Steam, Don't Boil, & You'll Never Have Limp Lasagna Noodles Again

Homemade lasagna is a delicious, irresistible comfort food—but not if you're the one making it. Handling lasagna noodles can be a painful process that leaves you clutching hot noodles with sore, bare hands—something that's hard to avoid if the noodles are sticking together.

Instead of just suffering through, swap out that traditional boiling method you use for a less painful and more versatile one: steaming your noodles. YouTube user Matthew Francis of BrainFood demonstrates the easy process below.

Step 1: Grab a Pan

Ditch your go-to boiling pot and put your noodles flat in a 9 by 13 lasagna pan—or any deep pan that can fit your lasagna noodles nicely.

Step 2: Wet Those Noodles

Pour hot water from the faucet over the noodles, making sure to submerge them all (warm water will not be enough to soften them up appropriately, so make sure your faucet is the hottest it can go).

If need be, move them around using a utensil to make sure they're all underwater, but don't use your hands like Matthew does—remember, we want to keep our hands from getting burnt!

BrainFood (Matthew Francis)/YouTube

Step 3: Cover Them

Next, cover the noodles completely with a lid, shallow pan, or some simple tinfoil to lock in the heat and steam.

BrainFood (Matthew Francis)/YouTube

Step 4: Let Them Soak

Let your noodles sit, covered, for about 20 to 25 minutes. This allows them to steam thoroughly and cook all the way through. Once finished, you'll find nicely pliable noodles ready for your lasagna. And since the water will have cooled considerably by this point, you don't have to worry about burning your fingers.

BrainFood (Matthew Francis)/YouTube

Why Steaming Is Superior

Steaming your noodles might seem unnecessary if you're a fan of no-boil lasagna noodles; while no-boil noodles are great for traditional lasagna layering, steamed noodles are perfectly suited for other lasagna preparations, such as soups, rollups, or chips.

Adina Steiman of Epicurious notes that one of the primary benefits of eliminating boiled noodles from your lasagna is a higher rate of success.

When noodles are boiled, they can be under- or overcooked... not to mention broken, slippery, and—as we mentioned—burning hot. Steaming eliminates these issues and, as Steiman remarks, "No boiling means no opportunity to get the boiling wrong."

So, skip the struggle altogether and make handling lasagna noodles simple with a hands-off steam. Your hands will thank you!

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Cover image via BrainFood (Matthew Francis)/YouTube