Great ideas come out from Coffee and Lasagna sessions!
Oh! Almighty why so cheesy??
There are food items that we eat because it is necessary. Then some specific dishes are more than necessary, ones that excite us from the core.
Dishes are made of dreams and passion, even the thought of it makes us hungry. When I say all this, does a particular food image pop up in your head?
Well, mine does, the image of a cheesy, meaty, creamy lasagna, and am sure many of you also love lasagna as much as I do.
Imagine the luxurious pasta sheets with classy, authentic Mariana on the silky, rich bed of meat and cheese. Who would not desire that, right?
I have tried several lasagnas from different places in the world but I love my grandma’s lasagna preparation the most. I fall in love with the dish more and more.
Apart from her love ingredient her signature style Lasagna has large amount of ricotta cheese.
Yes you read it right!
Today I am going to share the authentic lasagna recipe with ricotta cheese that is absolutely easy to bake.
Fasten your seat belt cause we are going to take a trip down to the streets of Italy to learn some amazing delicious lasagna recipes with of course ricotta cheese.
Lasagna Recipe with Ricotta Cheese
Lasagna is known as one of the oldest Italian dishes. Let us just get one fact straight it is not something that you can bake without prior preparation or within a few minutes.
The long delicate procedure makes authentic lasagna dishes even more delicious. But within our fast-paced modern life for our necessity, we have also molded these classic recipes in our way.
Thus here you are going to see some variations of the Lasagna recipes with Ricotta cheese so that it can reach out to a wider audience with different lifestyle choices.
But before that how can we forget all the vegan guys? And the ones who are trying on bowl of salads?
Without being biased I have also mentioned the substitutes or variations for you peeps for this classic & royal Lasagna.
Can we bring variation in Lasagna Recipe with Ricotta Cheese?
Here are some of the modern variations and substitutes for the Lasagna recipe.
- Gluten-free- If you are on a diet and skip lasagna because of its wheat use then I have good news for you. Try gluten-free pasta sheets and enjoy the classy experience of lasagna.
- Vegan- Everyone is going vegan these days therefore old recipes like lasagna require new variations. So, try out new vegan lasagna dishes.
With these substitutes, You can try making a lasagna recipe with ricotta cheese without meat, another great variation could be four cheese meatless lasagna.
Next, I am going to share my top two favorite lasagna preparations with you all.
#1. Classic Italian Lasagna
This one is a family favorite. Its rich quality of taste and smell. So to make this dish, the ingredients that you will require are listed below.
Ingredients
For Meat Sauce
- 5 cups Italian gravy or marinara
- 1 pound of ground beef
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound ground pork
>>>>People also check Korean Tacos Recipe with Kimchi here.
For The Ricotta Cheese Filling
- 2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
- ½ medium white onion diced
- 32 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
For Lasagna Layers
- ¾ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 9 oven-ready lasagna noodles
This dish will take you up to 1 hour and 30 mins to prepare. Do not get worried about seeing the time follow the instructions below properly to make this yummy easy lasagna recipe with ricotta cheese.
Process
For The Meat Sauce
My grandma says the silky smooth texture of a lasagna depends a lot upon the meat. Therefore, for your lasagna to get the best texture follow the steps below-
- At first, preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit then heat a skillet over medium heat. In the next round add some olive oil, ground pork, and beef. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on it and cook it. You also need to stir it occasionally until the meat gets browned and cooked properly.
- In the final step add the Italian gravy, and combine everything well. Then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 mins. Meanwhile, we will be preparing ricotta cheese filling for the lasagna.
For The Ricotta Cheese Filling
This is the hero ingredient of the dish. Follow the below instructions to prepare it.
- Heat a pan on medium heat, then you need to add oil and onion into that, Stir it occasionally till the onions get softened. Next, you need to add the special Italian seasoning for that boost of flavor and garlic as well. Keep stirring for a minute or two.
- Next, remove the pan from the heat and add ricotta cheese to it. I like lasagna extra cheesy so add parmesan cheese as well. Add egg, pepper, and salt into the same mixture until everything is well combined.
For Lasagna Layering
This is the most important step for a cafe-like experience. You have to be very careful while following this step.
- In a bowl mix parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. Next, you will be requiring a 9 into 13 baking pan to prepare the dish.
- So at first spread 1 cup of meat sauce on the bottom of the pan. Next, place 3 lasagna sheets on top of it. Then you require to add the ricotta cheese mixture along with the ⅓ rd of the other cheese mixture that you made. Top it off with the meat sauce.
- Continue repeating the same process with 3 more other lasagna sheets and the same toppings as well. There should be three layers of the same ingredients and you should follow the same quantity and process of the first layer.
- Now cover the pan with a foil wrap tightly. Place it in the middle rack of the oven and bake it for about 1 hour. Remember, to remove the foil at least 10 minutes after the baking.
- Once it’s done, remove it from the oven and let it rest for about 15 minutes more before you serve it.
You can try this yummy recipe with alternative cheese fillings as well like the lasagna recipe with ricotta cheese and cottage cheese.
Let’s move forward to the next dish, it is one of the best cheese lasagna recipe no meat.
#2. Easy Meatless Lasagna
If you are a beginner I recommend this dish to you then. Anyone can make this tasty cheesy lasagna at home.
I call this one a lazy Lasagna recipe with ricotta cheese no meat, although the taste is same as any other lasagna preparation. The requirement list is mentioned below.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 24 ounces of mozzarella cheese grated and divided
- 24-ounce jar Marinara Sauce
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 24-ounce jar of Spaghetti Sauce I used 4 cheese flavor
- 32 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 box Barilla Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles
- ½ cup parmesan cheese grated
As you can already tell from the ingredient list this dish won’t take you much time as we are going to use readymade ingredients here. You can always try making those at home for more authentic flavors. Let us see how this is done.
Process
- First thing first, preheats the oven to 350 degrees. Then combine the pasta sauces in a bowl.
- Meanwhile, take a bowl and add ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, and exactly 8 ounces of mozzarella. You gotta divide the cheese into separate 4 parts using a spatula.
- In a 9 into 13-inch baking tray spread ½-¾ cup pasta sauce over the bottom of the pan. Then you need to lay 3 lasagna noodles on the sauce and ¼ cup cheese mixture over the noodles, again add one more layer of sauce.
- Repeat the same process with three more layers, and top the final layer with the remaining noodles. Spread more sauce and generous amounts of mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle some parsley on top of it.
- Cover the pan with foil and bake it for about 45 mins. For that golden brown color remove the cover and cook it for 10 more minutes.
- Remove it from the oven and let it cool down before you serve it on a plate. Like this meatless lasagna recipe, you can try adding many other stuffings to a lasagna.
Try adding spinach, mushrooms, summer squash, and spinach to your meatless lasagna to elevate the taste furthermore.
Follow these special tips for baking lasagna which I have learned from my years of cooking experience.
Expert Tips for The Perfect Plate Of Lasagna
These tips can also be considered the secret to making your Lasagna even more delightful. Here are some tips that you try following.
- It all Comes Down to Cheese
As I said before my granny’s lasagna is so great because of her generous use of ricotta cheese.
You must pick the correct cheese and use it in the proper quantity. According to Italian household secrets ricotta Salata, pecorino romano and whole milk lasagna make your lasagna even richer in taste.
- Make the Pasta Right
Whether you are making it from scratch or you are buying it from the market. You must bake it as per the instructions mentioned in the packet.
Pasta is like the bricks of building a house. Try to cook it as consistent as you can.
- Baking Tricks
Use a deep-sided baking dish so that you can layer everything properly.
Also never forget to place the sheet in the oven. The extra 10-15 mins of baking after you remove the foil will not only add sparkling color but also make the dish even tastier.
So this time Lasagna got you covered for all your upcoming occasions.
Cooking is about experimenting, you gotta add your persona to a dish by altering ingredients. Thus waiting for you guys to show your talents in the kitchen.
Winter is almost here so when you next try baking lasagna with ricotta cheese do not forget to add your element to it.
These fabulous dishes will help you win hearts and make your tummy happy too. Hope my experiences help you to make your perfect plate of cheesy lasagna.
Having a recipe by your side is one thing but while cooking especially dishes like Lasagna you can have queries .
Off course I won’t leave you guys in confusion while baking lasagna recipe with ricotta cheese so here are your solutions.
FAQs
Here are some of the common queries people generally ping me for while baking Lasagna.
#1. How do I Brown the Top of my Lasagna?
Remove your foil just 10 minutes before you take it out of the oven. The additional 10-15 mins baking will give your lasagna cheese bubbles and the desired brown color on top.
#2. How do you Cut a Lasagna without Falling Apart?
Do not start cutting the lasagna right away after you take it from the oven. Let it rest for about 15 mins, then cut it after it cools down. When you cut the lasagna when it has cooled down, it won’t fall apart.
#3. How Many Layers Should A Lasagna Have?
A well-baked lasagna needs to have 4 layers of noodles in total. Lasagna’s layers are the most important part of the entire dish, so make sure your lasagna has the perfect balance of all ingredients.
Your lasagna can have 3 layers also.