Lasagna Needs To Rest Longer Than You Might Expect

Lasagna is one of the ultimate craveable, comforting dishes with layers of cheese, meat, pasta, and tomato sauce. But what is not craveable is a pan of lasagna that, when you cut into it, the filling runs out onto your plate in a liquid mess. Not allowing the lasagna to rest long enough before dividing it into pieces is a likely cause, per Delallo. Having soupy lasagna is just one of the common mistakes when making this classic Italian-inspired dish. Other reasons your lasagna may be runny and disappointing are that too much sauce was used or there was too much moisture in wet ingredients like the ricotta cheese. To prevent this runny lasagna problem, use just enough sauce to cover each layer and remove excess liquid from the ricotta with cheesecloth.

Another way to prevent a loose lasagna is to sauté the vegetables before layering them in the lasagna, per Pro Family Chef. By doing so, moisture will be cooked out of the vegetables helping the finished lasagna to be firmer. Even though it takes time to prep the ingredients and layer the lasagna properly, there is one final step that also takes time — allowing the pasta dish to rest before cutting into it. And while you may be anxious to eat the lasagna you have been smelling as it bakes in the oven, your patience will pay off.

A Classic Lasagna Bolognese recipe requires the pasta dish to bake at 300 degrees F for 45 minutes, which is only a little longer than you need to let the pan rest after it has been pulled from the oven upon noticing the crispy cheese on top. Delallo recommends waiting 20 to 40 minutes before taking a knife to the lasagna to allow it to cool and, subsequently, become firm. Both Cookist and Bon Appétit advise that 20 minutes is an acceptable amount of time to wait, while Pro Family Chef states that the magic time is closer to 30 minutes. 

Don't worry about it getting too cold to eat and enjoy. Around 20-30 minutes is just enough time to allow the ingredients to solidify, per Cooking Chops, but not so much time that it becomes too cool. Another bonus? You don't need to worry about the slice of lasagna sliding off your spatula as you place it on a plate.