Ricotta or Cottage Cheese?

@Marilynda1225 (80215)

• United States

12 Feb 19

Of course

1 person likes this

M.-L.

@MALUSE (69390)

• Germany

12 Feb 19

You should ask the member @LadyDuck. She's Italian and a good cook.

5 people like this

Anna

@LadyDuck (460568)

• Switzerland

12 Feb 19

Nor cottage cheese nor ricotta. Lasagne (correct spelling) are from Bologna, the place of Parmesan cheese, the layers of real Lasagne alla Bolognese are meat sauce, white sauce (Béchamel) and grated Parmesan.

4 people like this

@Marilynda1225 (80215)

• United States

12 Feb 19

@LadyDuck that's very interesting. I didn't realize a true Lasagne had Bechamel sauce. Thanks for sharing your expertise

1 person likes this

@MarshaMusselman (38723)

• Midland, Michigan

12 Feb 19

@LadyDuck Huh, I've not heard that before, Anna, although I've also never made Lasagne before. Our spell checks want us to use an 'a' at the end rather than an 'e'.

1 person likes this

Hate2Iron

@Hate2Iron (15730)

• Canada

12 Feb 19

Cottage cheese for me... but it has to be dry!!! Think that I need to try ricotta... I think that I'm in a rutt!!

3 people like this

@Marilynda1225 (80215)

• United States

12 Feb 19

Have you ever tried ricotta? I'd be curious to know if the lasagna tastes different depending on the cheese

Alfredo Rossi

@amadeo (111948)

• United States

12 Feb 19

yes people trying to keep the fat down use cottage cheese.Ricotta is the best.Better taste.

5 people like this

Alfredo Rossi

@amadeo (111948)

• United States

12 Feb 19

@Marilynda1225 this is the best.For those who use Cottage cheese and fat free it gross.No taste Nada

1 person likes this

@Marilynda1225 (80215)

• United States

12 Feb 19

I've always used Ricotta

Danna B.

@db20747 (43434)

• Washington, District Of Columbia

12 Feb 19

What other cheese do U use in your lasange??

Jo Ann

@akalinus (40818)

• United States

12 Feb 19

I like either one. I think ricotta cheese gets very expensive so maybe some people use both.

3 people like this

@Marilynda1225 (80215)

• United States

12 Feb 19

I never would have thought to use cottage cheese instead of ricotta. I'm sure it works just as well.

Jo Ann

@akalinus (40818)

• United States

13 Feb 19

@Marilynda1225 I think it would work better with a mixture of cottage cheese and ricotta. It would be cheaper anyway.

Manuela Lopes

@nela13 (55824)

• Portugal

12 Feb 19

I usually do lasagna with riccota, I like it.

3 people like this

much2say

@much2say (53941)

• Los Angeles, California

12 Feb 19

When I was in home ec in junior high, I made lasagna for the first time - which called for a cottage cheese layer in the teacher's recipe. My mom never made lasagna, so that's what I thought it was supposed to be. It wasn't until much later that I learned about ricotta cheese. I think ricotta is less thick and smoother - it blends in with the rest of the ingredients well . . . the cottage cheese honestly has this weird aftertaste.

2 people like this

much2say

@much2say (53941)

• Los Angeles, California

12 Feb 19

@Marilynda1225 I can't remember exactly, but that's probably so. Ricotta has a nicer, creamier taste. I would never make lasagna with cottage cheese ever again.

1 person likes this

@Marilynda1225 (80215)

• United States

12 Feb 19

I never tried cottage cheese in lasagna. My first impression was that it wouldn't melt very well.

1 person likes this

@Marilynda1225 (80215)

• United States

13 Feb 19

@much2say I don't think I'd try it either. I'll stick to my roots and continue using ricotta

1 person likes this

Anna

@LadyDuck (460568)

• Switzerland

12 Feb 19

I use none of those two cheese, Sicilian use dry ricotta in Italy, anyway surely not cottage cheese.

2 people like this

Anna

@LadyDuck (460568)

• Switzerland

13 Feb 19

@Marilynda1225 Dry ricotta is not soft, you grate it like you do with Parmesan, I do not believe you can find it outside some Italian regions.

1 person likes this

@Marilynda1225 (80215)

• United States

13 Feb 19

@LadyDuck see I learned something new here today. I doubt we can find dry ricotta here but we can get freshly made ricotta and mozzarella in many salumeria in NY

1 person likes this

@Marilynda1225 (80215)

• United States

12 Feb 19

I'm not familiar with dry ricotta.

1 person likes this

@MarshaMusselman (38723)

• Midland, Michigan

12 Feb 19

I believe Ricotta is the better choice as I'm sure it's richer in flavor, but for those that cannot afford the ricotta then cottage cheese should work okay for them. I personally have never made lasagna mostly because it wasn't something my mom ever made for us. My sister in law does make it and I'm sure she uses ricotta cheese. Ricotta cheese might also be what's used in stuffed shells, but if I ever made those I'd probably be happy with cottage cheese instead.

2 people like this

@Marilynda1225 (80215)

• United States

12 Feb 19

As far as I know ricotta cheese is in stuffed shells as well as manicotti. I guess cottage cheese would be a good substitute. I always thought both ricotta and cottage cheese were comparable in price.

1 person likes this

@MarshaMusselman (38723)

• Midland, Michigan

13 Feb 19

@Marilynda1225 I've never really compared them, but ricotta isn't purchased a whole lot where I work. I'd have to look, but good luck to me remembering the next time I'm shopping.

@MarshaMusselman (38723)

• Midland, Michigan

13 Feb 19

@playertwo Have you seen what the cooks put into their lasagne? I would guess that most people do use ricotta since that is what most recipes call for, but if it's a few dollars different and for those watching every penny, they may make that substitution.

1 person likes this

DianneN

@DianneN (247216)

• United States

12 Feb 19

A true lasagne has ricotta. That’s how I like it.

2 people like this

@Marilynda1225 (80215)

• United States

12 Feb 19

I never had lasagna with cottage cheese. However it seems popular here with fellow myLotters and I have to say I'm surprised.

1 person likes this

@Marilynda1225 (80215)

• United States

13 Feb 19

@DianneN It surprises me how many people here use cottage cheese. Maybe our NY and CT heritage plays a part in how we make it?

1 person likes this

DianneN

@DianneN (247216)

• United States

13 Feb 19

@Marilynda1225 I'm surprised, too. Perhaps it's less expensive than ricotta cheese. To me it sounds just awful, but you can't account for taste I guess. I love ricotta pie, and can't imagine cottage cheese pie.

1 person likes this

Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (308839)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

12 Feb 19

None. I've never made it. I had a husband who didn't like pasta of any kind, so I never learned. However, I love lasagna.

2 people like this

@Marilynda1225 (80215)

• United States

12 Feb 19

I love lasagna too and I just assumed nearly everyone used ricotta.

1 person likes this

@Marilynda1225 (80215)

• United States

13 Feb 19

@just4him that's an interesting mix combining the two.

1 person likes this

Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (308839)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

13 Feb 19

@Marilynda1225 I saw a recipe once that called for several kinds of cheese, cottage cheese, and ricotta being two of them.

1 person likes this

Lena Kovadlo

@lovebuglena (43207)

• Staten Island, New York

12 Feb 19

I'd be tempted to try farmer cheese but I think real Italian cheese would be best.

2 people like this

@Marilynda1225 (80215)

• United States

12 Feb 19

Would farmer cheese melt?

Lena Kovadlo

@lovebuglena (43207)

• Staten Island, New York

19 Feb 19

@Marilynda1225 From what I remember when I put farmer cheese blintzes in the microwave to heat them up the farmer cheese melts...

Courtney

@Courtlynn (66918)

• United States

13 Feb 19

Yuck to both, for me. We just use mozzarella and swiss cheese for ours.

2 people like this

@Marilynda1225 (80215)

• United States

13 Feb 19

that's an interesting combination but it sounds good

1 person likes this

Courtney

@Courtlynn (66918)

• United States

13 Feb 19

@Marilynda1225 its my great-grandmothers lasagna, and I never liked it until the last 4 years.

Hillary Ralston

@hillhjill (23664)

• United States

12 Feb 19

Neither, I use cream cheese.

2 people like this

@Marilynda1225 (80215)

• United States

12 Feb 19

Cream cheese seems unusual to me but I suppose you can use any type of soft cheese. Do you add meat to your lasagna?

1 person likes this

@Marilynda1225 (80215)

• United States

13 Feb 19

@hillhjill that's very interesting.

1 person likes this

Hillary Ralston

@hillhjill (23664)

• United States

13 Feb 19

@Marilynda1225 yes a lot of meat and the cream cheese melts down very nicely.

1 person likes this

snowy

@snowy22315 (171351)

• United States

12 Feb 19

I like either. I made a spinach lasagna once, from a probiotic cookbook that used cottage cheese and it was delicious.

2 people like this

@Marilynda1225 (80215)

• United States

12 Feb 19

That does sound good

Juliaacv

@Juliaacv (48717)

• Canada

12 Feb 19

I prefer cottage cheese myself in lasagna. And lots and lots of motzerlla cheese over top of the cottage cheese.

2 people like this

Juliaacv

@Juliaacv (48717)

• Canada

12 Feb 19

@Marilynda1225 Yes, I like meat sauce in my lasagna. I use cottage cheese, but I always use the dry kind, and I mix parasean cheese in it.

1 person likes this

@Marilynda1225 (80215)

• United States

12 Feb 19

I make mine with ricotta but I'm sure cottage cheese would work. Do you add meat to your lasagna?

1 person likes this

Eva James

@wolfgirl569 (96559)

• Marion, Ohio

12 Feb 19

I usually use what I have on hand.

2 people like this

@Marilynda1225 (80215)

• United States

12 Feb 19

So you've used both? Do they both melt the same?

Eva James

@wolfgirl569 (96559)

• Marion, Ohio

13 Feb 19

@Marilynda1225 They are different. I have also not had either one in. I only had parmesan and pizza cheese. It still came out good.

1 person likes this

NJ Chicaa

@NJChicaa (116316)

• United States

12 Feb 19

Ricotta. Cottage cheese has to be nasty in lasagna.

2 people like this

NJ Chicaa

@NJChicaa (116316)

• United States

12 Feb 19

@playertwo I love cottage cheese but I don't want it in my lasagna.

1 person likes this

Kharla Jolly

@kobesbuddy (75156)

• East Tawas, Michigan

12 Feb 19

I have never used ricotta cheese, when baking lasagna. It has always been cottage cheese.

2 people like this

@Marilynda1225 (80215)

• United States

12 Feb 19

Seems like cottage cheese is popular for lasagna. I would have thought ricotta would have won

1 person likes this

Kharla Jolly

@kobesbuddy (75156)

• East Tawas, Michigan

12 Feb 19

@Marilynda1225 Flavor-wise, my thoughts would be that ricotta would add a more elegant taste.

1 person likes this

Felicia Kane

@DesirousDreamer (34780)

• Peoria, Arizona

12 Feb 19

Ricotta cheese absolutely, cottage cheese just sounds weird. Well, I'm not a big fan of cottage cheese though it does make a good dip for pretzels.

2 people like this