Authentic Italian Lasagna Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Does real Italian lasagna have ricotta? ›

While ricotta is included in certain varieties of lasagna in Italy, the style that serves as the primary inspiration for American recipes is the one from the region of Emilia Romagna. There, it's traditionally layered with pasta, bolognese, and béchamel—with no ricotta to be found.

In southern Italy lasagna is generally made with dried sheets of pasta layered with rich meat ragú, ricotta and mozzarella. In the north, especially in Bologna, the most popular version of lasagna features fresh egg pasta colored green with spinach and layered with ragú, bechamel and Parmigiano Reggiano.

In case you were wondering: traditional American lasagna uses ricotta cheese and meat sauce as the filling for each layer, while classic Italian lasagna bolognese uses meat sauce and bechamel instead.

The noodles are layered with a flavorful meat sauce made with Italian sausage, vegetables, crushed tomatoes, and cream, as well as creamy ricotta, gooey mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese. Baked until bubbly and golden, it's the perfect cozy dish for a crowd, and it reheats and freezes well, too.

Most traditional lasagna doesn't use ricotta cheese. Instead, bechamel sauce mixed with parmesan cheese is used.

Mascarpone: Another Italian cheese, mascarpone makes a great ricotta substitute. However, since mascarpone is more tart and flavorful, you should only use it in dishes with other strong flavors.

Home Cook World claims that the typical lasagna should have between three and five layers, but the proper number depends more on pan size. You don't want your lasagna to look flat or shallow in a large pan, and in this case, its best to prepare to come closer to five layers rather than three.

Do Italians eat bread and pasta at the same meal? Yes. They have, actually, a custom called scarpetta, which consists in soaking bread in the remaining sauce after eating pasta (or any other thing they ate).

Lasagne (it's plural, not singular) are a primo, so you eat it on its own, but followed by at least some vegetables or, if it's a festive meal, also some proteins in the form of meat (as most lasagne are meat-based) and vegetables.

The key to creating the absolute best lasagna is to use a combination of ricotta and cottage cheese. Ricotta brings the rich creaminess while cottage cheese lightens things up and seasons the whole dish. For even more cheese, we recommend also using shredded Mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese (or Pecorino Romano).

Why do Americans use ricotta instead of béchamel in lasagna? ›

Italian-born restaurateur Salvatore Esposito explained to The Post that lasagna was adapted to better suit American taste buds, ultimately simplifying the recipe. Using ricotta, or even cottage cheese, puréed in the food processor was a lot more "American" than carefully laboring over a béchamel sauce.

Bologna-style Lasagna: In the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, Bologna is considered the birthplace of lasagna. The classic Bolognese lasagna is made with flat pasta sheets, a hearty meat sauce, and a rich béchamel sauce.

Does traditional lasagna have béchamel or ricotta? The components of a traditional lasagna vary depending on who you ask. It appears that béchamel sauce was used in northern Italy, and ricotta in the South. In the U.S., versions that use ricotta are preeminent.

You can find lasagna pans made from a wide variety of materials, but most of the options you'll find are made from metal, ceramic, or glass. Stainless steel, steel, or aluminum-core pans will heat up quickly, are good at getting crispy edges, and are quite durable.

We may never know the exact person who created lasagna. In fact, this dish was not named after an individual, but after a fermented noodle called laganon that was frequently used in ancient Greece where lasagna originated. In the beginning, lasagna was sprinkled with toppings, and eaten with a pointed stick.

Cow's milk ricotta is milder and has a more neutral taste than the other varieties. It's ideal for the celebrated filled-pasta delicacies of northern Italy—such as, ravioli, tortelloni, agnolotti, savory stuffed crepes—as well as cakes and pastries.

In Italy, ricotta is typically eaten as a filling for pasta or cannoli. Here in Racale, Margherita's ricotta is eaten by the spoonful — without even salt or olive oil. Light and pillowy in texture, it's like tasting a cloud of sheep's milk.

I like using béchamel sauce instead of ricotta because it holds the mouthwatering lasagna layers together and gives the dish an overall creamy texture. Using béchamel is also the authentic Italian way to make lasagna.