Forum: cooking.stackexchange.com
Tags: <lasagna>
Title: Can you assemble lasagna one day, and then bake it about 24 hrs later?
Question: I've always made it on the spot and cooked it then and there, but would like to make at home and take it to a large party the next day and cook it then - will it work?

Answers:
sents: text: Yes, and I find it taste better.
text: When I make lasagna I will not fully cook the pasta.
text: Instead, I keep a pot of boiling water and I dip the pasta into it to soften while I'm assembling the dish; the pasta is in the water for less than one minute.
text: The pasta seems to absorb more of the sauce, keeping the flavor but making a dish that does not fall apart as easily.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/183/papin
score: 13
sents: text: Absolutely, it will work!
text: You can keep it in the refrigerator, ready to bake, for a couple of days.
text: It also works very well to freeze it at that point, to defrost & bake at a later date.
text: The only catch is that the baking time may need to be extended a bit, since you'll be working with a product that is refrigerator-cold, as opposed to freshly cooked.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/364/JustRightMenus
score: 10
sents: text: I would cook the lasagne and then re-heat the next day.
text: If you assemble the lasagna while the sauce(s) are warm then you will find that the pasta starts to curl up.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/633/FordBuchanan
score: 3
sents: text: My wife and I have made lasagna for over 100 people on a few occasions.
text: The way we have done this is to make several full pans of the product and then freeze them down for later use (up to two weeks).
text: We have seen great success with his technique.
text: As far as making it one day and then cooking it the next (without freezing), this is actually a real good way to do it.
text: However, I wouldn't wait more than 48 hours, as the breakdown will start to occur at this stage.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/215/nicorellius
score: 1
sents: text: We did this when I worked prep in a restaurant.
text: Half cooked the pasta and pre-cooked the meat layer.
text: Assembled it cold and refrigerated over night.
text: It took about 45 minutes to cook on 350 f.
text: It was also covered in plastic wrap first
text: then a layer of tin foil.
text: This helped keep it moisture while storing and cooking.
text: It does seem to taste much better.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/37674/NKY Homesteading
score: 1
sents: text: It will most certainly work.
text: In fact, re-heated lasagne can taste better than it would straight off the stove.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/8457/Tobias Op Den Brouw
score: 0
sents: text: I prepared lasagne last night uncooked and left in the fridge overnight, when i went to cook it the bechamel that i made has soaked in the uncooked lasagne sheets, wont do this mistake again
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/44922/Josette Mercieca
score: 0

Summary of the answers:
Reheating lasagna is possible, and it can taste better the next day.
You can leave it, uncooked, in the fridge for 48 hours.