baked eggs, piñon, casseroles, and doughnut bread pudding—they're easy to clean, they're so smooth they're naturally nonstick, they'll keep your kugel warm as it sits on the table, they won't cause discoloration or off-tastes when you're slow-roasting ...

Will lasagna stick to foil? ›

You can bake it with nothing on top or use parchment paper. You can, but the cheese on top of the lasagna will probably stick to the foil and come off when you remove it.

Why don't you cover pasta when cooking? ›

It's okay to put a lid on the pot while you are waiting for the water to boil. However, after it starts to boil and you add the pasta to the water, you should remove the lid to prevent the water from bubbling over.

How to keep lasagna cheese from sticking to foil? ›

Anyway, all I do is take my cooking spray (or oil mister) and spray the foil that would cover the dish. No, don't spray the dish itself, just spray the foil. Next, cover your dish with the foil, sprayed-side facing down on the cheese.

How long should you bake lasagna at 350 degrees? ›

Bake the Lasagna

Turn the oven on to 350ºF so it can preheat while you're assembling the lasagna. Once the lasagna is ready, cover the pan with a layer of aluminum foil. Place the pan in the oven and allow it to bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil so the cheese can brown.

How do I make sure my lasagna doesn't dry out? ›

If you want to make sure your lasagna turns out perfectly, don't forget to let it sit at room temperature for about an hour before popping it in the oven. This will prevent it from drying out and ensure that it cooks evenly.

Does lasagna taste better the next day? ›

Have you noticed if you cut your lasagne as soon as it comes out of the oven, it can be sloppy, falls apart easily and the sauce runs to the bottom of the dish? When you have it the next day, the sauce has had time to firm up and create an even richer tomato taste,” she says.

What if I don't have aluminum foil to cover a dish in the oven? ›

For oven use, replace foil with parchment paper. For food prep, wax paper is non-stick and can be an alternative to foil.

Is there a wrong way to layer lasagna? ›

The best way to layer your lasagna is to start with a layer of red sauce, follow it up with a layer of white sauce, then pasta, then cheese.

What not to do when making lasagna? ›

12 Lasagna Mistakes You Didn't Realize You Were Making
  1. Not cooking the noodles correctly. Adao/Shutterstock. ...
  2. Not having all the ingredients ready. ...
  3. Not browning the meat. ...
  4. Using the wrong cheese. ...
  5. Skipping the dairy sauce. ...
  6. Skimping on the amount of marinara. ...
  7. Improperly layering the noodles. ...
  8. Forgetting a layer of sauce.
Feb 21, 2023

Why put toothpick in lasagna? ›

Poke 9-12 toothpicks over the surface of your lasagna (to keep the foil from sticking to the cheese). Cover with foil and bake at 375˚F for 45 minutes.

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