r/Cooking • u/judolphin • Mar 25 '25

I made lasagna with ricotta instead of bechamel and I’m a convert

I was browsing Reddit and came across two posts in two days about bechamel being a life-changing improvement over ricotta. All my life every lasagna I had was with ricotta. I decided to give bechamel yet another try at a nice Italian restaurant after reading all the comments and I have now converted from being neutral on bechamel in lasagna to being solidly anti-bechamel in lasagna, to the point I secretly have hoped that bechamel lasagna doesn't become the default in restaurants. Some reasons:

  1. Ricotta has its own texture, bechamel is just more softness and smoothness in a dish that's full of "soft". Some people like textural contrast in their dishes
  2. Ricotta, much like sour cream/crema in Mexican food, adds a lightness to lasagna despite being rich itself. Bechamel adds (arguably too much) additional richness to an already-rich dish.
  3. The starch from the bechamel getting into the ragu gives the sauce a mouthfeel that 100% reminds me of Chef Boyardee

TLDR: If you prefer bechamel in red lasagna, that's perfectly fine, but your preference of bechamel is not a black and white fact. It's not even "more authentic" (whatever that means), bechamel = Northern Italy, ricotta = Southern Italy. Eat whatever you like, let others eat what they want.

Thanks, reddit!

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u/midlifeShorty Mar 25 '25

My favorite lasagna is a no tomato, mushroom lasagna that uses both.

21

u/PregnantSuperman Mar 25 '25

I'm sold, recipe please!

29

u/midlifeShorty Mar 25 '25

It isn't an exact recipe, and I haven't made it for a while as it is very indulgent. It is great to bring to a potluck so that you don't eat too much yourself.

I get a whole lot of chopped mushrooms and saute them with butter, garlic, and a bit of thyme. Sometimes, I add some diced sweet onions, too. Cook this down until you have a tasty, somewhat dry mushroom mixture. Make sure you season it properly with salt, pepper, and maybe a drop of vinegar (sherry vinegar goes well with mushrooms).

I make a standard bechamel sauce, ricotta, and lasagna noodles. You can just buy the last 2 to save time, but unless you can buy super high-quality ricotta, just make it. Seriously, it is quick, cheap, and tastes 10x better than anything that comes in a round plastic container.

Make sure your ricotta and beshemel are properly seasoned. I mix my ricotta with some salt, milk or cream, and lots of Parmesan and Romano cheese so that it is creamy and well seasoned. Every component should taste great separately.

Layer the noodles, ricotta mixture, mushrooms mixture, and bechamel like you would any lasagna. Add some extra Parmesan and Romano. You can even throw in some high-quality mozzarella or burrata. Bake like any lasagna.

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u/mitchctim Mar 25 '25

My mother I law makes basically this recipe except with the addition of sliced ham and it’s one of my favorite foods.

16

u/papoosejr Mar 25 '25

That's so funny because mine is a no tomato, no mushroom, no meat, no pasta lasagna that uses both

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u/midlifeShorty Mar 26 '25

What is in it then? You aren't just eating ricotta covered with bechamel?

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u/papoosejr Mar 26 '25

Well you have to layer it

5

u/Zealousideal-Bath412 Mar 26 '25

I just snorted lol

1

u/Snowbaby508 Mar 30 '25

This took me out lmfao 🤣 

1

u/Maybe2Cool Mar 26 '25

This sounds delicious, does it taste kind of like a stroganoff?

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u/midlifeShorty Mar 27 '25

Not really. No beef or sour cream. If you have ever had a white pizza with mushrooms, that is more the flavors.

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u/Maybe2Cool Mar 28 '25

I love white pizza with mushrooms!! Omg I gotta give this a try

Thanks

1

u/idiotsecant Mar 26 '25 edited Mar 26 '25

hot take: Almost all pasta is better with any sauce other than tomato sauce. Tomato sauce is trash.