The Chef-Approved Reason You Need To Try Cold Lasagna
Classic lasagna is a staple in Italian cuisine — and for good reason. The thick noodles blend seamlessly with meats, veggies, cheeses, and tomato sauce. After baking it, the result is a piping hot block of rich ingredients that exude multi-dimensional flavors in each bite. However, there are some caveats to eating your lasagna fresh out of the oven. As it turns out, cold lasagna has some key benefits that are not prevalent in hot lasagna.
In an article by Food & Wine, the contributor honed in on some of the disadvantages of hot lasagna. With its messy layers, it can be tough to keep the pieces in a neat formation. Cold lasagna maintains an even structure, making for a hassle-free eating experience. As it turns out, science helps explain why the chilled noodle variety is so different from the traditional version. And one chef described what transpires when cold lasagna is prepared, and how these steps make for a well-rounded, tasty meal.
The texture shift affects its taste
Jason Bergeron, executive chef of Chroma Modern Bar + Kitchen, told Food & Wine why leftover cold lasagna is such a hit: "The reason it tastes great cold is because of the texture change as well as the fact that by sitting overnight it has allowed everything to meld together, creating a uniform taste throughout." The storage placement can make a difference as well. He advised cooks to cover it fully and keep it away from the refrigerator's fan.
In a Forbes piece, Dr. Kantha Shelke of the Institution of Food Technologists and Corvus Blue LLC gave some insight into the actual science of the chilling process: "Refrigeration allows for all of the various flavors in the dish to migrate into the cooling protein and starches." A starch loses its crystalline structure when it is cooked, allowing it to be digestible. But as it drops in temperature, it undergoes retrogradation and re-crystallizes. The flavor composites in the sauce become enclosed in the new formation. So, this gives some background as to why the flavors of a cold lasagna may stand out more.
How to try cold lasagna
The cold lasagna craze has become popular on social media, with one Reddit thread, titled "CMV: Cold lasagna is better than fresh lasagna," making waves online. Users have fleshed out their opinions as to why the chilled version reigns supreme. One Redditor summarized the downfalls of fresh, hot lasagna, writing, "The layers like to separate from one another when everything is more viscous." They also highlighted the unevenness of the saucy noodles: "As the sauce is more runny, it tends to all flow into the cavity where you take out the first piece, leaving all the other pieces lacking in sauce." In contrast, the user lauded cold lasagna as more cohesive, as the flavors and textures have had time to gel together.
Sticking your traditional lasagna in the refrigerator isn't the only way to enjoy this cooler noodle dish. The Daily Meal's recipe for cold, no-bake lasagna consists of ricotta and mozzarella cheese, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and pesto. It's a simple and healthy recipe that'll give you a delicious blend of various flavors. After cooking lasagna noodles, stir up the cheese, olive oil, salt, and pepper separately. Once you sauté the zucchini and throw in tomatoes, you'll be ready to stack your lasagna. Then, you can seal the deal by eating it chilled.