Hi Guys,

 

I've got this urge to make lasagna (first time after 15 years here) and I can't find ricotta or cottage cheese. Where should I look, what would be an acceptable substitute?

 

The Agnesi lasagna box says to make the dish with raw noodles - seem odd to you?  

 

Cheers

When you write "raw noodles" it sounds like you've bought "instant cook" lasagna sheets.  They're either part cooked already, or have lots of little holes in them to make the liquid penetrate faster.  Provided you put it into an already hot oven and the sauce is sufficiently liquid, the lasagna will be ready in about 45 minutes, though let it stand for a further 10-15 minutes to settle.

 

Not sure why you need ricotta (and certainly not cottage cheese, which isn't even an Italian ingredient).  What's wrong with ragù, bechamel and grana padano.  You know, like the Italians do?

Italian American lasagna includes ricotta cheese (and other cheeses, see the typical recipe here):

 

http://thegutsygourmet.net/it-am-lasagna.html

 

In my opinion it is superior to using bechamel even though it was originally used as a shortcut.

It makes Italians freak out and think Americans are stupid barbarians, but who cares, they're wrong. 

Cottage cheese is a very poor substitute for ricotta.

You can find cottage cheese at most major grocery stores.

I haven't looked lately but ricotta is available at a smaller number of places. I would try Foodland, Villa, and Central. 

I'm sure someone else can be more specific. 

 

As far as I know, sadly no restaurant in town does proper Italian American lasagna with ricotta cheese.

Edited October 19, 20178 yr by Jingthing

12 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

It makes Italians freak out and think Americans are stupid barbarians, but who cares, they're wrong. 

 

Italians eating America's perversion of their cuisine for the first time:

 

 

 

 

Edited October 19, 20178 yr by Oxx
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Of course it's subjective.

I grew up with Italian American lasagna.

My mother even cooked it. 

It was one of my favorite dishes growing up.

Spinach is often added as well, which is another great addition. 

I didn't taste traditional Italian lasagna until later in life.

I like it OK when it doesn't contain bechamel. But I find bechamel in lasagna creamy overkill. Keep it cheesy!

What I find funny is how often Italians are totally closed minded to any foreign adjustments of their traditional cuisine. American food is all about such adjustments. Some are crap and some are wonderful. Ricotta in lasagna the latter. 

Edited October 19, 20178 yr by Jingthing

I don't know if this is true or not, but years ago I was told a story about American food aid to Italy after WW2. What was sent was American made spaghetti which of course back then must have been truly awful. Apparently, the Italians rejected it and would rather starve. I'm still skeptical of that story because personally I would eat cardboard if it had nutritional value and I was starving to death.

 

Oh well!