Why Is My Lasagna Watery?
Arguably every family has a good lasagna recipe. But if you’re here today, it’s likely that you’ve also fallen victim to the dreaded watery lasagna dish.
But why — why has this tragedy befallen you? You’ve made the recipe a hundred times before, and it’s never come out watery before! Why today of all days?
Believe it or not, there are a variety of reasons that you can end up with soggy lasagna, and it is so incredibly easy to do so.
So, why exactly is your lasagna watery? The ultimate cause of watery lasagna is that your lasagna had too much liquid from the beginning. This can be caused by runny sauce, high-fat ground meat, undrained noodles, overfilling the baking dish, incorrect baking times and temperatures, and not resting the dish before slicing and dishing.
So overwhelming! Don’t worry — we have created a comprehensive, in-depth guide that will help you navigate the ins and outs of this rich, hearty, and creamy dish.
Today we will take a look at exactly what causes watery lasagna, how you can fix it after the fact, and how to avoid it completely!
What Makes Lasagna Watery?
Today, we are jumping in head-first! What makes a lasagna come out watery? To be completely honest, there is an abundance of reasons!
However, lasagna is still not that difficult to make. It’s just that there are a few things that can make it, well, not as good as it could have been.
So, to better understand how to avoid watery lasagna (and even how to avoid it), let’s look at what causes it.
1. Too Much Liquid
Okay, we get that this may seem like a “duh” thing to say since we’re literally discussing watery lasagna. But this point basically has to do with the consistency of the ingredients you make your lasagna with, not the end result.
For example, using a type of ground meat that is high in fat could create excess liquid. Or, if you use a really runny sauce instead of a chunky, thick one, you will definitely end up with too much liquid.
Another way you may accidentally be adding too much liquid is with the lasagna sheets. If you don’t allow them to drain and cool a little before stacking them, they can add water to this layered dish.
These are the most common ways that people incorporate more moisture than they intended to. But don’t worry, the fix is really easy! More on that below.
2. Overfilling The Baking Dish
This is another common problem that is quite easy to fix. There are two ways people add too much lasagna to a baking dish.
The first is if they add too many too-thin layers. And the second is if they add fewer layers, but the layers are way too thick.
Both of these prevent moisture from evaporating in the oven — instead of the filling and sauce becoming richer and thicker, the moisture will just sit between the layers.
3. Using Incorrect Baking Techniques
This encapsulates a few different ways people create soggy lasagna. Usually, it’s because they cover it with aluminum foil.
Again, if you do that, the moisture cannot evaporate, and what makes it worse is that you are trapping the steam. The steam condenses and ultimately adds even more moisture to the dish!
If you didn’t cover your lasagna with foil and are sure that the other above-mentioned reasons aren’t the issue, it may be that you are baking it at too low of a temperature or for a too short amount of time.
Again, both of these won’t allow the moisture in the lasagna to evaporate, plus using a low temperature causes more fat and liquids to leech out of the ingredients.
4. Not Resting Before Serving
Here’s a scenario you might have encountered — you’ve made the perfect lasagna that looks beautiful; everything smells great! But once you slice and serve, runny lasagna liquid spills out of nowhere. Chaos.
That is because the ingredients (and the sauce) weren’t allowed time to rest and set in place. The same thing happens when you cook a cut of meat (which is why it is left to rest after it has been cooked).
You need to let your lasagna rest so the flavors and liquids can fully absorb!
How To Fix Watery Lasagna
If you’re reading this article, you weren’t able to prevent a soggy outcome. But is there any way to fix watery lasagna?
There are some things you can try that could potentially help you get rid of some excessive liquids. Unfortunately, it is a difficult process and it doesn’t always work.
First, try to scoop out any excess sauce. Get rid of as much of the runny liquid as you can! Then, continue baking the lasagna for 10-15 minutes. But do not cover it with aluminum foil!
If you are scared that the top cheese layer will burn, try to carefully remove it and set it aside. Then, during the final 5 minutes, add the cheese back on so it can reheat as well. You can even add more cheese if you’d like.
You can also use a piece of paper towel to absorb excess oil on the top of the lasagna.
And finally, once your lasagna has re-baked, leave it to rest for about 10 minutes. Do not slice it before the time has elapsed.
If none of the steps works above, you can always try to re-purpose the dish. For example, make fried lasagna pieces! Or try putting mashed lasagna on a piece of toast!
How To Prevent Watery Lasagna
Now that you know exactly what causes watery lasagna and how you can potentially fix it, let’s look at how you can avoid it entirely.
Fair warning: there are a lot of points here, but they are all very easy!
1. Only Use Lean Ground Beef
This is crucial for lasagna. Many people love using fatty ground meat because it “adds more flavor and richness.” We can’t argue with that. But for lasagna, it’s a death sentence!
As the meat cooks, more fat is pushed out and goes directly into your dish. So, only use lean ground beef for lasagna. You can even use extra-lean!
Once it has been cooked in the pan, drain any excess oil with some paper towels.
2. Measure Twice
Before getting to the other elements of the dish, it’s essential that you use the correct measurements, especially when making the lasagna sauce.
If your sauce is too watery (caused by not measuring the liquid ingredients correctly), it will create a soggy lasagna.
Thicken your sauce before making lasagna with it — you can always store any leftover sauce for a different batch of lasagna.
3. Cook The Sauce Well
Now, even store-bought lasagna sauce is sometimes too runny. Always pre-cook the sauce and leave it to simmer for 10-20 minutes. Even longer if it’s needed! Just make sure that the sauce is very thick and doesn’t have a lot of moisture.
When adding the sauce to the dish, only add a couple of tablespoons per layer. People often add a lot more sauce than they should.
4. Only Use Fresh Or Fully Thawed Ingredients
If you are using thawed vegetables, meat, or garnishes, make sure they are completely thawed before you pre-cook them.
If they aren’t fresh or completely thawed ingredients, they will continue to release water when they are baking in the lasagna dish!
5. Drain Your Lasagna Sheets
If you pre-cook your lasagna sheets, they have to be completely drained and slightly dried before being used for layering.
Here’s something we actually often do. Add no-bake lasagna sheets, uncooked, to the layers. The sauce will slowly cook the sheets, and they will even absorb a bit of flavor along with some liquid.
This isn’t a popular technique, and some even frown upon it. But that’s how our family does it, and it’s yet to disappoint!
6. Pre-Cook The Vegetables
Pre-cooking vegetables that you want to add to your lasagna layers will help remove their excess moisture. With some, it simply creates a seal that traps the moisture.
It adds extra time to the already lengthy process, but it’s worth it! Especially if you are layering with high-moisture ingredients, like zucchini or tomatoes.
Another trick that goes hand-in-hand with pre-cooking is to season the ingredients before you do. Adding salt to fresh vegetables helps extract more moisture, which means that less liquid will end up in your layered dish.
7. Don’t Overfill The Baking Dish
If you remember from before, there are two ways people overfill their dishes. The first is by adding too many (too thin) layers, and the second is by adding too much between the layers (making them too thick and too few).
At the most, you should only have 3-4 layers when making lasagna. And don’t add too much sauce between them — a couple of tablespoons per layer will do.
Even if your baking dish isn’t filled to the brim, that is perfectly fine! If you have leftover ingredients, just make another dish of lasagna and freeze it for later.
8. Use The Correct Baking Temperature And Time
We cannot emphasize this enough. Lasagna has to be baked at a high temperature and for almost an hour!
Always bake lasagna at about 400ºF (200ºC) — on average, it should bake for 40-50 minutes, potentially even longer. Make sure that the oven temperature is accurate and that you have a timer set.
9. Rest The Lasagna Before Serving
And finally, as we’ve now repeatedly mentioned, it is crucial that you leave your lasagna to rest for 10 minutes after it has been baked.
This resting period will help set the ingredients in place, seal them in their layers, and prevent excess liquids from oozing out.
We know your lasagna probably looks irresistible when you take it out of the oven, all steamy with delectable aromas wafting about. But take the time to let it rest while you set the table or prepare a side salad — you’ll appreciate it!
