How Long To Bake Lasagna At 350 Degrees? Rich Creamy Recipe
In this article, we will discuss exactly how long to bake lasagna at 350 degrees. Baking at incorrect temperatures for incorrect times can have devastating effects on an already labor-intensive dish.
I’ve also included one of my favorite baked lasagna recipes that you can try at home. Serve it with my refreshing Cucumber And Onion Salad, or a Kachumbari Salad.
And, if you want to only serve it with a drink, something like a Brazillian Lemonade or Fruit Punch Bowl will be great!
Benefits Of Baking At This Temperature – How Long To Bake Lasagna At 350 Degrees
There is a lot of debate surrounding the ideal baking temperature for lasagna and how long it should cook. There are quite a few factors that will cause varying times. But today, we will specifically talk about how long to bake a lasagna at 350.
Now, there are many pros to baking this pasta dish at 350 degrees (180ºC).
The baking temperature is high enough to help evaporate excessive moisture in the sauce and cheese. This in turn creates a thicker pasta that doesn’t fall apart. And it generally just prevents a watery lasagna.
This temperature also allows the lasagna to cook at a reasonably quick pace. And yes, the lasagna sheets will be cooked beautifully (especially if you buy ready-to-bake sheets).
And finally, 350 degrees will allow the cheese on top to become uber-melty and even slightly browned.
Challenges When You Bake Lasagna At 350
Unfortunately, as at all baking temperatures, you may face some challenges. There are a couple of factors that will affect the final baking time of this dish.
But generally, the biggest challenge when it comes to lasagna is to prevent the cheese from burning before the rest of the dish has cooked and thickened.
So, here’s a trick we learned from family. To start, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Then, you are going to bake the lasagna covered for 3/4 of the time.
The remaining time can be baked without the foil cover. This will help brown the cheese beautifully without overbaking the rest of the elements.
How Long To Bake Lasagna At 350 Degrees
Okay, let’s get down to brass tax. If you bake a lasagna using ready-to-bake sheets, you can bake it for 35-45 minutes at 350. Remember the technique I’ve mentioned above.
But, if you are using boiled lasagna sheets, generally the lasagna takes a little longer to bake. You can use a 45-60 minute guideline – possibly even longer!
This is because the boiled noodles take longer to absorb the sauce. And, the ready-to-use sheets have already been pre-cooked.
How Long To Bake Frozen Lasagna
Frozen lasagna can be a lifesaver when you’re under pressure. But, how do you cook it? And how long does it take to bake frozen lasagna?
Frozen lasagna will take about twice as long to bake as fresh lasagna. But check out this Frozen Lasagna guide for all the right answers.
FAQs
How long to cook lasagna uncovered at 350?
If you only bake the lasagna uncovered at 350, only bake it for 25 minutes. The cheese shouldn’t get too dark and charred. If it does, either cover it with aluminum foil or lower the oven temperature.
I do still recommend baking the lasagna with my technique instead of baking it completely uncovered.
Can you overcook lasagna?
Unfortunately, you can. When you bake the lasagna for too long or at too high a temperature, the sheets will become crispy and burnt. The cheese will also get unpleasantly charred.
Why is my lasagna watery?
This is most likely because the sauce you made is too watery. It could also be that your baking temperature is too low or that the lasagna hasn’t baked for long enough.
And, if you have used boiled lasagna sheets, it could also be because they weren’t drained properly before being layered.
Incredibly Rich Savory Authentic Baked Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
For the meaty sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1/2 cup tomato paste
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 medium green bell pepper, deseeded and diced
- 1 pound ground beef, extra lean
- 3 1/2 cups tomato sauce
- 1 can crushed tomatoes (14 ounces)
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh oregano, chopped
- 1 tbsp red vinegar
- 1-4 tbsp sugar, to taste
- Fine salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the rest of the lasagna
- 9 oven-ready lasagna noodle sheets
- 3-4 cups ricotta cheese
- 4-6 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
Brown the mince
- To start, heat your olive oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan or pot. Add the extra lean ground beef.
- Cook the mince until it is browned and thoroughly cooked. When you're finished, remove the mince from the pan and set it aside.
Make the lasagna filling
- Then, add the onion and sweat it for about 4-5 minutes until it becomes translucent.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and diced bell pepper. Fry these for a minute while stirring.
- Add the mince back into the pot. Stir the ingredients so the mince gets covered in the delicious flavorings.
- Finally, add the remaining meaty sauce ingredients. That includes tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, fresh chopped herbs, vinegar, and sugar. Don't go too heavy on the salt because the cheese will add more saltiness of its own.
- Bring the sauce to a low simmer. Allow it to cook for 45 minutes while stirring constantly. When finished, your sauce shouldn't be dry but shouldn't have a ton of liquid either.
Assemble your baked lasagna
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
- In a 9×13-inch baking dish, add 3 tablespoons of sauce. Spread it evenly on the bottom.
- Add one layer of ready-to-bake lasagna sheets. Don't let them overlap. Cut the noodles to fit the uncovered spaces (if you have any).
- Add a third of the sauce over the noodles. Make sure the layer is even and completely covers the noodles.
- Sprinkle a generous layer of mozzarella over the sauce. Add half the ricotta cheese and sprinkle it over too. You can also sprinkle half of the grated parmesan now.
- Add another layer of noodles over the cheese.
- Add half of the remaining sauce on top of the noodles.
- Next, add half of the leftover grated mozzarella, the rest of the ricotta cheese, and the remaining parmesan cheese.
- Finally, add another layer of noodles. Add the leftover sauce and sprinkle all the remaining mozzarella cheese over it.
Bake the lasagna
- Cover the baking dish with a layer of aluminum foil. Make sure it doesn't touch the cheese or sauce on the top layer. You can tent it slightly to prevent this from happening.
- Bake the lasagna for about 35 minutes covered.
- Then, remove the foil and continue baking it for another 10-15 minutes. This will allow the cheese to become melty and even a little charred.
- Serve the lasagna immediately with your favorite side or beverage.
