Lasagne is an Italian dish but it has become a family favorite in many parts of the world. It’s even a great go-to dinner party dish and a hit crowd-pleaser.
Lasagne is basically layers of Bolognese-style mince, ricotta cheese or cheese sauce, and pasta sheets. This all gets baked together in the oven to make a very rich, moreish dish that kids and adults alike love.
Serve it with a simple salad and you have a winning dinner on your plate.
You may have noticed that some recipes call for beaten eggs to be added to the ricotta cheese before baking. We’re here to discuss the pros and cons of this and help you decide if this is really necessary.
Why Put Egg In Ricotta Cheese In Lasagna
Reasons to Put Eggs in Ricotta Cheese in Lasagne
Eggs are not usually added to the ricotta for flavor but more to help firm the cheese up a little when it is being baked.
Adding the egg will help to “bind” the cheese and prevent it from oozing all over the place when you cut the baked lasagne to serve it. It will help you achieve those neat squares of lasagne that look so good on the plate.
Ricotta cheese is a classic addition to many Italian dishes. However, if you need to reduce calories, you can substitute low-fat cottage cheese as it has about half the number of calories as ricotta.
Here’s how to use ricotta with eggs in lasagne:
- Line a colander with muslin cloth and put it over a big bowl. Put the ricotta into the colander and leave it in the fridge for a few hours to drain off any excess water. Discard the water.
- Put the ricotta, the required number of eggs, and some dried oregano into the bowl. Mix everything together well with a wooden spoon.
- Season with salt and pepper and mix again.
- Use this mixture in your lasagne recipe.
- Leftover ricotta mixture can be used to stuff tortellini, ravioli, or large shell pasta.
- Try out different flavorings in the ricotta mixture. For instance, some chefs add parmesan cheese, garlic powder, or different Italian herbs like sweet basil. Be careful of adding too much flavoring though because your meat layer has plenty already.
- You can also add grated mozzarella and/or parmesan cheese to the mixture.
What if I’m Allergic to Eggs?
Of course, some people cannot eat eggs and might be wondering if they have to give up their favorite pasta dish. Not at all. You have a couple of options if you have to forgo the eggs.
1. You can leave the eggs out and just use plain ricotta. Your finished dish will be a little more difficult to serve in perfect squares but it will still taste good.
You may also lose a little richness that the egg yolks provide.
2. You can use a mixture of ricotta and mozzarella cheese. The mozzarella will melt and provide some “glue” to bind the cheese part of the dish together.
3. You can leave out the ricotta entirely and make a thick bechamel sauce instead. This is not the Neapolitan way but it is still made like this in some parts of Italy. Plus, it’s rich and delicious.
So, just make it in the way that suits you and your family best.
Conclusion
We hope this has cleared up your confusion about using eggs with ricotta in lasagne. As we’ve seen, the eggs are there to “bind” the sauce, making it more robust and easier to serve.
The yolks also provide a little richness. However, you can make a perfectly good lasagne without eggs. Thanks for reading.