Question: What difference does it make whether you cook the noodles first or use them uncooked when making lasagna? - Lynanne Bertumen, Lutherville, Md.

Answer: When you're making lasagna, you have a few options as far as noodle choice goes. You can use cooked or uncooked fresh pasta, cooked or uncooked dried pasta, or uncooked "no-boil" pasta. While each method has advantages, the true distinction is how saucy the final product is. The less cooked your noodles are, the more sauce they'll absorb in the oven. So if you don't plan to cook the noodles, prepare an extra-liquidy sauce, or add a few cupfuls of water to the already-assembled dish. Generally, our experiences have been best when we precook the noodles to just shy of al dente and allow them to finish in the sauce.

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