Baking Rotini Lasagna (5 Steps)

If you've ever made lasagna from scratch the traditional way using the wide flat noodles and homemade sauce, you know how time-consuming and labor-intensive it can be. But if you're craving all that comforting cheesy goodness but don't have the time or don't happen to have ready-made lasagna noodles on hand, you can substitute another smaller form of pasta, such as rotini, and produce just as delectable a dish in much less time.

Things You'll Need

  • Rotini pasta
  • Large cooking pot for pasta
  • Pasta sauce of your choice
  • Cooking pot for sauce
  • Water
  • Salt
  • Vegetable or olive oil
  • Large stirring spoon
  • Colander
  • Small bowl
  • Small spoon
  • Ricotta cheese
  • Grated Parmesan cheese
  • Eggs
  • Oregano
  • Ladle
  • Baking pan or casserole dish
  • Cooking spray
  • Shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and have a 13-by-9-by-3-inch baking pan ready.

  2. Use one large pot to cook the pasta in and one to make or heat the sauce. Bring salted water to a rolling boil, add oil to keep the pasta from sticking and cook rotini noodles, stirring with the long spoon, until al dente, or still slightly chewy; they will finish cooking in the oven. Add drained rotini to the pot of sauce and mix well.

  3. Combine ricotta cheese, some of the Parmesan cheese, the eggs and the oregano in a small bowl, and set aside. Coat the baking dish with cooking spray and use the ladle to place 1/3 of the pasta and sauce in the bottom, spreading it out evenly.

  4. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and top with a second layer of pasta and sauce. Drop dollops of the ricotta mixture across the top of the pasta and spread as evenly as possible. Sprinkle with more mozzarella, top with the last of the pasta and sauce mixture, and sprinkle the top with the rest of the mozzarella and Parmesan.

  5. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until the top is bubbly and golden, remove from the oven and let stand for about 10 minutes before serving.