The Creamy Lasagna Ricotta Swap That Lets You Get Creative With Flavor - Tasting Table

"It's one of the ultimate comfort foods and is incredibly versatile, with endless recipes and flavor combinations that keep it fresh. A traditional lasagna is usually made with a simple tomato sauce, ground meat, and layers of ricotta cheese. But if you want to up your cheese game for a creamier option, you could swap out that ricotta for cream cheese."

"Cream cheese will make the finished lasagna a lot smoother than ricotta. It has a richer quality and a slightly sharper taste than typically mild ricotta, which makes it a standout. More than that, when you are looking for ways to elevate lasagna, cream cheese offers you a whole new world of flavor options. While ricotta is a fairly plain cheese, cream cheese comes in multiple flavors that can add a new dimension to lasagna."

Lasagna remains a top American favorite, typically built from tomato sauce, ground meat, pasta, and ricotta layers. Replacing ricotta with cream cheese produces a smoother, richer texture and a slightly sharper flavor. Cream cheese provides broader flavor possibilities because it comes in many seasoned varieties, enabling herb, garlic, or spicy jalapeño twists. Layering cream cheese with ricotta preserves traditional character while adding richness. Some sweet cream cheese flavors are inappropriate for traditional lasagna but can work in dessert lasagnas when savory components are replaced with fruit sauces or chocolate cookie crumbles.

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