No boil, less toil lasagna: skip the messy first step and proceed directly to succulent, three-layer baked lasagna - includes recipes - Cover Story

Vegetarian Times, March, 1997 by Nancy Ross Ryan

Who Doesn't love lasagna? And who wouldn't make it often -- if it were just possible to skip that annoying first step of boiling big slippery noodles that sometimes stick to the bottom of the pot, often tear and then need to be not only drained but also laid flat and patted dry before the real preparation begins.

Here's the good news: You can assemble lasagna for baking without boiling the noodles first. The result, as the following recipes prove, is every bit as delicious as the more labor-intensive variety. These delicious, three-layer lasagne (lasagne in Italian is plural, lasagna is singular) can accommodate a variety of savory fillings, and their flexibility is almost limitless. Lasagna can be assembled the night before, refrigerated and baked the next day, or it can even be assembled and frozen for baking at a later date. And leftovers -- if there are any -- can be refrigerated and reheated.

The technique for no-boil lasagna is simple. The casserole is assembled using uncooked noodles, sauce and filling ingredients, then covered and baked for 45 minutes. During that time, the steam created by die sauce and other ingredients cooks the noodles. At the end of 45 minutes, the cover is removed, and the casserole cooks for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce and thicken. There is also one simple version in which the lasagna cooks completely covered for one hour.

The variety of fillings is virtually endless, as long as the correct proportions of sauce and noodles are used. And dairy-free versions are as simple as substituting soy cheeses for mozzarella and pureed tofu for ricotta. Here's a healthful plus: Fat content in the following recipes is reduced by using part-skim mozzarella and nonfat ricotta cheeses as well as reduced-fat tofu.

AMERICAN-STYLE LASAGNA

Lasagna, like Pizza and pasta, was brought to America by Italian immigrants, and every household had its own special lasagna. In Italy, where cooking is fiercely regional, lasagna differed from region to region. However, when lasagna reached America it became Americanized, much like pizza, and American cooks, both home cooks and professional chefs, developed their own recipes, a process that continues today. Is much of the pizza and lasagna we eat authentically Italian? Not according to Italian chefs, but it is a family favorite. According to a poll conducted by The National Pasta Association in Arlington, Va., one-quarter of the respondents picked lasagna as their family's favorite pasta dish.

The fillings that follow may not be authentically Italian, but the noodles are. The pasta used is readily available commercial dry pasta, and the noodles of choice are lasagne ricce, or curly edged lasagne, a traditional shape. Whole wheat noodles may be used in any of the recipes. Whatever noodle you choose, make sure the edges of the final layer are completely covered with sauce so they don't dry out during cooking. And because sauce consistencies, the moisture content of noodles and oven temperatures vary from household to household, use your judgment on how long the lasagna needs to cook after the foil tent is removed. Twenty to 30 minutes is a guideline; some will be done in 30 minutes and some require a little less cooking time.

All of the dishes are al forno, or baked in the oven. I recommend using a nonreactive baking dish such as glass, ceramic or enamel-coated iron as acids in die tomato sauce could react with aluminum cookware over long cooking times, discoloring the sauce.

Start with the recipes that follow and then create your own combinations. Lasagna makes a great dinner entree, needing only a green salad on die side. And when it comes to entertaining a crowd, nothing makes a bigger hit than hot-from-the-oven lasagna.

Quick Lasagna

This lasagna is as quick as it gets because it uses bottled sauce, frozen spinach and pre-grated mozzarella cheese.

26-oz. jar low-fat marinara sauce (about 3 cups) 1 cup water or vegetable broth 16 uncooked lasagna noodles 15-oz. carton nonfat ricotta cheese (about 2 cups, 3 tsp. dried basil Freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 10-oz. pkgs. frozen leaf spinach, thawed,

squeezed dry (about 4 cups) 12-oz. pkg. grated part-skim mozzarella cheese

(about 3 cups)

Boil-Free Lasagna

1. Spoon a thin layer of sauce into bottom of lightly oiled 9- by 14- by 2-inch deep non-aluminum baking dish. 2. Use 16 standard uncooked lasagna noodles to make three layers, starting and ending with noodles. 3. Use 4 cups of sauce in all. 4. Layer sauce and filling ingredients directly onto dry uncooked noodles. 5. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. 6. Uncover. Bake an additional 20 to 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to to 3 7 5 degrees. Lightly oil bottom and sides of 9- by 14- by 2-inch deep baking dish.

In medium bowl, mix marinara sauce with water or vegetable broth. Spoon just enough sauce into dish, tilting sides, to cover bottom.

Using small spatula, spread four uncooked lasagna noodles with one-third of the ricotta. Lay noodles lengthwise, side by side, ends even, in center of baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon basil. Top with freshly ground black pepper to taste.