You can use any of the three, though dry in a box whose lable says it has to
be boiled really does have to be boiled. The up side is that it has a better
consistency, at least for me, than the kind that comes dry in a box and you
can put directly into your lasagna pan. The downside for the kind you have
to boil is that it takes longer and is more involved. The choice is up to
you. If you do decide to go with the no-boil kind, remember to make the
sauces more liquid than you might otherwise (not soupy, but more liquid)
because the pasta will absorb moisture as it cooks.

As for taking stuff out of a can, your lasagna will taste, well, like
something out of a can. It's not that much harder to start from scratch, and
if you make a larger batch of the meat sauce (or whatever) you can freeze
half for another time. Also, if you start from scratch you aren't beholden
to the tastes of the people who put out the jars.

You'll find lots of ideas on the baked pasta page of my site, at
http://italianfood.about.com/library...y/aa102298.htm

Kyle
http://italianfood.about.com

"Lisa Horton" > ha scritto nel messaggio
ups.com...
> Hi. I want to cook/bake a Lasagna for the first time. Will I need to
> buy fresh pasta, or can I use the dry in the box? They also sell the
> dry kind that you don't need to boil; is that any good? Should I make
> my own meat sauce, or is there a decent kind of meat sauce that comes
> in a jar or can? What types of cheese do I need, ricotta and
> mozzerella, thats all?
>
> Any advice would be a big help. Recipes would be even bigger.
>
> Thanks!
>
> A Newlywed
>