Lasagna Oven Temp (What Temperature to Cook Lasagna)
on Mar 11, 2023, Updated Nov 21, 2023
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What’s the best oven temp for baking lasagna? Keep reading to discover the secrets to making the cheesiest, meatiest, most flavorful homemade lasagna in the oven!
There are so many reasons to love lasagna. With delicious layers of meat, cheese and pasta, it’s the perfect dish for feeding a family, or for feeding a single person for a few days.
Not sure how long to bake lasagna in the oven? There are many factors that can influence the cooking time. We’ll show you the best ways to know when your lasagna is fully cooked and baked to perfection.
Oven Temp for Lasagna
The ideal oven temp for lasagna is 375°F or 190°C. At this temperature, you’ll get a perfectly baked lasagna while avoiding any crisping on the top or edges. You can also successfully bake lasagna using an oven temp of 350°F, but this will take an unnecessarily long time.
How Long To Bake Lasagna At 375
The cooking time for lasagna depends on the size of the dish. The average, family-size lasagna will take a shorter time than a larger, party-size lasagna. If you’ve made an extra thick lasagna with lots of layers, this will also increase the cooking time.
Using an oven temp of 375°F, the average lasagna can be removed from the oven in 30-45 minutes. If it’s thicker due to additional layers of meat, cheese and pasta, baking time can be as much as an hour. If you’re baking a frozen lasagna, you may need up to 90 minutes of baking time.
In addition to the time spent in the oven, you should allow a baked lasagna to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
What about oven-ready noodles? Although there’s no need to pre-boil these convenient lasagna noodles, they’ll still require the same oven temp as regular noodles. Double check the directions on the package to be sure.
What Should Be the Internal Temp of Lasagna
Many factors can influence the cooking time of lasagna. That’s why we recommend using the internal temp to decide when your pasta can be removed from the oven. When lasagna reaches an internal temp of 165°F or 74°C, you can be sure that the ground meat is safe to eat, the noodles are perfectly cooked and the cheese is deliciously gooey.
All you need to do is insert the probe of an instant-read thermometer into the center of the lasagna and wait for the reading. When the thermometer reads 165°F, it’s time to take the lasagna out of the oven.
How Do You Know When Lasagna is Done?
Haven’t got an instant-read thermometer handy? You can use visual cues to determine when the lasagna is done. If the cheese and sauce are bubbling and the noodles have softened, you can remove the dish from the oven.
To be extra sure, try inserting a toothpick through the center of the lasagna. If it goes in smoothly, chances are, the dish is ready to eat.
Tips for the Best Lasagna
- Use a good lasagna pan with at least 3 inches of depth. A shallow pan can result in the top layer bubbling over and causing a mess in your oven.
- Use high quality ingredients for the best tasting lasagna. Skip the pre-grated cheese and opt for fresh parmesan and mozzarella. You’ll also get better results with fresh tomatoes or organic canned tomatoes.
- We recommend a combination of ground beef and pork for mouthwateringly meaty flavor. A 100% beef lasagna can be lacking in the flavor department.
- Apply a thin layer of sauce to the bottom of the pan. This prevents sticking and allows for easier removal of the lasagna.
- Generously add sauce and cheese to the top layer of pasta. This protects it from the heat and helps to prevent it from drying out.
- The cheese and sauce should be bubbling. When this happens, you can expect a nice texture, mouthwatering flavors and gooey cheese.
- After removing lasagna from the oven, allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. This allows it to cool down a bit and helps to deepen the flavors.
- For more authentic flavor, serve your lasagna with homemade tomato sauce on top.
FAQ
Do you Bake Lasagna at 350 or 375?
Whether you choose to bake at 350°F or 375°F, you can end up with a perfectly baked lasagna. If you choose to bake at 350°F, bear in mind that the cooking time will be 5-15 minutes longer than if you use 375°F.
How Long to Bake Lasagna at 375 F in the Air Fryer
Lasagna can be baked in the air fryer as long as you use pre-boiled noodles and cover the dish with foil. Foil helps to prevent the pasta from becoming dry. At 375°F, lasagna should be fully baked in 10-12 minutes.
Is it Better to Cook Lasagna Covered or Uncovered?
We recommend covering lasagna with foil to shorten the baking time and to prevent the pasta from losing too much moisture. Without the foil, you can end up with dry, brittle noodles.
How to Store Lasagna
Allow the lasagna to cool completely before slicing it into portions. You can also choose to store lasagna whole. Place the lasagna in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
For longer storage, you can freeze lasagna for up to 3 months. For unbaked lasagna, line the baking dish with foil, assemble the layers of ingredients, allow everything to cool and place the baking dish in the freezer. After it’s completely frozen, remove the lasagna from the dish, wrap it in foil and transfer to a freezer-safe plastic bag for storage.
If you’d like to freeze baked lasagna, first allow it to cool completely. Gently remove the lasagna from the pan, whether whole or in slices. Wrap in foil and transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Baked lasagna can be frozen for up to 3 months.
How To Reheat An Unbaked Frozen Lasagna
Take the lasagna out of the freezer and remove the foil. Place it in its original baking dish, cover with foil and put it in the fridge to thaw overnight. After it’s thawed, you can bake it as you normally would.
How to Reheat Leftover Baked Lasagna
There are a few ways to reheat baked lasagna. If you’d like to use the oven, preheat to 375°F, cover the baking dish with foil and heat for 20-30 minutes. For the air fryer, you’ll only need 10 minutes of cooking at 375°F.
Our least favorite method is the microwave, but it gets the job done. Slice the lasagna into portions and heat on high in 1-minute intervals until sufficiently hot.
What to Serve With Baked Lasagna
Lasagna goes well with side dishes like roasted veggies, a fresh garden salad, potato wedges and garlic bread. If you’re craving something more indulgent, go for mozzarella sticks, parmesan fries or chicken wings.
Lasagna (incl. Lasagna Oven Temp)
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- ½ pound ground pork
- ½ cup chopped onions
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 16 ounces lasagna noodles
- 1 pound ricotta cheese
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 3 large eggs
- 3 cups fresh mozzarella cheese, grated
Instructions
- Cook the ground beef and pork for 5 minutes in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the chopped onions and continue to cook for an additional five minutes.
- Add the tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, half of the parsley, garlic, basil and oregano and stir until the ingredients are well combined. Switch to medium-low heat and allow the mixture to come to a gentle simmer.
- As the meat sauce continues to simmer, it’s time to cook the pasta. Boil a large pot of water and add a bit of salt. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Cook the lasagna noodles until they’re al dente, which should take around 8 minutes. Drain the water and set aside the noodles.
- In a large bowl, combine cottage and parmesan cheeses, as well as the eggs, remaining parsley, salt and pepper.
- Now, it’s time to layer the lasagna. Spread a tablespoon of sauce on the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish, then add two layers of noodles. Spread half of the cottage cheese mixture on top of the noodles, followed by half of the meat sauce, then half of the grated mozzarella.
- Add the remaining noodles and continue layering in the same order described above.
- Place the assembled lasagna in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes. Use an instant-probe thermometer or insert a toothpick to test doneness.
- Once it’s fully baked, remove the lasagna from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and eating.
Notes
- For a more authentic Italian experience, substitute cottage cheese with ricotta cheese.
- Feel free to add a layer of vegetables like mushrooms, bell peppers and zucchini.
- Better ingredients = better lasagna. Use high-quality, freshly grated mozzarella and parmesan for the most delicious results. We also recommend using fresh tomatoes or a good brand of canned tomatoes.
Nutrition information provided is an estimate only and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods used.
