Tyler Uebele

Recently, while preparing a lasagna dinner for some friends, I thought of a new way to build it which would prevent the hard, crusty, edges that plague so many otherwise great lasagnas. The problem is, in the time it takes the innermost depths of deliciousness to thoroughly bake into ooey-gooey-goodness, the outermost edges (and especially the corners) of most lasagnas will completely dry out. This leaves the edges, and sometimes even the whole top layer, as hard as an uncooked noodle. You can't stab it with a fork. You can't cut it with a knife. All you can do is beat it into brittle submission (or peel it off), which gets messy.

Not wanting to serve my dear friends less than perfection, I pondered this problem a moment. I could cover it with aluminium foil, but this technique has often yielded watery, runny, lasagna. A lasagna should stiffen up a bit as the sauce cooks and the cheese sets. Sure, much of this setting occurs during cool-down, but a watery lasagna won't set right. So, I'm back to crusty-edged lasagna. If only there were a way to make an edge-less lasagna. There is (almost)!

If, in fact, the problem of drying has to do with the edge of the noodle (as opposed to the edge of the lasagna); then perhaps keeping the edge of the noodle from the edge of the lasagna would help. If, in fact, the drying-out of the edges is related to hot oven air getting under and around the noodle edge; then perhaps keeping the noodle from curling up to expose its underbelly to the heat would help. I had an idea about how to accomplish both of these things by laying the noodles differently.

1. Instead of laying a complete layer of noodles in your first layer, lay an over-complete layer that hangs over the long edges of your pan, as pictured below.
2. Apply sauce and cheese as normal, and continue building your lasagna with the first layer hanging over the edges of your pan.
3. When you are finished laying your noodles (either by running out of noodles or pan-depth), fold the excess from your first layer back over and into the pan.
4. At your option, either cut off the overlap, or apply more filling between them. I chose the latter.
5. Dress the top as you see fit; more cheese please!
6. Adding a little sauce on top, and around the edges, should help keep it moist.
7. Bake uncovered.

It worked! I had a crust-less lasagna, which received good reviews from all my dinner guests; even the one that said "but I like the crunchy parts."