Lasagnotte noodles are long ribbon noodles with a ruffle along one side. These noodles can be used like lasagna noodles in casseroles and noodle pies, and they can also be cooked and served just as they are with a variety of sauces. Many markets carry lasagnotte noodles, and they can also be made at home with the assistance of a pasta machine. If you have a recipe which calls for lasagnotte noodles and you have difficulty finding them, you can use regular lasagna noodles.
Like lasagna noodles, lasagnotte are flat, but they are much narrower than traditional lasagna noodles. The ruffle along one side can help to trap sauces and hold ingredients, and when the noodles are tiled in a baking dish, the ruffles can keep the noodles stable so that they do not slide around while the dish cooks. These noodles are boiled before they are used to make noodle casseroles, and they come in an assortment of flavors such as tomato, lemon, and spinach in addition to being available plain.
The flattened, broad shape of these noodles also makes them useful for serving dishes with dense sauces. Lasagnotte noodles can support ingredients like meatballs and chunks of vegetables, and the ruffles can also work to hold more delicate, watery sauces. Cooks may want to snap lasagnotte noodles in half or thirds if they intend to plate them with sauce, as these long noodles can be difficult for diners to handle. A pasta spoon is also essential with a plate of lasagnotte noodles since it will help the diner organize the noodles on his or her fork.
Ideally, lasagnotte noodles should be made from Durum wheat, a particularly hard type of wheat which yields resilient, chewy, strong noodles. When boiled and baked, Durum noodles will retain their shapes and textures, while softer wheat noodles can simply fall apart. Durum can be blended with other ingredients for flavoring without weakening the intrinsic strength of the resulting noodle.
When making lasagnotte noodles at home, most cooks do not have access to durum flour. Home made versions of these noodles tend to be softer and more rich, especially when made with a eggy pasta dough. Resist the temptation to roll your lasagnotte noodles too thinly, as extremely thin noodles cannot support sauce and they may fall apart while cooking. A medium setting on a pasta machine is appropriate for lasagnotte noodles, and you can create the ruffled edge by hand or with a pasta crimper.
