Eggs help bind the ricotta cheese, but if you don't have eggs on hand then it's OK to omit them.
Image Credit: VeselovaElena/iStock/Getty Images Adding egg to ricotta cheese helps to bind the cheese for lasagna so that it doesn’t ooze out of the casserole when you cut it. Basically, the egg helps all the cheesy goodness stay intact.
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So what happens if you don't put eggs in your lasagna? It'll just be a bit runnier, but omitting the egg won't affect the taste.
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Here's how to mix egg and ricotta cheese for a stellar homemade lasagna.
Tip If you’re watching your calories, consider substituting low-fat cottage cheese for the ricotta, as it has about half the calories of part-skim ricotta and around 8 fewer grams of fat per 1/2-cup serving, according to the USDA.
Things You'll Need
1 lb. ricotta cheese Cheesecloth Colander Large bowl 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 2 tsp. dried oregano Kosher salt or sea salt Coarsely ground black pepper Mixing spoon
Drain the Ricotta Line a large colander with cheesecloth and set it in a large bowl. Fill the colander with the ricotta cheese, and place it in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours to allow the excess liquid to drain off.
Advertisement 2. Add Egg and Ricotta to a Bowl Place the drained ricotta, eggs and oregano in a clean, large bowl.
Advertisement 3. Mix Ricotta With Egg and Seasonings Combine the ingredients thoroughly with a large mixing spoon.
Advertisement 4. Season and Mix Again Season to taste with salt and pepper, and mix again to combine thoroughly. Tip Experiment with different seasonings in the ricotta. Try adding freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and fresh basil to the ricotta when making lasagna. If you have leftover ricotta filling after making your lasagna, use it to stuff ravioli, tortellini, manicotti or large shell-shaped pasta.
21 Healthy One-Pot Pasta Recipes With 10 Grams of Protein or More by Andrea Jordan 7 Cottage-Cheese Recipes That Have as Much Protein as Chicken Breast by Jaime Osnato 27 Delicious Cheese Recipes That Are High in Protein by Andrea JordanAdvertisement
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references & resources
"Nation's Restaurant News"; Smoke, Duck Fat and Other 2011 Food Trends; Ron Ruggless; March 2011 USDA: National Nutrient Database FoodNetwork.com; Lasagna; Bobby Flay; 2007 Hillsborough Cheese Company; The Truth About Ricotta; October 2010 FoodNetwork.com; Lasagna; Anne Burrellreferences & resources
"Nation's Restaurant News"; Smoke, Duck Fat and Other 2011 Food Trends; Ron Ruggless; March 2011 USDA: National Nutrient Database FoodNetwork.com; Lasagna; Bobby Flay; 2007 Hillsborough Cheese Company; The Truth About Ricotta; October 2010 FoodNetwork.com; Lasagna; Anne BurrellEggs help bind the ricotta cheese, but if you don’t have eggs on hand then it’s OK to omit them. Image Credit: VeselovaElena/iStock/Getty Images
Image Credit: VeselovaElena/iStock/Getty Images
If you’re watching your calories, consider substituting low-fat cottage cheese for the ricotta, as it has about half the calories of part-skim ricotta and around 8 fewer grams of fat per 1/2-cup serving, according to the USDA.
- 1 lb. ricotta cheese
- Cheesecloth
- Colander
- Large bowl
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 tsp. dried oregano
- Kosher salt or sea salt
- Coarsely ground black pepper
- Mixing spoon
Experiment with different seasonings in the ricotta. Try adding freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and fresh basil to the ricotta when making lasagna. If you have leftover ricotta filling after making your lasagna, use it to stuff ravioli, tortellini, manicotti or large shell-shaped pasta.
If you have leftover ricotta filling after making your lasagna, use it to stuff ravioli, tortellini, manicotti or large shell-shaped pasta.
21 Healthy One-Pot Pasta Recipes With 10 Grams of Protein or More
by
Andrea Jordan
7 Cottage-Cheese Recipes That Have as Much Protein as Chicken Breast
by
Jaime Osnato
27 Delicious Cheese Recipes That Are High in Protein
by
Andrea Jordan
"Nation's Restaurant News"; Smoke, Duck Fat and Other 2011 Food Trends; Ron Ruggless; March 2011
USDA: National Nutrient Database
FoodNetwork.com; Lasagna; Bobby Flay; 2007
Hillsborough Cheese Company; The Truth About Ricotta; October 2010
FoodNetwork.com; Lasagna; Anne Burrell
