Does this mushroom lasagna recipe sound good?

[PamNY]

Yes, do let me know if you try it.

Regarding the Times recipe, it also occurred to me that a lot of people really dislike "smoked" cheeses and such, so the smoked mozzarella that I love might not be a good choice for a group.

[indysteel]

Pam, do you think the recipe would have turned out better if you used regular noodles, i.e., not the no-bake ones? I've never had great luck with lasagna and I sometimes wonder if the no-bake noodles aren't to blame. I'm going to use regular ones if and when I make the Smitten Kitchen recipe.

[channlluv]

According to Alton Brown, per his Good Eats episode on lasagna, he buys Italian-made dry lasagna and soaks the noodles in hot water (110 degrees, I think) for about ten minutes, then layers them with the sauce and other ingredients before baking. No boiling required, even for the real noodles. Just a hot soak. Next time I try lasagna, that's what I'm going to do.

Roxy

[PamNY]

I definitely think regular noodles would have been better, and I wish I had used them. It's not that much trouble to prepare noodles.

Roxy, thanks for the hot soak idea. I am going to try that.

[OakLeaf]

Yes, I'm going to try that with the noodles too - thanks! Having to pre-cook the noodles is one of the big reasons I don't often make lasagne.

[indysteel]

So a lasagna per the recipe I linked to is currently baking in my oven. I'm pairing it with spring green salad with a shallot vinaigrette and crusty bread. I'll let you know the verdict. The lasagna was easy enough to assemble, although my sauce took far longer to thicken than the recipe indicated. I need to investigate that a bit more as I have never made a béchamel sauce before. All the components tasted good on their own so I'm hopeful. It is not diet friendly, however! I do think it will be rich enough that a modest portion should be satisfying.

[indysteel]

I'd add that the noodles were not the PITA that I anticipated. I boiled them for about 12 minutes in salted water and a glug of olive oil. Once drained, I rinsed them in cold water and then laid them out on a towel until I was ready to use them. They didn't stick together at all. I don't like having a bunch of things to do at once so, from there, I cooked the mushrooms in the same pot and had those down and set aside before turning my attention to the sauce.