Lasagna is a type of pasta with a unique shape.

This rectangular shaped pasta is one of the most popular pasta varieties. It is also considered to be one of the oldest varieties of pasta, dating back to as early as the thirteenth century.

To prepare Lasagna, the pasta sheets are first boiled in water before they are layered together with a sauce and other ingredients in a baking pan to bake.

However, there are some varieties of lasagna that can be baked directly without having to boil them first, this group of lasagna is known as oven ready lasagna. 

These no-boil lasagna may be packaged similarly to regular lasagna, and without their label, it is often difficult to tell them apart.

But what is the difference between regular lasagna and the oven ready varieties? 

In this post, we highlight the differences between both types of lasagna.

Difference between oven ready and regular lasagna

The primary difference between oven ready lasagna and regular lasagna is that oven ready lasagna is pre-cooked, and therefore it does not need to be boiled before baking.

Apart from that, the ingredients found in both types of lasagna are similar, however, because they are precooked, some differences are noticed when either oven ready or regular lasagna noodles is used.

Oven ready lasagna takes less time to prepare

Regular lasagna takes a lot of time to make. It is especially harder if the lasagna is made from scratch. 

The sheets of lasagna also needs to be boiled before baking them and the entire process could be time-consuming.

No-boil lasagna noodles are simply layered into your dish raw, and they are ready for the oven 

With these oven-ready lasagna noodles, preparation time could be cut in half  

The oven ready lasagna noodles often have thinner sheets which also soften in less time than it would take for traditional lasagna noodles to soften.

Oven ready lasagna is more beginner friendly

Lasagna can be a challenging dish to prepare, especially for a beginner.

Over boiling the regular pasta sheets can ruin the dish and make it mushy.

Getting the temperature and timing right is a skill that comes with experience, and it may be difficult especially for beginners, 

Oven ready lasagna pasta is beginner friendly as they are easy to prepare.. 

These lasagna Noodles are not only convenient, but with them, beginners can consistently make good lasagna noodles without worrying about over boiling the noodles.

What is oven ready lasagna?

Oven-ready lasagna is also known as no-boil lasagna 

It is made up of sheets of pre-cooked lasagna. They are also thinner compared to regular lasagna. 

Unlike regular lasagna, there is no need to boil them first, shortening the time it takes to prepare them. 

Simply layer with cheese, tomato, vegetables, meat or seafood and bake them in oven 

The no-boil pasta sheets absorb moisture from the sauce layered in between as well as the other surrounding ingredients to soften.

The no-boil or oven-ready pasta sheets are made by first mixing the ingredients following which they are extruded as long pasta sheets.

The sheets of oven ready lasagna are gently precooked in a hot water bath after which they are mechanically dehydrated, then packaged and sold in grocery stores 

The oven ready lasagna noodles can are either flat or wavy. 

The accordion-type pattern in the wavy lasagna pasta enables them to absorb moisture and elongate during the baking  

They are also rippled which allows the noodles to elongate when they get softened with moisture. 

Some tip for making oven-ready lasagna

The oven ready lasagna is simply layered together with tomato sauce in the baking pan or a casserole  

Meat, vegetables, and mushrooms could also be used to make this dish. 

Follow the instructions written on the packet as regards duration and temperature for heating in the oven. 

The no-boiled lasagna noodles may require more liquid in the sauce than regular lasagna noodles to cook.  

You may also need to cover the pan during baking to retain moisture so that the no boil lasagna cooked more properly 

Conclusion

Unlike regular lasagna, the no-boil noodles are pre-boiled before and dehydrated during processing and therefore do not have to be boiled before using them in recipes.

Oven ready lasagna makes it easier for anyone to quickly prepare lasagna.

A lot of people would argue that the regular lasagna has a better texture compared to the no boil varieties. However, using a quality brand of no-boil lasagna and following the instructions can give you results closer to the real deal.