Ultimate Cheese Lasagna

We love this cheese lasagna recipe with the perfect cheese mix that will make everyone go weak in the knees. It’s rich, creamy, cheesy and delicious. You can assemble this lasagna in about 20 minutes. Skip to the Cheese Lasagna recipe

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If you’ve seen our vegetarian or no-fuss lasagna recipes, you already know our love for lasagna. This time we share a cheese version. Yes, no vegetables or meat here. cheese only Actually, five types of cheese.

The mixture creates lasagna that is perfectly rich, creamy and delicious. Here’s what we use:

1. Whole milk ricotta cheese
2. mascarpone
3. parmesan cheese
4. mozzarella cheese
5. Fontina cheese

For the best lasagna, use ricotta and mascarpone cheese

We call for ricotta cheese in all of our lasagna recipes. However, when we made this cheese lasagna with our usual ricotta and parmesan filling (seen in this veggie version), it was too grainy.

I can only assume this is because there aren’t any other ingredients like veggies or ground beef to add a different texture. Adam agreed, so for the most delicious cheese lasagna we prefer to use a combination of ricotta cheese and creamy mascarpone cheese.

With the combination of ricotta and mascarpone you achieve the most beautiful rich and creamy layer between pasta and sauce. I love the combo so much that I plan to use it whenever I make other lasagna recipes from the blog. I’m kinda disappointed we didn’t try it sooner.

The ricotta filling in this lasagna combines ricotta, mascarpone cheese, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and an egg. The egg will help set the filling so it stays in its own layer.

More lasagna recipes to check out: Sausage and Beef Lasagna, Easy Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna, and this White Chicken Lasagna.

FAQ: Cheese substitute

We realize that asking for five cheeses is a lot. So if you can’t find one, or find one too expensive, here are some tips to help you.

• Ricotta Cheese Substitute: Try cottage cheese.
• Mascarpone Cheese Substitute: Use 8 ounces of ricotta or make a DIY mascarpone by whipping 8 ounces of cream cheese with 1/4 cup heavy cream until smooth and creamy.
• Mozzarella Cheese Substitute: Try provolone cheese
• Fontina Cheese Substitute: Fontina cheese is mild and melts particularly well. Replace it with provolone cheese.
• Parmesan Substitute: Try Grana Padano or Pecorino Romano.

Vegetarian adaptation

With the exception of Parmesan cheese, which is made with animal rennet (an enzyme that helps cheese set), the cheeses used in this cheese lasagna are typically vegetarian.

If you purchase this recipe, check all labels and omit the parmesan. Instead, you can mix a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast into the ricotta and mascarpone mixture to add a cheesy, salty flavor like parmesan.

Assembling the Lasagna

When assembling the lasagna, we have 4 layers of pasta with two types of cheese. So we do it:

Start with the sauce, spreading it on the bottom of your casserole dish. Next, add the first layer of lasagna pasta (we love uncooked pasta), half of the ricotta and mascarpone mixture, and fresh basil leaves.

Place the second layer of lasagna pasta plus sauce, mozzarella and fontina cheese on top.

Then add the third layer of lasagna noodles and the remaining ricotta and mascarpone mixture and more fresh basil leaves. Finally, top with the fourth layer of lasagna pasta, remaining sauce, mozzarella and fontina cheese.

Advance and save tips

Lasagna is the perfect make-ahead meal. Here’s how I do it:

When you make our homemade red sauce, It will keep in your fridge for up to three days and in your freezer for about three months. We recommend using freezer safe glass containers or double layer freezer bags to store sauces. Leave in the fridge overnight to thaw.

You can store unbaked lasagna in the refrigerator. Cover and refrigerate the assembled but unbaked lasagna for up to two days. When covering, use parchment paper between the lasagne and the aluminum foil. Aluminum foil can react with tomatoes.

Baked lasagna also freezes well. Before freezing, let it cool completely on a wire rack, then wrap tightly in foil (we use two layers). When ready to reheat, thaw the frozen lasagna overnight in the refrigerator, then bake at 400F for 40 minutes to 1 hour. (I prefer to bake and freeze the lasagna rather than freeze uncooked lasagna.)

Ultimate Cheese Lasagna

Makes 8 servings

Nutrition per serving: serving size 1/8 of the recipe / calories 574 / total fat 32.7g / Saturated Fatty Acids 18g / cholesterol 124.7 mg / sodium 1001.6mg / carbohydrate 43g / fiber 5.6g / total sugar 6.3g / protein 24.7g

AUTHOR: Adam and Joanne Gallagher