Knowing how long to bake lasagna at 350 can be a tricky and frustrating question – you need to ensure the pasta is totally cooked, while also preventing the cheese from burning. In this article, I’m going to talk about how long you need to bake lasagna at 350 in your home.
What is the proper bake time for lasagna at 350?
This depends a little upon the size of the lasagna you’re making. Generally, though, I would say that your lasagna should bake for 35 minutes in the oven.
If your lasagna is a little heavier and denser than most that you might make, then add another five minutes. But if the opposite is true and your lasagna is a smaller option, then take five minutes away from the baking time.
If you’re struggling to adjust the time after the lasagna has been in the oven for 35 minutes or so, check on the top crust of cheese. It should be browned and crispy in some spots, and melted and gooey in others. If your cheese is at that point, you’re pretty much good to go.
How to bake lasagna in the oven?
Baking lasagna in the oven couldn’t be easier, which is why it’s one of my favorite dishes to make. Once you’ve prepared the red and white sauce, all you need to do is layer them up and bake.
- Start off with a tiny amount of red sauce on the bottom of the lasagna dish to stop the lasagna noodles from sticking. You’ll only need a tablespoon or so, just enough to moisten the dish.
- Top that with a layer of lasagna noodles, then cover the noodles with red sauce. Cover the red sauce with a layer of white sauce, and top that with more noodles. Continue in this order until you run out of noodles and sauce – it will happen quicker than you might think.
- Try to finish on a layer of white sauce, and then sprinkle the top of the lasagna with plenty of grated cheese. This will allow you to create a rich, creamy dish that goes down a treat!
You don’t necessarily have to finish with white sauce, but that’s my favorite way to do it. You could finish with red sauce and have the cheese be a nice contrasting color! Don’t finish with noodles, though, as those top ones won’t cook properly.
Tips for making the perfect lasagna
I’ve got two main tips for making the perfect lasagna – sharp cheddar and a few small pieces of butter.
1. Use the sharpest cheddar
First of all, I would recommend using the sharpest cheddar that you can find, whether that’s in your supermarket or your local cheesemonger. The intense sharpness of that cheese works really well with the rich, intense flavor of the meaty red sauce.
2. Use butter
Using small amounts of butter in your recipe is another awesome tip I have for you. Essentially, when you’ve finished constructing the lasagna, add a few small knobs of butter to the top of the cheese topping.
This will melt quickly, and allow the cheese to brown up more easily, leading to a more even color and crispiness. It sounds like such a simple tip, but it really does work! Make sure not to go overboard, however: no one wants greasy lasagna.
How to reheat lasagna?
Reheating lasagna is simple. I would suggest simply placing a portion of lasagna onto a plate and reheating it in thirty-second bursts in a full-power microwave. When it’s steaming hot throughout, it’s ready to eat!
Ingredients for making lasagna
A great lasagna involves some great ingredients. Here is a list of ingredients that I would recommend:
- 1 onion
- 4-5 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp tomato puree/paste
- 1 x 400g can of chopped tomatoes
- Olive oil, for frying
- Dried herbs, 1 tsp each:
- Basil
- Oregano
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- 300g ground beef/pork
- 400ml milk
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp butter + extra for topping
- 200g grated sharp cheddar
- 1 box lasagna noodles – you may not need a whole box, that will depend upon the size of your lasagna dish
Lasagna recipe (Step-by-step instructions)
Ready to make some yummy lasagna? Here is the step-by-step recipe:
Step 1:
Start by making the marinara. Add olive oil to a pan with the ground meat, and cook it until almost completely cooked, and nicely browned.
Step 2:
Finely mince the onion and garlic cloves, adding them to the pan with the meat and hot olive oil. Allow them to fry and become fragrant over low heat.
Step 3:
When the onion and garlic have a level of browning to them, add in the tomato paste. Stir this vigorously, and allow the oil and paste to mix well. Let this sit on the heat for around thirty seconds to release some flavor.
Step 4:
Add the can of chopped tomatoes to the pan, being careful to avoid spitting oil as it makes contact with the cool tomatoes. Reduce the heat as much as possible, add the dried herbs, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine. Add a lid, and continue to heat.
Step 5:
While the red sauce is cooking, we can make the white sauce. Add the butter, flour, and milk to a pan, and heat gently while whisking continually. Eventually, the sauce will thicken as it cooks. When thick, turn off the heat.
Step 6:
Using an immersion blender, blend the red sauce until it’s totally smooth.
Step 7:
Add a splash of red sauce to the lasagna dish, and then add the first layer of noodles. Follow this with a proper layer of red sauce, and a layer of white sauce. Repeat this process until you run out of ingredients, making sure to end on a sauce layer.
Step 8:
Finish the lasagna by spreading the cheese out well across the surface. Then, add some small pieces of butter to the surface, spreading them out well. Bake the lasagna at 350F for 35 minutes, or until the cheese is both bubbling and crispy.
FAQ
How long do you bake lasagna at 400?
At 400F, you can bake lasagna for 25 to 30 minutes. That will allow you to cook the pasta and not burn the cheese.
Should you bake lasagna covered or uncovered?
You can bake lasagna either way, though I always make mine uncovered – I love the crispy cheese that I get as a result!
How do you know if the lasagna is done?
Lasagna will be done when the noodles are soft and the cheese is crispy. Poke into the lasagna with a long knife to test the softness of the pasta, and assess the cheese by looking at it.
Why does lasagna need to cook so long?
Lasagna cooks for such a long time because the noodles take a long time to cook. They don’t soak up water like pasta on the stovetop does, instead, they have to slowly soak in thick sauces.
How Long To Bake Lasagna At 350 (Simple Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 4-5 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp tomato puree/paste
- 1 400g can of chopped tomatoes
- olive oil for frying
- 1 tbsp (each) basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme
- 300 g ground beef/pork
- 400 ml milk
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp butter + extra for topping
- 200 g grated sharp cheddar
- 1 box lasagna noodles – you may not need a whole box, that will depend upon the size of your lasagna dish
Instructions
- Start by making the marinara. Add olive oil to a pan with the ground meat, and cook it until almost completely cooked, and nicely browned.
- Finely mince the onion and garlic cloves, adding them to the pan with the meat and hot olive oil. Allow them to fry and become fragrant over low heat.
- When the onion and garlic have a level of browning to them, add in the tomato paste. Stir this vigorously, and allow the oil and paste to mix well. Let this sit on the heat for around thirty seconds to release some flavor.
- Add the can of chopped tomatoes to the pan, being careful to avoid spitting oil as it makes contact with the cool tomatoes. Reduce the heat as much as possible, add the dried herbs, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine. Add a lid, and continue to heat.
- While the red sauce is cooking, we can make the white sauce. Add the butter, flour, and milk to a pan, and heat gently while whisking continually. Eventually, the sauce will thicken as it cooks. When thick, turn off the heat.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the red sauce until it’s totally smooth.
- Add a splash of red sauce to the lasagna dish, and then add the first layer of noodles. Follow this with a proper layer of red sauce, and a layer of white sauce. Repeat this process until you run out of ingredients, making sure to end on a sauce layer.
- Finish the lasagna by spreading the cheese out well across the surface. Then, add some small pieces of butter to the surface, spreading them out well. Bake the lasagna at 350F for 35 minutes, or until the cheese is both bubbling and crispy.
Wrapping it up!
Lasagna is one of my favorite dishes, and after answering this question of how long to bake lasagna at 350, I think I might make it for dinner tonight! I hope I’ve been able to clear up a few things about the lasagna-making process for you.