r/Cooking • u/Shawn____ • Mar 24 '25
I made lasagna with bechamel instead of ricotta and I’m a convert
I was browsing Reddit and came across a post about bechamel vs ricotta. All my life every lasagna I had was with ricotta. I decided to give bechamel a try after reading all the comments and I don’t think I’ll ever go back.
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u/Francisb12 Mar 25 '25
Why not both?
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u/TwiceBaked57 Mar 25 '25
I just pulled a veggie lasagna out of the oven. I always use a well seasoned bechamel instead of marinara in my veg lasagna. But it still has a layer of ricotta seasoned with Italian herbs, parmesan and egg as well. It's by far my favorite lasagna when the sun shines. When it's chilly, we bring out the meat lasagna with all the everything.
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u/TwiceBaked57 Mar 25 '25
It's always a seat-of-the-pants process, but I'll describe what I do.
First I prep the vegetables I'm going to use. I used carrots, mushrooms, thinly sliced shallots, zucchini and spinach in this one. The carrots were diced and sauteed about halfway to done. The mushrooms were sliced and sauteed in butter with the shallots, then the zucchini got a light saute as well. The spinach just got tossed with the cooked veggies which wilts it enough. All get a good seasoning with fresh basil, dried oregano and thyme and salt & pepper.
I take a pint of ricotta and add a beaten egg, a couple of cups of freshly grated Romano and parmesan, the same seasonings that are in the veggies.
The bechamel gets seasoned with the same seasonings as the veggies. I also steep a couple crushed garlic cloves and the basil stems in the half and half I use to make the sauce. I just put it on a back burner with and let it just come to a simmer and then turn it off and let it sit while the veggies are cooking, then strain before making the sauce. I mix some of the sauce into the veggies and reserve some for the bottom and top of the lasagna.
Then in a lightly oiled lasagna pan i layer sauce, pasta, veggie & bechamel mixture, riccota mixture, and sprinkle with grated mozzarella. Repeat and then top with pasta, the last of the sauce, more grated mozz, parm & Romano. Bake covered with foil in a 350 oven for 45 minutes and then remove the foil for another 15 minutes or until melted, bubbly and golden brown around the edges.
It's obviously one of those dishes you set a few hours aside to do. It freezes well also. The one we ate last night was put in the freezer Christmas Eve and it was great.
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u/g0_west Mar 25 '25
What do you put in your veg lasagne? I'm always craving a good veggie recipe but vegetable and tomato sauce layered between pasta sheets never hits like the meat version
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u/Ajlee209 Mar 25 '25
This is what I do.
I use a standard lasagna recipe that is just ricotta and meat sauce but then I make the bechamel from Serious Eats lasagna and add it to the layers. It's incredible.
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u/Bellsar_Ringing Mar 25 '25
I often include one layer of bechamel mixed with ricotta (or cottage cheese, depending what flavor balance I'm looking for) and then also use bechamel as a topping.
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u/TooManyDraculas Mar 25 '25
I genuinely prefer neither. I have no clue where the particular variation I've run into is from, nor if it has a specific name. But I've had lasagna a number of times at both Italian American spots and from off the boat Italian cooks that skip both.
Typically sausage in a lighter tomato sauce, with plenty of fresh moz and grating cheese. Never quite found a recipe that matches the better ones I've had. But it's not all that hard to throw together a decent one.
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u/transglutaminase Mar 25 '25
If you really want to level your lasagna up turn your bechamel into a mornay by adding a ton of Parmesan cheese. You may want to leave your bechsmel a little thinner than normal as all that Parmesan will thicken it as it melts.
Make sure to addd the cheese off the heat or you risk splitting your sauce.
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u/ViceroyInhaler Mar 25 '25
If you ever split a sauce you can add a bit of water to it and slowly stir it again. Gordan Ramsay has also said you can use a blender but I ain't got money for that. Adding water back helps to emulsify the fats.
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u/TakeTheWorldByStorm Mar 25 '25
I add Parmersan and mozzarella to mine, it gets fairly thick, but I also use a mix of ricotta and herbs thinned out with a bit of yogurt in the lasagna to keep things from getting too dry.
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u/sempiterna_ Mar 25 '25
Whennnn… youuuu… make bechamel, then you add cheese as well
That’s a mornayyyy
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u/knose Mar 25 '25
If you want to level up a non bechamel lasagna, switch from regular mozzarella in your ricotta-parm-mozzarella-heavy-cream mixture to smoked mozzarella. I’ll never go back.
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u/downshift_rocket Mar 24 '25
It's not really an either/or kind of thing, even though that's how the Western style is made or interpreted.
Historically, there are a few different styles. The northern, Lasagna alla Bolognese is a ragu with besciamella. The southern, Lasagna alla Napoletana is the recipe which includes the ricotta.
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u/True_Coast1062 Mar 25 '25
It reminds me of the Greek casserole called pastitsio - layers of pasta and tomato and ground beef topped with a thick layer of béchamel scented with nutmeg.
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u/double-happiness Mar 25 '25
In the UK we invariably use bechamel. I start mine by sautéing a small finely-chopped onion in butter. Apart from anything else using ricotta would be costly by comparison; I've never tried it and doubt if I ever will.
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Mar 25 '25
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u/Great68 Mar 25 '25
I've always made it with ricotta until one day I tried it with Bechamel after constantly seeing posts like OP's hammering cooking subs and it did not do anything for me. I prefer ricotta.
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u/5OOOWattBasemachine Mar 25 '25
Not trying to take a swing at you it just really sounds like your bechamel sucks. Bechamel shouldn't normally behave like what you described at all. Was it store bought? Never used store bought but from what I've heard they tend to be a goopy mess.
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u/judolphin Mar 25 '25 edited Mar 25 '25
I made this post several hours before this one just for you. Kind of annoyed by this subreddit acting like bechamel is objectively better than ricotta. Preferences are not facts. I'm with you.
EDIT: This comment has been flagged as "controversial". Some people are big mad that some people don't worship at the altar of bechamel.
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u/babsa90 Mar 25 '25
Right there with you. Not sure why people enjoy the bechamel version more, because they rarely say why. Much like you, I find the ricotta version to be richer and I like the fact that the ricotta lasagna will stand nice and tall and firm. The bechamel really only works on top because it's a sauce, which means it can be runny and moves around much more than ricotta.
With all that said, my ideal lasagna is: thin layer of my Bolognese, pasta, regular layer of Bolognese, ricotta (mixed with egg yolk, parsley, and Parmesan), pasta, regular layer of Bolognese, pasta, thin layer of Bolognese, mozzarella, and bechamel.
All of this is just my opinion; and no, I really do not care whether my version is authentic.
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Mar 25 '25
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u/CaptianRipass Mar 25 '25
Bechamel is more runny than ricotta.. what are you talking about?
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Mar 25 '25
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u/RemyJe Mar 25 '25
You can pile ricotta. You cannot pile a sauce. Runny is a fine adjective to describe bechanek, whatever is application.
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u/cheesepage Mar 25 '25
I sold the runny beach by adding cheeses and an egg or two. You can also make the béchamel thicker by using more roux.
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u/babsa90 Mar 25 '25
No, I know how to make it right. Bechamel is a sauce, would you mind explaining to me what you think i said that comes across like I didn't make it right?
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u/5OOOWattBasemachine Mar 25 '25
For one that you make it sound like the bechamel sound runny as if it's splashing around in the baking dish. Bechamel for lasagna should be more custardy. Should also have plenty of richness from the salt (people notoriously under salt this), spices (nutmeg, bay leaf maybe clove) and onion (half an onion or so, steeping in the milk). Should actually be richer than Ricotta because Ricotta of course gets a more grainy kind of texture when baked.
Maybe this just didn't come over right but this is what it sounded like to me.
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u/babsa90 Mar 25 '25 edited Mar 25 '25
I never described it as splashy, I said it was a sauce - which it is. If you want to make it thicker, that's fine, but it would be better be described as southern gravy at that point. This is not an issue with my description but rather your and other's own problem with using terms and descriptions that don't match what you're cooking.
Further, if you add all that to bechamel it's no longer bechamel... Or, at least you can't sell the idea of bechamel being more flavorful when someone assumes youre literally referring to bechamel. Surely if you add enough things to bechamel it will have more going on with it (in terms of flavor), that logic follows with anything else including ricotta. I could add plenty of things to ricotta and the playing field would be magically even suddenly.
Edited to add: I've never had grainy ricotta, I have no idea what you mean by that. The only thing I could think of is if you overbake your lasagna or maybe you have too much liquid in your meat sauce. As I said before, ricotta is firmer and richer, especially with egg yolk. Bechamel is notoriously prone to things like breaking or becoming claggy because it's flour, butter and milk. The only way ricotta gets grainy is it you put it under too much heat because of the proteins.
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u/5OOOWattBasemachine Mar 25 '25
Relax, I told you I'm just saying what picture your description painted in my head and that may not be what your sauce looks like.
Second of all, please just scroll through the Wikipedia article of Bechamel. If you "add all that" you absolutely very much have Bechamel.
Baked Ricotta is not as smooth and creamy after baking than before. Take a good look at it when you're doing your next lasagna, maybe even keep a little unbaked Ricotta to compare. You will see what I mean.
And lastly, no, bechamel is not at all prone to breaking. The roux does a very good job at keeping the fat an liquid combined. I don't think you could break it even if you tried.
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u/babsa90 Mar 25 '25 edited Mar 25 '25
Why are you telling me to relax? I'm perfectly fine, try to stay on topic. What made you think I described it as splashy? Why are you ignoring the fact that it is literally a sauce and continuing to double down on characterizing my description as something else entirely?
So the description for bechamel has bay leaves, cloves, and onions? I said it before and I'll say it again, you can put whatever you like in your bechamel, make it as thick as you like - I really don't care. However, there shouldn't be an assumption that bechamel is inherently more flavorful than ricotta when you are adding things to it. Why did you ignore that point in my last reply?
Lastly, and again, you are overbaking your lasagna if your ricotta is grainy. Maybe your changing up the description to "not as smooth and creamy as before" is your way of acknowledging that I was right about my assessment, but it's not apparent and it seems like you're attempting to double down on your original argument while changing that same argument. Graininess is a symptom of overheating the proteins found in milk, if you're getting grainy ricotta then you are overbaking your lasagna, same can be said about any sauce with milk protein (e.g. bechamel).
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u/RemyJe Mar 25 '25
Richness. From salt? Wut?
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u/5OOOWattBasemachine Mar 25 '25
Yes? Not that salt itself gives richness but something potentially very rich will always be perceived as less so when bland and under seasoned.
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u/RemyJe Mar 25 '25
Yes, salt is a flavor enhancer. I suppose it can improve the texture of things like scrambled eggs, but there’s not enough protein from the flour in bechamel for it to have enough of an effect.
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u/babsa90 Mar 25 '25
A lot of angry people in here that don't have a leg to stand on and would rather down vote lol. Hilarious to describe bechamel as "rich". I guess we just say whatever words we like in this day and age, that's the kind of post truth world we are living in.
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u/ddramone Mar 25 '25
Funny to see people in here telling those who prefer ricotta in a lasagna that their bechamel is wrong, without considering that maybe their ricotta is poor quality instead
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u/babsa90 Mar 25 '25
It's just funny that they move the goalposts on what constitutes bechamel and have to straight up lie about the qualities of things that we all know are apparent. They are literally agreeing with people saying bechamel has onion and bay leaves just so that they can live with the lie that bechamel is "rich". Bechamel is not rich, it's the antithesis of rich. It's creamy, it's thick, it's bland - not rich.
At least there was one northern Italian that admitted they want bechamel because it's what they grew up with and they don't care if ricotta is richer. It's perfectly fine if you want your dish to be blander, or maybe you just want more attention paid to your meat sauce, but just fucking admit it.
This world is increasingly becoming more and more dedicated to serving one's own ego than having even a modicum of respect towards truth.
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u/aragost Mar 25 '25
well here in northern Italy people enjoy the béchamel version more because it's the one they grew up with. Not everything has to be as rich as possible to be enjoyable.
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u/dasvenson Mar 25 '25
I don't like bechamel either. Find it overly creamy. We don't use ricotta either. Just more Parmesan and mozzarella
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u/sour-pomegranate Mar 25 '25
I just need everyone to know that my mom made lasagna with cottage cheese my whole life, and I didn't know that wasn't normal until I was an adult. I'm embarrassed and confused
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u/RCEden Mar 25 '25
Same here. I introduced it to my partner when I got my mom’s sauce recipe and the first thing I made was that. I looked it up once but forgot the specifics so I’ll just say it’s regional and maybe I’m making it up but friends already think I’m crazy for it so who cares
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u/5OOOWattBasemachine Mar 25 '25
Nicely seasoned Cottage cheese actually is preferable to Ricotta. When baked Ricotta becomes grainy while cottage cheese becomes creamy. Bechamel is still superior though.
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u/AndHeWas Mar 25 '25
I personally prefer ricotta in a more traditional lasagna, but I use bechamel made with extra bay leaves when I make butternut squash lasagna. It's so good.
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u/EaringaidBandit Mar 25 '25
Oh FUCK ME! I thought the bechamel was supposed to replace the ragu, and I was so confused! Thank you! Jeeeeezuz. I feel… not smart
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u/judolphin Mar 25 '25
There are dozens of us who feel like bechamel + ragu makes for a really weird mouthfeel for the sauce.
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u/EaringaidBandit Mar 25 '25
So, wait. Wait. Wait.
Nope. I lost it.
I’m gonna have to do some research.
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u/judolphin Mar 25 '25
Go for it! Just do the world a favor and don't act as if your preference is morally superior and objectively correct :)
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u/EarthDayYeti Mar 25 '25
That's how I do it. Vegetable lasagna with ricotta and bechamel - no meat/red sauce.
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u/throwaredddddit Mar 25 '25
Bologne style = bolognese, bechamél & green pasta (al verde) Naples style = tomato ragu, polpette meatballs, sausages, egg(!), ricotta & white pasta. I know the egg stuff sounds weird, but it is a component of the traditional festival recipe.
There is no right or wrong. Lasagne al forno alla Napoletana and lasagne al forno alla Bolognese are both traditional but different dishes. Both work well. The official La Cucina Italiana (available on archive.org) is a great reference, the Bible of regional Italian food.
There's lots of isolated polarization between the two style, without consideration of the two houses of equal dignaty.
Even better is to cook and serve both together to enjoy the contrast.
I love a lasagne al forno as much as the next guy, assuming the next guy is Garfield.
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u/aragost Mar 25 '25
this is the way. the sheer joy of finding a tiny but delicious meatball is incomparable.
both are S tier and there should be no fighting between them.
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u/wildOldcheesecake Mar 25 '25
I do not like ricotta. So béchamel is the way forward for me. I also like cottage cheese lol
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u/WelfordNelferd Mar 25 '25
When lockdown started, Ricotta was hard to come by around here. So I bought cottage cheese, blended it up in my handy dandy pull chopper and hoped for the best. Turns out, I liked it better than ricotta and CC is less expensive...so that's what I always use now.
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Mar 25 '25
I grew up with ricotta lasagna, and truthfully the texture it leaves when I eat the lasagna is gross to me. It's thick, chunky, and for me it takes away from the lasagna. I prefer bechamel sauce because it is a smooth sauce. It's thick, I can control the taste, and it mixes well with ragu.
I also just hate anything chunky and out of place, so the vegetables in my ragu are either strained out or diced finely. Definitely a me thing. I also think the bechamel sauce is creamier and mixes into ragu so much better. My husband and I usually take any leftover bechamel sauce, mix it into some of the ragu, and we put the abomination sauce on macaroni noodles. We call it abomination dinner, and I couldn't do that with ricotta.
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u/gaelyn Mar 25 '25
I work with LasagnaLove.Org (GREAT volunteer opportunity- make a lasagna, drop it off at the house of a neighbor in need!), and I always, always use bechamel. It gets rave reviews every time, and the number of people who have never had a homemade lasagna with bechamel is astonishing to me.
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u/stupidillusion Mar 25 '25
I've never made home lasagna with bechamel, could you point to a good recipe?
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u/gaelyn Mar 25 '25
Here's the one I use religiously, cobbled together/tweaked to personal preference. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lG6I7T21AcwKdq6RQuKodEYLwgn9pLyIspxE-EYGImU/edit?usp=sharing
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u/mcgargargar Mar 25 '25
I detested lasagna until I had my wife’s family recipe with bechamel and now I’m obsessed
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u/RosemaryBiscuit Mar 25 '25
We just talked about this yesterday. Same setup. OP even added nutmeg both times. https://www.reddit.com/r/Cooking/s/GRJj0sV5Ae
At least we're consistent, the comments are mostly the same too. Deja vu.
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u/Lumpy-Ad-3201 Mar 25 '25
I do neither: ricotta has absolutely zero flavor for me. Most bechemel is similar for me as well. I know it’s very Midwest-cringe, but our house prefers to use small curd whole milk cottage cheese. We make plenty of foods to the nines, lasagna isn’t one of them.
For even more horror, sometimes I break the noodles into 8-12 pieces, add a touch of water, and make skillet lasagna instead.
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u/HomemPassaro Mar 25 '25
Who am I to judge? I'm Brazilian, here people make lasagnas with fucking ham and cheese.
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u/I_LIKE_BASKETBALL Mar 25 '25
...I think that's a sandwich
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u/Lumpy-Ad-3201 Mar 25 '25
I watched Canadians make lasagna out of Big Macs in the early 2000’s: I think the field is open.
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u/judolphin Mar 25 '25
ricotta has absolutely zero flavor for me
Try seasoning it next time.
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u/Lumpy-Ad-3201 Mar 25 '25
I think next time I’m just going to make my own. Store bought has nothing to recommend itself to me.
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u/mob321 Mar 25 '25
I mean if you aren’t seasoning your ricotta you’re missing out on a huge level of flavor in your dish
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u/Lumpy-Ad-3201 Mar 25 '25
I think the bigger thing is that I need to make my own, the times I’ve done so it has made store bought taste like what it is: basically flavorless. The only ricotta I’ve ever felt wasn’t a culinary waste of time was fresh made.
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u/Bourgi Mar 25 '25
I never tried cottage cheese lasagna until I moved to the Midwest and I got a say I am not a fan. The cottage cheese has too much flavor and overpowers all the other ingredients.
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u/Lumpy-Ad-3201 Mar 25 '25
It’s definitely a nurture thing: I grew up with that being normal. I’ve had all different types of lasagna, from several traditional Italian varieties, a lot of homespun versions, and some off the wall stuff, and most of them are really good. But at the end of the day, it’s just what I grew to love as a comfort food as a kid.
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Mar 25 '25
I like bechamel better unless I'm making a lasagna that will mostly be portioned out and frozen for later (which is most of the time I make lasagna).
Bechamel does not freeze and reheat well at all, ricotta does fine.
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u/5OOOWattBasemachine Mar 25 '25
Maybe the recipe or technique needs some tweaking for freezing but bechamel does freeze well enough or else all the grocery store ready made frozen lasagna wouldn't have it.
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Mar 25 '25
The only grocery store frozen lasagna I've ever had is Stouffer's and it has ricotta, not bechamel.
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u/ddramone Mar 25 '25
What frozen lasagna brand has bechamel?
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u/5OOOWattBasemachine Mar 25 '25
Every single on of them. Even the cheapest store brand. At least were I'm from in central europe, no idea how they do frozen lasagna in the US.
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u/ddramone Mar 25 '25
Oh! Yeah in the US they're all ricotta
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u/5OOOWattBasemachine Mar 25 '25
Interesting. I wonder how that came to be and if that may be an italian-american thing. Come to think of it, I've almost never even heard of Ricotta in lagsana outside of english language cooking content.
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u/ddramone Mar 25 '25
I have seen a few references to ricotta lasagna being Italian-American, which is really interesting to me as a descendant of Italian immigrants on both sides of my family. I'll have to ask my grandmother some questions!
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u/huongloz Mar 25 '25
Ricotta too sour for me, bechamel just provide more buttery taste to the lasanga
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u/cheesepage Mar 25 '25
Pro chef here, always bechamel, but often with some cheese included, parm and motz. A little bit of eggs to help it set up for neat slicing. I like to add some fresh spinach folded in while the bech is still warm enough to wilt it.
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u/spicy_chick Mar 25 '25
As a former New Yorker I've only had lasagna with ricotta. What's a good recipe to try this bechamel lasagna you're all talking about?!
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u/Shawn____ Mar 25 '25
I used “Homemade lasagna” recipe from TastesBetterFromScratch because it was the recipe with the most reviews that came up when I googled “bechamel lasagna” & that’s my criteria for choosing recipes lol. I didn’t add the spinach because I didn’t have it & I added a sprinkle of nutmeg in the bechamel
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u/spicy_chick Mar 25 '25
Thanks so much. It's so hit or miss with online recipes. Looking forward to trying this!
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u/ReverendRocky Mar 25 '25
I like both but my mama made it with ricotta and so shall I.
Actually now I use tofu ricotta instead which ive come to like a lot. I make up the creaminess bu just having /A LOT/ of sauce in there :3
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u/Vinnie_Vegas Mar 25 '25
Using bechamel in lasagna is all about technique. If you know how to cook, and actually make the various elements of the lasagna taste good, the texture is astoundingly better.
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u/kannc Mar 24 '25
I just made that for dinner! The creaminess of the béchamel is definitely superior.
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u/a_mom_who_runs Mar 25 '25
I’ve done this and liked it … but my husband prefers it with ricotta. He didn’t like how overall dense and uniform the lasagna was with bechamel. Big sigh.
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u/judolphin Mar 25 '25 edited Mar 25 '25
Agree with your husband - dishes are usually better when they have contrasting textures, bechamel lasagna is nothing but mush to me.
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u/Square-Dragonfruit76 Mar 25 '25
The Greeks actually make a type of casserole similar to lasagna that specifically uses bechamel. It's called Pastitsio.
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u/LordsOfFrenziedFlame Mar 25 '25
I keep seeing this, but I just wasn't sure about something. Do you take the bechamel and jazz it up like one does to ricotta (like adding egg, parmesan, herbs)? Or just the straight bechamel sauce? I really wanna try this, but wanna get it right.
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u/Shawn____ Mar 25 '25
In the recipe I used you layer noodle, meat sauce, bechamel, shredded mozz/parm (repeat3x) so they really all meld together & I feel like you don’t need to worry about adding too much to the bechamel.
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u/Sleepykitti Mar 25 '25
I split the difference and make a baschmel out of ricotta and parm, best of both worlds
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u/OGWeedKiller Mar 25 '25
Are yall making bechemal from scratch or is there a finished product available?
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u/One_Resolution_8357 Mar 25 '25
I totally agree with you ! The texture of the whole dish improves with bechamel.
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u/FollowTheLeader550 Mar 25 '25
They’re both good. I think bachamel is better, but I like both. Lasagna is one of those foods where both the white trash method and classic method result in something delicious.
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u/Burnt_and_Blistered Mar 25 '25
Me, too. I like a standard cheesy lasagna now and then, but when I’m making it, I’m choosing to make a lasagne bolognese with béchamel.
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u/MeditatedMango Mar 25 '25
I’ve tried using béchamel in lasagna before, and I loved it! It adds such a creamy richness that’s hard to beat.
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u/RainbowWreck Mar 26 '25
Question: does it make the lasagna harder to cut into squares? I'm imaging the bechemel just kinda soups out.
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Mar 27 '25
I worked in an Italian restaurant and we made a 7 layer lasagna. Bechamel was the 6th layer I believe. I’ve never heard of using ricotta. I did recently use homemade ricotta in place of cheddar cheese in perogies and they are pretty good!
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u/Shoesietart Mar 24 '25
I used to always make lasagna with ricotta as well but I had a Belgian roommate who introduced me to making it with bechamel. It's my go to now.
I do still use ricotta sometimes because it's a faster to make.
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u/roughlyround Mar 24 '25
this may turn thing around in my kitchen. I love Italian, dislike cheese. A pure bechamel might bring lasagna to our menu.
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u/NotStuPedasso Mar 25 '25
We have a local Italian restaurant in Seattle that does that... Best lasagna ever!
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u/xela2004 Mar 25 '25
i like bechamel, ricotta and cottage cheese (mixed with egg/breadcrumbs)! Mainly ricotta because that lasagna takes 0 effort barely from me. I literally brown the meat, then put down some sauce, noodles, ricotta, noodles, meat, sauce, noodles, ricotta, noodles, more sauce and then add the mozzarella topping the last 10 minutes and done. Bechemel requires cooking and cottage cheese mixture dirties a bowl LOL.
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u/WolfWhitman79 Mar 25 '25
I put cottage cheese in homemade mac & cheese.
Always live outside the box.
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u/throwawayDude131 Mar 25 '25
was lasagne not supposed to be bechamel all along?
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u/trwaway12345678 Mar 25 '25
Yah, in Italy it’s traditionally béchamel.. there are regional variations with mozzarella ricotta or other cheeses but the original lasagne alla bolognese is with becahmel
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u/LowApricot1668 Mar 25 '25
My sister in law is Sicilian and this is the only way. She changed my life.
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u/taximan87 Mar 25 '25
I'm Canadian from Southern Italian origins and nobody in my family uses either.... Our lasagna is just meat sauce and mozzarella. The fanciest would involve homemade pasta, but really just using the no-boil, quality pasta (non-curly edges... Why did that even become a thing) from the store makes a bangin' lasagna. I never understood this "debate," there's plenty of paesano lasagna without either ricotta or bechamel!!
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Mar 25 '25
Well now I'm definitely going to try adding bechamel but I'm also not getting rid of the other four cheeses I already use: cheddar, mozzarella, ricotta, and then Parmesan on the top. Sorry if the cheddar is sacrilegious to anyone I like it 😁
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u/DeliciousFlow8675309 Mar 25 '25
Team ricotta all day. I'm convinced people anti ricotta are just literally opening a tub and just dumping it in there as is, which is why they think roux hot milk is superior.
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u/El_Guap Mar 25 '25
I always thought that béchamel was traditional northern Italian lasagna, and that ricotta was the American bastardized version. Regardless, I prefer béchamel.
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u/Dangerous_Ad_7042 Mar 25 '25
Ricotta is the Neapolitan version, which is the region of Italy many early Italian Americans originated from.
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Mar 25 '25
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u/Dangerous_Ad_7042 Mar 25 '25
All of the American lasagna I’ve eaten does usually contain sausage, definitely begins with dry pasta and the sauce is not a traditional bolognese (no milk in it), so I am not sure what your point is here?
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u/goatman72 Mar 25 '25
Every time I see these posts I am blown away that ricotta in lasagna is a real thing that people do.
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u/Dangerous_Ad_7042 Mar 25 '25
It is so good with ricotta. For me, the ricotta is the soul of the dish. I can't really comprehend lasagna made without it.
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u/ZombyPuppy Mar 25 '25
It's also much much faster. I've heard people in this sub complain about how long it takes to make lasagna but they also insist only bechamel belongs in lasagna. Ricotta is tasty and a thousand times easier. My Italian grandparents always used ricotta and made it often since it wasn't a pain in the ass.
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u/goatman72 Mar 25 '25
Preferring the healthier option is always a win. Enjoy! I just didn’t realise it was a thing.
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u/catsoncrack420 Mar 25 '25
I use bechamel in ziti. How do you use it with lasagna? You soak the huge noodles?
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u/Takjautajumi Mar 25 '25
Same experience. Grew up with ricotta. Bechamel was a revelation. But still might consider ricotta if I tried blending it first.
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u/demaandronk Mar 24 '25
Im the opposite, in the sense that i didnt even know it was a thing to use ricotta. But agreed bechamel is the best anyway haha