How Long to Boil Lasagna Noodles

Boiling lasagna noodles makes them tender and ensures they’ll be fully cooked once the lasagna is done, preventing you from putting in all the work just to end up with crunchy, hard-to-cut, unpleasantly undercooked noodles in your final dish. Determining how long to boil lasagna noodles can be tricky, but we’ve laid out all you’ll need to know in this handy guide.

Many lasagna recipes require the noodles to be boiled, with the standard process going a little something like this:

1. Boil lasagna noodles for the recommended amount of time. Drain them once done and set aside.
2. While the noodles are boiling, cook the protein (usually ground beef) in a separate pan and set aside.
3. In a casserole dish or baking pan with high sides, layer the noodles, ground beef and ricotta cheese until you run out of ingredients. Finish with a coating of a melty cheese, like mozzarella, and bake for the recommended amount of time.
4. Remove the cooked lasagna from the oven and let it cool for several minutes before slicing and serving.

FAQ: Is It Really Necessary to Boil Lasagna Noodles?

Yes, traditional lasagna noodles typically need to be boiled before being added to the lasagna casserole to ensure that they’re cooked completely. There’s nothing worse than biting into a lasagna and getting a mouthful of crunchy, undercooked noodles!

However, there are a few situations where you might not need to boil the noodles before incorporating them into the recipe:

• When using a recipe that specifically calls for uncooked noodles (these recipes typically include more liquid and a longer oven time to essentially “boil” the noodles in the lasagna as it cooks)
• When specifically using no-boil noodles (keep reading to learn how long to cook lasagna with no-boil noodles)
• When using fresh lasagna noodles in certain recipes–though you may also choose to boil these before baking the lasagna, depending on the recipe.

How Long to Boil Lasagna Noodles

As mentioned above, deciding how long to boil lasagna noodles depends on the type of noodle you’re using. There’s a bit of a difference between freshly-made lasagna noodles and dried lasagna noodles.

How Long to Boil Fresh Lasagna Noodles

If you’re using fresh lasagna noodles (whether you’ve made them yourself at home or picked them up from a specialty shop), boil them for 1 minute. Alternatively, you can also leave them raw and incorporate them into the lasagna before baking–just make sure it’s specified in the recipe you’re using.

How Long to Boil Dried Lasagna Noodles

Dried lasagna noodles are the kind you’ll most likely find in the pasta aisle at your local grocery store. When using dried lasagna noodles, boil them for around 10-15 minutes, unless specified otherwise.

What About No-Boil Noodles?

No-boil lasagna noodles are an option and are great if you want to cut down on the number of steps you’ll have to follow to make lasagna. No-boil noodles are also sometimes called oven-ready noodles.

How Long to Soak No-Boil Lasagna Noodles

No-boil lasagna noodles sometimes need to be soaked before being incorporated into the lasagna. Make sure to thoroughly read the package instructions before soaking them or foregoing a pre-oven soak.

In cases where the instructions call for soaking, no-boil lasagna noodles (or oven-ready noodles) should typically be soaked in hot water for up to 15 minutes before being layered in the dish.

How Long to Cook Lasagna (No-Boil Noodles)

For no-boil noodles that don’t require a soak, simply cook them in the lasagna. Lasagna that’s made using no-boil noodles is typically baked for 50-60 minutes, or until the noodles are cooked through and the cheese is melted and bubbly.

How Long to Boil Lasagna Noodles Table

Type of Noodle	How Long to Boil Lasagna Noodles (minutes)
Fresh	1 minute
Dried	10-15 minutes
No-Boil or Oven-Ready	Not required