“How Long to bake Lasagna” properly, combine a covered phase and an uncovered phase. Evidence from leading recipe sources defines time, temperature, and resting benchmarks.
Definition and purpose of baking time in lasagna
To bake lasagna means heating the layered pasta, sauce, cheese, and fillings until the interior reaches safe temperature and top browns. Baking time governs texture, moisture balance, and flavor melding. Baking time varies by noodle type (regular, no-boil), pan depth, prechilling, and freezing state.
Standard bake schedule for 9×13 pan lasagna
Most recipe authorities converge on the following schedule:
| Phase | Temperature | Duration | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Covered | 350 °F to 375 °F | 30–45 minutes | Heat through interior, prevent drying |
| Uncovered | 375 °F to 400 °F | 10–15 minutes | Brown cheese, reduce moisture |
| Resting | ambient | 10–15 minutes | Stabilize structure, ease slicing |
This schedule matches what Allrecipes, Simply Recipes, Taste of Home, Barilla, Betty Crocker recommend.
Variation by reputable sources: specifics and divergences
Allrecipes: “Homemade Lasagna”
Allrecipes prescribes baking at 375 °F for 30–40 minutes while covered, then 5–10 minutes uncovered. The recipe emphasizes that the entire bake takes roughly 50 minutes.
Simply Recipes: “Best Homemade Lasagna”
Simply Recipes directs 45 minutes covered at 375 °F, then optional 10 minutes uncovered for browning. The recipe requires 15 minutes of cooling before slicing.
Taste of Home
Taste of Home splits baking time evenly: 25 minutes covered, then 25 minutes uncovered (both at 375 °F). The article stresses a golden top.
The Kitchn
The Kitchn provides flexibility. It uses 30 minutes covered, then 10 minutes uncovered as default. It notes that deeper pans or no-boil noodles may need variation.
Delish (2025 update)
Delish begins at 375 °F for 20 minutes under foil, then increases temperature to 400 °F and bakes for 25–30 minutes uncovered. The hotter finish speeds browning.
Food Network (Anne Burrell)
Food Network’s version begins with a high initial heat, then drops to 350 °F, then later may be increased to brown. The total time hovers near 45–55 minutes, plus about 10 minutes rest.
BBC Good Food
BBC Good Food gives an approximate 45 minutes bake time and suggests 10–15 minutes rest. It frames color cues (“deep golden”) as a doneness indicator.
Betty Crocker
Betty Crocker uses 350 °F, 45 minutes covered, then 15–20 minutes uncovered. It provides a guideline for baking straight from frozen (longer time).
Barilla (brand guidance)
Barilla instructs 45 minutes covered, 15 minutes uncovered. The brand guidance addresses no-boil sheets and moisture balance in sauce to ensure proper hydration of pasta.
Bon Appétit
Bon Appétit does not fix rigid time increments. It indicates baking until bubbling at edges and a golden top, about one hour, using visual cues over strict time.
Detailed bake time adjustment by factor
Noodle type (boiled vs no‐boil)
No-boil (oven-ready) sheets require more moisture and sometimes more covered time. Barilla stresses that the sauce consistency must be looser to allow hydration. If noodles are pre-boiled, moisture needs are lower, enabling the regular schedule to suffice.
Pan depth and size
Deep pans (3+ inch total depth) slow heat penetration. Bake covered longer (toward 40–45 minutes) before uncovering. Shallow pans (2 inch layers) benefit from shorter covered time (25–30 minutes). The Kitchn mentions deeper pans demand adjustments.
Cold or chilled lasagna
If lasagna is assembled cold (from fridge), increase covered time by 5–10 minutes. This ensures internal heating. Some recipes simply rest longer but empirical sources lean to time extension.
Frozen lasagna
Betty Crocker indicates that baking from frozen roughly doubles the time at 350 °F. The user must check center has reached safe temperature (165 °F). Simply Recipes also includes reheating/frozen instructions with adjusted times.
Higher finishing temperature
Some sources (Delish, Food Network) raise oven to 400–450 °F during the uncovered phase to expedite browning. This variation trades risk of burning for speed. Use with caution in sensitive ovens.
Safety and doneness criteria
Lasagna is done when:
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Sauce bubbles around edges.
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Cheese top is golden or deeply browned.
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Internal temperature reaches ~165 °F (74 °C) for reheated or frozen dishes. Many sources imply “heated through” as necessary for food safety.
BBC Good Food and Bon Appétit emphasize visual cues (bubbling, browning) over fixed time.
Resting time and slicing
After removing from oven, rest 10–15 minutes. Resting stabilizes layers and reduces cheese slide when cutting. Simply Recipes requires 15 minutes of cooling. BBC Good Food suggests 10–15 minutes rest.
Sample step by step bake for standard lasagna
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Preheat oven to 375 °F (190–200 °C).
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Assemble layered lasagna (sauce, pasta, cheese, filling).
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Cover with foil (tent loosely).
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Bake covered for 30–40 minutes.
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Remove foil.
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Bake 10–15 minutes uncovered (or raise heat to 400 °F for last 5–10 min).
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Confirm bubbling edges, golden top, internal temp ~165 °F.
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Remove and rest 10–15 minutes.
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Slice and serve.
Alternative schedules (based on variants)
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Delish variant: 20 minutes @ 375 °F (covered) → 25–30 minutes @ 400 °F (uncovered).
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Betty Crocker frozen method: Bake meticulously ~ twice standard time (e.g. 1h 30 min) at 350 °F if starting from frozen.
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Bon Appétit style: Bake ~1 hour, watch for visual readiness rather than strict timing.
Comparative summary
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All tested sources endorse a covered then uncovered approach.
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Most place standard total time between 45 and 60 minutes.
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Majority use 375 °F baseline; some use 350 °F or ramp upward.
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Variations occur when noodles are no-boil, when lasagna is chilled or frozen, or when pan depth increases.
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Resting is nearly unanimous at 10–15 minutes.
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Visual cues (bubbling, browning) are common safeguards against over- or under-baking.
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Conclusion
“How Long To Bake lasagna” properly, one uses a two-phase bake: first covered, then uncovered. For a typical 9×13 pan, set oven at 375 °F, bake covered 30–40 minutes, then uncover and bake 10–15 minutes until the top browns and sauce bubbles. Always rest 10–15 minutes before cutting. Adjust time upward for frozen or dense pans. Use visual cues and internal temperature to confirm doneness.
