Lasagne baking time & temperature: how to prevent it from drying out
Homemade lasagna is a time-consuming project, but as soon as it comes to baking, the work is almost done.
This makes it all the more important to adhere to the correct baking time, temperature and baking mode, otherwise there is a risk that the lasagne will dry out or even burn.
The baking time for lasagne Bolognese is usually around 30 minutes in a preheated oven at 180 °C, top and bottom heat. The grill mode can be activated for the last 2 minutes to achieve a light browning.
At least that’s the official recommendation of the Italian Academy of Cuisine for classic lasagne.
However, there is another method from Maestra Alessandra Spisni (founder of the pasta school“La Veccia Scuola“), which I learned in the book “Pasta con Amore: The Secret of Italian Pasta” (highly recommended, by the way).
I only use this method because I have the impression that the lasagne is even juicier and more delicious this way! Find out how to do it now.
Baking lasagna: Maestra Alessandra’s method
In Maestra Alessandra’s method, the lasagne is baked for a total of 60 minutes. The lasagne is covered with aluminum foil for the first half of the baking time. It also needs to cool for 10 to 15 minutes after baking so that it becomes firmer and does not collapse when served.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180 °C top and bottom heat
Preheat the oven to 180 °C and select the top and bottom heat mode.
Step 2: Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil
Cover the lasagna carefully with aluminum foil.
Step 3: Bake for 30 minutes on the middle rack
Place the oven dish on the middle rack.
Step 4: Remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes
Remove the aluminum foil after 30 minutes and bake the lasagna for another 30 minutes.
Step 5 (Optional): For a crispy outer layer, switch on the grill mode at the end for 2 minutes
This step is optional and there is a risk (mainly with home-made pasta sheets) that any lasagne sheets sticking out will blacken a little.
Step 6: Leave the lasagne to cool for 15 minutes and serve
Make sure you leave the lasagne to cool before serving. This will cool it down and make it firmer, so it won’t melt when you serve it.
Lasagne baking time: How long does a lasagne need in the oven?
The baking time for lasagne depends on several factors:
- The recipe (with Bolognese, vegetables or fish)
- The quantity (deep casserole dishes usually take longer)
- The condition (is it fresh, chilled or frozen lasagne?)
- The temperature (the appropriate temperature varies depending on the operating mode)
- The oven setting (top and bottom heat, convection or grill mode)
In the following, I will give guidelines for the baking times for lasagne depending on the recipe and mode.
How long does lasagna have to bake on top and bottom heat?
I explain below why top and bottom heat is the best mode for lasagna.
Here are the baking times for lasagne at a temperature of 180 °C in top and bottom heat mode:
| Lasagna recipe | Baking time (top and bottom heat) |
|---|---|
| Lasagne Bolognese | 40 minutes |
| Lasagne with pesto | 15 minutes |
| Lasagna with vegetables | 20 minutes |
| Lasagne with salmon | 30 minutes |
How long does lasagna take in the oven in convection mode?
Instead of top and bottom heat, you can also use the convection mode to bake lasagne.
Although this operating mode is not the most suitable, it does offer some advantages:
- Dishes are cooked evenly
- The recirculation mode saves energy
The disadvantage: the draught that occurs in convection mode removes more moisture from the lasagne. As a result, it is no longer as moist after baking.
Here are the baking times for lasagne at a temperature of 160 °C in fan mode:
| Lasagna recipe | Baking time (convection) |
|---|---|
| Lasagne with bolognese | 40 minutes |
| Lasagne with pesto | 15 minutes |
| Lasagna with vegetables | 20 minutes |
| Lasagne with salmon | 30 minutes |
How long does chilled and frozen lasagna have to bake?
A good way to prepare lasagna in advance is to freeze it.
Here are the baking times for Bolognese lasagne when chilled and frozen:
| Condition of the lasagna | Baking time (top and bottom heat) | Baking time (convection) |
|---|---|---|
| Lasagna from the fridge | 60 minutes | 60 minutes |
| Frozen lasagna | Defrost for 20 minutes and bake for 40 minutes | Defrost for 20 minutes and bake for 40 minutes |
Baking time for lasagne with fresh lasagne sheets
I usually use homemade lasagne sheets for my lasagne.
As a rule, you have to pre-cook the fresh lasagne sheets so that they are cooked in the oven.
If you do not pre-cook the lasagne sheets, the lasagne must be baked for at least 30 minutes, unless you are using chewy pasta sheets, which do not need to be pre-cooked. However, it is not only the cooking time that is important, but also whether there is enough liquid in the filling to cook the sheets completely through.
How can you recognize ready-made lasagne?
A lasagne is ready when it is brown on the outside and cooked on the inside. To determine this, restaurateurs use a special thermometer. To ensure that the lasagne is cooked safely, you can lower the temperature, cover the cheese with aluminum foil and leave it in the oven for longer.
Which baking mode is the right one for lasagna?
The oven setting also makes a difference.
3 modes are relevant for lasagna:
- Top and bottom heat
- Recirculated air
- Grill mode
The grill mode is sometimes useful in the last few minutes to get the top layer of cheese nice and crispy.
What is the difference between convection and top and bottom heat? In top and bottom heat mode, heat is radiated equally from above and below. In convection mode, a fan is also used, which distributes the heat evenly in the oven and ensures that the contents are baked very evenly.
To bake lasagne, it is best to use the top and bottom heat mode and optionally the grill mode towards the end of the cooking time. To ensure that nothing burns, it is important to place the lasagne in the middle. If you use convection, the lasagne will dry out more.
Where is the best place to put the lasagna in the oven?
The ideal place to bake most things is the middle shelf of the oven. This also applies to lasagna. Placing the dish in the middle of the oven results in an evenly cooked meal that usually doesn’t burn anywhere.
Placing the lasagne on the bottom shelf can result in the base of the lasagne burning and becoming crispy. The top of the lasagne, on the other hand, will not get much heat and will not cook through.
Placing the lasagne on the bottom shelf can result in the top burning and the base not being cooked.
On which shelf should lasagne be baked in the oven? Lasagne is best baked on the middle shelf. The heat is evenly distributed from above and below. This ensures that neither the base nor the cheese layer is burnt or too crispy. If you are baking several lasagne dishes, you can use the top and bottom rails and switch between them.
Which mode is suitable for baking 2 lasagnas? To bake 2 lasagnas, it would be best to place both on the middle rack. If this is not possible, the upper and lower grids can be used, but then the lasagnas will have to be changed after about half the time.
Can a casserole dish be placed on the hob? A casserole dish is not designed for direct exposure to heat and should therefore not be placed on a hob. The casserole dish should only be used in this way if the manufacturer explicitly states this.
Can you place a casserole dish on a baking tray? When using the top and bottom heat mode to bake a dish, the dish should be placed on a rack instead of a baking tray. Otherwise the tray would block the heat. A baking tray can also be used when baking with convection, but top and bottom heat is more suitable for lasagne.
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