What is the difference between oven ready lasagna noodles and regular noodles?

Oven-ready or no-boil lasagna noodles do not need to be boiled before using. They soften during baking. Whereas regular noodles need to be boiled or at least par-boiled before use.

How do you substitute no-boil lasagna noodles for regular noodles?

Fill a large rectangular dish with the hottest tap water. Add regular lasagne noodles and soak in water for 20 minutes. Move the noodles around occasionally with a pair of tongs so they don’t stick. Drain and lay flat on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Should spinach be cooked before putting in lasagna?

Yes. The spinach is high in water content and has to be cooked before adding to the lasagna, otherwise, it will make the lasagna soggy and/or watery. Use fresh baby spinach or frozen-thawed and drained spinach.

Can I make this lasagna in a 9X13 pan?

You certainly can but I recommend doubling the recipe then.

How long should you let the lasagna rest before cutting?

Let the lasagna rest for about 15-20 minutes, uncovered, before cutting and serving. This lasagna is very creamy and if you cut into it right away, it will fall apart.

Why is my lasagna soupy?

Here are few tips to make sure your lasagna is not watery and runny: Cook the mushrooms and spinach until all of the liquid has evaporated. Both are high in water content and therefore you'll want to cook them down until no liquid is left in the pan. Allow the white sauce to simmer until thickened so any all moisture can evaporate.

Chicken Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna

Description

Chicken mushroom and spinach lasagna made with shredded chicken, mushrooms, spinach, no-boil lasagna noodles, and delicious milk based sauce. It’s creamy, yet light and does not taste like you’re eating loads of noodles.

Ingredients

Units Scale

2 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
8 oz. white mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1 (6 oz.) bag fresh baby spinach
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
8 no-boil (oven-ready) lasagna noodles
1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add oil and then the onions, garlic, mushrooms, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Sauté for 5 minutes or until the mushrooms soften while stirring occasionally. Make sure all of the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated before moving to step 3.
Stir in spinach; cook until wilted and all of its moisture has evaporated. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cooked chicken. Set it aside.
In a small bowl make a slurry by whisking together 1/2 cup chicken stock with flour. It should be thick milky consistency. Set it aside. In a small saucepan, combine the remaining 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, milk, nutmeg, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a slow simmer over medium heat, stirring occassionally. Once the mixture starts to bubble up around the edges, add the slurry while whisking nonstop. Simmer until thickened, about 5-8 minute, whisking occassionally. Stir in Parmesan cheese and then remove from heat.
Pour 1/2 cup sauce into bottom of 10X10 square baking dish, top with 2 noodles, 1 cup chicken mixture, 1 cup sauce, and 1/4 cup mozzarella, making sure noodles are covered with sauce. You can even press them down lightly. Repeat 3 more layers with noodles, chicken, sauce, and cheese. Last layer will have slightly more sauce and remaining cheese on top.
Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes longer. If desired, broil for 2-3 minutes for golden brown top. Let stand 15-20 minutes before cutting and serving.

Notes

Recipe Update 12/3/21: This recipe has been retested and updated to reflect some of the comments/feedback since originally published on 4/21/17. Here are the changes that I’ve made: Reduced the salt by 1/4 teaspoon. Reduced the chicken stock by 1/2 cup and increased the milk by 1/2 cup as many of you mentioned that the sauce was not thickening for you. I’ve retested the sauce many times and it does thicken. Make sure to use whole milk. Also, I changed the method of how the flour is added to the milk mixture as many of you had trouble getting the flour lumps out of the sauce. So now instead of whisking the flour directly into all of the milk and stock, you can make a slurry with flour and some of the stock and add to simmering milk. Please note the step-by-step pictures still reflect the old method.
Common Questions: I included common questions and answers in the body of the post. If there is a question that I missed, please feel free to ask in the comments below.

Nutrition

Serving Size:
Calories: 328
Sugar: 5.6 g
Sodium: 812.7 mg
Fat: 10.1 g
Carbohydrates: 33.5 g
Protein: 24.4 g
Cholesterol: 39 mg