...and their answers

Pasta:
How much water should I use when cooking pasta?
Should I add salt to the water?
How do I reheat cooked pasta?
What is durum semolina?

Lasagne:
Can I freeze the lasagne and then bake it?
Do I need to partially bake the lasagne before putting it in the freezer?
Should I thaw the frozen lasagne in the refrigerator before baking?
What are some tips for making lasagne?

Catelli Express Oven-Ready Pasta:
Can I use my own sauce when preparing oven-ready products?
Can I use my own recipe and use the express noodles?
Can I bake the lasagne ahead of time and re-heat it?
Can the lasagne be frozen without baking it first?

Pasta:

Q: How much water should I use when cooking pasta?

Answer:
Cooking methods affect the texture of pasta. Be sure to use a large enough pot with plenty of water, enough for the pasta to swim freely. Tough or rubbery pasta is due to undercooking. Mushy or sticky pasta may be the result of too little water or water not at a rolling boil, or being overcooked.

Q: Should I add salt to the water?

Answer:
No. We do not recommend it. It does not help to "speed up" the boiling process nor does it add to the taste.

Q: How do I reheat cooked pasta?

Answer:
You can put it into a resealable plastic food storage bag and heat it in the microwave for about 2 minutes. Be sure to vent the bag slightly so steam does not build up. If the pasta is sticky add 2 tablespoons of water before heating. You can also add a small amount of vegetable oil to the leftover pasta before heating. Oil will keep it from clumping. Do not refrigerate for longer than 3 days.

Q: What is durum semolina?

Answer:
Durum is an amber-coloured high-protein hard wheat, which is grown only for pasta products because it produces the best flavor, colour and texture. Semolina is the coarsely ground endosperm of durum wheat. Semolina, golden in colour and very granular in texture, is mixed with water to produce the finest pastas.

Lasagne:

Q: Can I freeze the lasagne and then bake it?

Answer:
Yes. Assemble, freeze and then bake at 350°F. Take directly from the freezer and bake. This may take 2 hours. Leave the aluminum foil on until the last 15 minutes. This will speed the baking time and keep the lasagne from drying out. You can add additional cheese the last 15 minutes of baking.

Q: Do I need to partially bake the lasagne before putting it in the freezer?

Answer:
No. This does not save any baking time.

Q: Should I thaw the frozen lasagne in the refrigerator before baking?

Answer:
No. This does not substantially cut down on the baking time and you may end up with excess water in the pan.

Q: What are some tips for making lasagne?

Answer:

1. If making ahead and then freezing, take directly from the freezer and bake.
   
2. Keep foil on until the last 15 minutes of baking (approximately 2 hours total time at 350°F), then add cheese topping.
   
3. Combining the meat and the sauce gives you a smoother appearance when layering lasagne.
   
4. Boil the lasagne noodles for 15 minutes and they will fit a 9 x 13 inch pan lengthwise without having to break a piece to fit across the end of the pan.
5. You can use a 500g package of lasagne noodles in a 9x13-inch pan by overlapping the noodles lengthwise.

Catelli Express Oven-Ready Pasta

Q: Can I use my own sauce when preparing oven-ready products?

Answer:
Yes. As long as the sauce is not cream or milk based (e.g. Alfredo sauce), and you do not mind adding water or broth to the sauce in order to thin it. The sauce needs to be very thin or soupy in consistency to allow the noodles to hydrate while cooking. If the sauce is too thick then the noodles will not cook through properly and you will be left with a semi-hard lasagne that has a pasty texture.

Q: Can I use my own recipe and use the Express noodles?

Answer:
It is recommended that recipes developed especially for the oven-ready products be used to avoid recipe failure. If you would really like to use your own recipe then follow these guidelines:

• Thin the sauce with water or stock to acheive a soupy consistency.
  
• Use no more then 9 oven-ready lasagne noodles (if more noodles are used the likelihood of the texture becoming gummy increases).
  
• Cover and bake the lasagne or cannelloni for at least 45-50 minutes.
  
• Allow the lasagne or cannelloni to stand at least 15 minutes or longer before serving.

Q: Can I bake the lasagne ahead of time and re-heat it?

Answer:
Yes. The lasagne can be baked a day in advance and keep refrigerated overnight. To re-heat, cover the lasagne and place in a warm preheated (325ºF/160ºC) oven for 25-30 minutes or until heated through. A piece of lasagne can easily be re-heated in a microwave oven. Place the piece of lasagne in the microwave oven and cook on medium-high power for 2-3 minutes, or until heated through.

Q: Can the lasagne be frozen without baking it first?

Answer:
No. The lasagne must be fully baked and cooled before freezing. If the lasagne is assembled and frozen, or stored in the fridge without being fully baked then the texture of the finished dish will be unacceptable. Once assembled, the lasagne will begin to hydrate. Therefore it must be cooked immediately in order to avoid having a gummy/starchy texture.