ISO: Ricotta substitute

[mish]

I'm in New Zealand, in a student town, so food is mostly limited to alcohol, staple food and body builder's food. I was thinking of making lasagna, but i could not find any ricotta, what can i use to substitute ricotta in a recipe?

Ardor, I would use any cheese of choice, i.e. mozzarella, cheddar, colby, jack, Swiss, etc. -- anything that melts well. My experience, cottage cheese when heated is gummy/sticky - not the right consistancy. I wouldn't add wine or anything that would dilute/take away from the taste of the cheese. I have a recipe for a cheese and bacon lasagna. If anyone is interested, let me know.

 

[Gretchen]

Ardor, I would use any cheese of choice, i.e. mozzarella, cheddar, colby, jack, Swiss, etc. -- anything that melts well. My experience, cottage cheese when heated is gummy/sticky - not the right consistancy. I wouldn't add wine or anything that would dilute/take away from the taste of the cheese. I have a recipe for a cheese and bacon lasagna. If anyone is interested, let me know.

Doesn't your lasagna recipe not have a layer of ricotta over the pasta layer? Where you mix it with eggs and maybe parmesan as an additional layer in the lasagna? This is the layer we are discussing as a possible subbing the cottage cheese for ricotta. Not for the main shredded cheese layer.

 

[mish]

Doesn't your lasagna recipe not have a layer of ricotta over the pasta layer? Where you mix it with eggs and maybe parmesan as an additional layer in the lasagna? This is the layer we are discussing as a possible subbing the cottage cheese for ricotta. Not for the main shredded cheese layer.

Yes, I usually use ricotta, etc for a Traditional lasagna. But, the question was, what can I use to substitute ricotta in a recipe. Another thought for sub, is an herbed cream cheese. I have also used spinach soufflle between lasgana layers or for stuffing shells. Here's a link to a lasagna recipe that doesn't require ricotta cheese:

http://recipes.tasteofhome.com/eRMS/recp.aspx?recid=22828

 

[CharlieD]

Hm, I am not in Australia, and not even in college town, but quite often can not get ricotta or other cheeses because I keep kosher. For lasagna I use whatever I can get hold of on the day (interchangeably) ricotta, cottage, farmers cheese any of them will do.

 

[Katie H]

If you do use cottage cheese as a substitute, I have a suggestion. Begin with small curd cottage cheese and pour it into a strainer and let most of the moisture drain away. Then mash the drained cheese with a beaten egg and a tiny bit of granulated sugar. Ricotta is a bit sweeter than cottage cheese, so this may make it taste more like ricotta. The egg will help to make it smoother. Plus, in my lasagna recipe I always add some eggs to the ricotta anyway. My recipe came from a family member who was from Sicily and one of the most awesome Italian cooks I've ever known.

 

[mish]

Hm, I am not in Australia, and not even in college town, but quite often can not get ricotta or other cheeses because I keep kosher. For lasagna I use whatever I can get hold of on the day (interchangeably) ricotta, cottage, farmers cheese any of them will do.

Charlie my grandma kept a kosher house as well, and she used farmer cheese in recipes. Can someone explain, what exactly farmer cheese is? Thanks in advance.

 

[mish]

If you do use cottage cheese as a substitute, I have a suggestion. Begin with small curd cottage cheese and pour it into a strainer and let most of the moisture drain away. Then mash the drained cheese with a beaten egg and a tiny bit of granulated sugar. Ricotta is a bit sweeter than cottage cheese, so this may make it taste more like ricotta. The egg will help to make it smoother. Plus, in my lasagna recipe I always add some eggs to the ricotta anyway. My recipe came from a family member who was from Sicily and one of the most awesome Italian cooks I've ever known.

Great idea, Katie. Small curd would be my choice, as well. Thank you.

 

[CharlieD]

I don't know how to explain, I only know it's good. I like to use it more than anything else. Once in a while I make it my self. The cheeese, I mean.