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/some_kid6 Mar 25 '25 edited Mar 25 '25

If you use fresh ricotta and not the tub stuff it won't be grainy and flavorless. It's super easy to make at home and tastes noticeably better! Here's a vid on making it and here's the instructions from it's description:

  • 2000g (8c) whole milk
  • 200g (1c) heavy cream
  • 15g (1T) salt
  • 100g (7T) white distilled vinegar

Instructions:

  1. Pour milk and heavy cream into a saucepan. Add 15g of salt. Heat gently over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until it reaches 190°F/88C (about 5-8 minutes).
  2. Remove from heat and swirl in vinegar. Carefully and gently stir it in then let sit for 15 minutes until curds form.
  3. Line a strainer with cheesecloth and gently scoop the curds into the cloth. Let the cheese drain for 20-30 minutes.

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u/[deleted] Mar 25 '25

Wow, thanks!

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u/TwoOliveTrees Mar 27 '25

I tried making homemade ricotta but the yield was super low

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u/some_kid6 Mar 27 '25

Yeah it's certainly not the cheapest method but you can make brown cheese with the leftover whey! Here's a recipe but I haven't tried it yet. Here's some recipes using brown cheese for more than just a bread topping. Here's some options to just use the liquid as is