For those who enjoy lasagna, a good lasagna pan is a necessary piece of kitchen cookware. In this review, we’ll explain why, what to look for, how to make your favorite lasagna recipe successful, and our top 5 picks for the best lasagna pan.
A flavorful, aromatic pan of lasagna is one of the most cherished one-pot family meals. This dish is not only enjoyable to eat, but also enjoyable to prepare thanks to the delicious layers of meat, creamy cheeses, rich sauces, and vegetables that are concealed between sheets of hearty pasta.
There are numerous lasagna recipes to suit almost any palate, but they all share one thing in common: a good lasagna baking pan to achieve a successful stack.
Here are five excellent lasagna pans that, in our opinion, offer plenty of space for layers, sauces, cheese, and pasta and come in a variety of price points and materials. These are offered in no particular order.
Characteristics of the Best Lasagna Pan
It’s pretty easy to grab the first casserole dish or roasting pan from your cabinet when making lasagna but the material of that pan can affect the outcome of your pasta.
Despite generally being poor heat conductors, glass pans do distribute heat more evenly than metal. They won’t heat up quickly, but they will hold onto heat and continue to be warmer outside the oven. For “wet baking” of casseroles, including lasagna, that will be served at the table, glass roasters work well. Just keep in mind to lower your oven’s temperature by 25 degrees and increase baking time by 5 to 10 minutes when using glass.
Metal pans are better heat conductors, will heat up foods more quickly and are better than glass if you want foods to brown. Metal pans, however, like non-stick, cast iron and aluminum will also react to foods that are acidic (such as tomato sauce) — at times adding an unwanted metallic flavor to foods or leaving a tinge of color along the edges of the foods that come in contact with the metal surface.
If choosing a metal pan, think about a stainless steel lasagna pan rather than cast iron or aluminum to get those crunchy edges and better browning. Stoneware and cast iron with a porcelain coating can both be successful.
Go Deep and Long
Whether you use no-boil pasta, dried pasta or fresh pasta, lasagna noodles measure approximately 10-inches in length.
Most common glass and metal roasting pans have a depth of about 2-1/2 inches. Aim for a depth of 3 inches, a length of at least 13 inches, and a width of at least 9 inches.
This leaves space for at least three layers of lasagna noodles to be stacked on top of each other without overlapping, with enough room for cheese and sauce to completely cover the pasta.
The stack will be more stable and your presentation will be better the more layers you can add. When boiling dry lasagna noodles, salt the water only. Avoid adding oil to the water and skipping the rinse Natural starches on the noodles aid in the sauce’s ability to adhere to the pasta.
5 Tips for Making Your Lasagna Recipe the Best
TIP #1 – RAMP UP THE RICOTTA – Many lasagna recipes call for ricotta cheese with an egg or two, seasoned with herbs and grated cheese. Instead of hand mixing these ingredients together, add them all to a food processor and blend them together. This not only rounds out the flavor and the texture of the ricotta, it gives your lasagna an extra creamy, herby layer that is delicious when baked.
Rethinking ground beef is tip number two. Ground beef cooked in a sauce lacks both texture and flavor. Think about substituting your ground beef for some pork or Italian sausage. Although sausage is fattier than ground beef, it has a better texture, is flavorful (especially when browned first), and is simple to adjust to your preferred level of heat. Both spicy and sweet sausages make for heartier, richer sauces.
TIP #3 – PASTA MAKES A DIFFERENCE – The type and thickness of the lasagna pasta makes a difference in its taste. Dry pasta is thicker than the “No-Boil” and fresh varieties requiring the added time for the pasta to be water boiled first before assembly. Fresh pasta tends not to be as firm as the dry and “No-Boil” and can be a little on the soggy side when ladled with sauce. Surprisingly, No-Boil lasagna noodles are firm without being too thick, absorb sauces without becoming soggy and are very flavorful plus, no water to boil reducing your assembly time.
TIP #4 – BEWARE OF WATER RICH VEGETABLES – While not all lasagna recipes call for vegetables, many do. Adding spinach, zucchini, green peppers, mushrooms and chunky tomatoes to name few, are loaded with water that release into your sauce when baked. A soggy lasagna can cause your layers to slide thereby impacting your presentation. Saute veggies and drain before adding them to the sauce or squeeze out any excess liquid, as with spinach. Adding a pinch of salt to green veggies before combining with sauce adds a pop to their color.
TIP #5 – WITH MOZZARELLA, FRESH IS BEST – That gooey melted cheese, holding the lasagna together, tastes best when it has a fresh dairy flavor. Grated mozzarella is almost a must for any lasagna and the packaged, shredded part-skin variety just does not have the same flavor OR TEXTURE as grated FRESH mozzarella. A fresh mozzarella ball is easy to grate using the course side of a box grater and still gives you those melted strands but with the full rich dairy flavor.
Here are five excellent lasagna pans that, in our opinion, offer plenty of space for layers, sauces, cheese, and pasta and come in a variety of price points and materials. These are offered in no particular order.
#1 – ExcelSteel 4-Piece Stainless Steel Lasagna Roaster
Value priced at under $30. For those on a tight budget, this is the best lasagna pan.
This lasagna baking pan is made of stainless steel, has collapsible handles, and measures a generous 13-5/8″ long by 9-3/4″ wide by 3-3/4″ deep.
This large lasagna pan is available in a 4-piece set that includes the roaster pan, a storage lid made of plastic, a roasting rack that measures 12 by 9 inches, and a stainless spatula.
The deep dish and rack are oven safe to 450 degrees, and all the pieces are dishwasher safe. The plastic lid is not for oven use.
This pan is less heavy than higher gauge stainless competitors because it is less expensive and is made of lower gauge stainless steel. This set is imported from China and was made outside of the US.
#2 – Cuisinart 7117-16UR Stainless Steel Deep Lasagna Roaster
With over 40 years of culinary excellence in kitchenware and international recognition, Cuisinart is a company you can’t go wrong with.
A family feast can be prepared in this Cuisinart 7117-16UR large lasagna pan, whether lasagna, a fork-tender pot roast, or a golden-brown stuffed turkey is being made.
The large lasagna pan is easy to lift out of the oven and into the oven thanks to the riveted stainless steel handles. The interior measures roughly 12 inches wide by 16 inches long by 3 inches. With the handles, the lasagna pan measures 13 inches in total depth. 25 inches x 6. 25 inches x 20. 75 inches.
With a lifetime warranty from Cuisinart and a solid stainless steel rack for roasting, it is made from professional-grade stainless steel and features drip-free pouring with the handles, dishwasher safety, and easy cleanup.
#3 – Arcuisine Borosilicate Glass Lasagna Rectangular Roaster
This dependable lasagna baking dish is made of borosilicate glass.
Until switching to the less expensive soda lime glass, the majority of glass kitchen bakeware from well-known brands like Pyrex and Anchor Hocking used this special glass material.
Borosilicate glass has the advantage of being more resistant to thermal changes than its less expensive substitute.
This indicates that borosilicate glass is less likely to crack in a lasgana pan when moving from a refrigerator or freezer to an oven. Although soda lime glass bakeware is now tempered with additives to make it stronger, it is still prone to cracking in drastically changing temperatures.
This Arcuisine lasagna bakeware option measures 15. 8 x 9. 6 x 3. 8 inches. It is French-made and has a 5-year manufacturer’s warranty covering any manufacturing or material flaws.
#4 – Le Creuset Stoneware Covered Lasagna Baking Dish
Making lasagna in stoneware is an option, and Le Creuset is one of the top-rated, globally renowned manufacturers of stone bakeware.
Despite being the most expensive bakeware reviewed here (about $100), 00), Le Creuset products are exquisitely glazed, heavier than most rivals, and built to last for generations.
Stoneware is an excellent choice for baking lasagna because it resists scratching, maintains temperatures like glass, offers excellent thermal resistance to temperature changes from freezer to oven, and prevents moisture absorption that can cause cracking, crazing, and rippling in other bakeware materials.
This rectangular baking pan has a lid and decorative colors to match other cookware and make a nice presentation when it’s time to serve.
It has dimensions of 11 1/2 inches by 7 3/4 inches by 2 3/4 inches, is dishwasher-safe, and is backed by Le Creuset® of America, Inc.’s Stoneware Products Limited 5-year Warranty.
#5 – Emile Henry Deep Dish Ceramic Lasagna Pan
This Emile Henry high heat resistant lasagna pan, produced in France by a renowned company founded in 1850, is the finest in high quality ceramic bakeware.
This ceramic baking dish, like the Le Creuset lasagna pan above, will offer the advantages of even heating (up to 520 degrees F), resistance to thermal stresses from heat change, scratch and stain resistance, as well as a 3′′ deep dish size for numerous cheesy, rich lasagna layers.
This French ceramic baking dish measures 13. 75″ long by 10″ wide by 2. 75″ deep.
This attractive deep dish baking pan, which is microwave and dishwasher safe and costs less than $80, has a saucy red exterior and interior. 00.
It also has a surprising 10-year manufacturer’s warranty and comes in other eye-catching hues.
FAQ
What size is a cooked lasagna noodles?
The typical dimensions are 7 to 10 inches long and 2-4 inches wide. Because dried lasagna noodles relax and stretch out after cooking, they fit in a smaller pan than standard lasagna noodles. Once cooked, it’s not unusual for them to grow by 2-3 inches in length.
What is the best size pan for lasagna?
Size. Although square pans can work if you want a smaller version, most lasagna pans are rectangular and measure 13 by 9 inches. They should be at least 2. A shallower pan won’t be able to hold all the necessary layers, so you should use one that is at least 5 inches deep to accommodate all the layers you get from an average box of lasagna noodles.
What size are lasagna sheets?
Try a lasagna pan that is 13 inches long and 9 inches wide to help you get enough room for the noodles to expand once they have absorbed the sauce. Depending on how many layers you want to make, a pan with a depth of 3 inches or even 5 inches will work.
How big should a lasagna be?
A typical lasagna pan has dimensions of 9 x 13 inches and a depth of 2 to 3 inches. The consensus among many chefs is that lasagna needs at least three layers of meat.