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    Home » Fillings and Toppings

    Ricotta Cheese Mixture - Cheese Filling for Lasagna and other Italian Baked Dishes

    Published: Sep 18, 2014 by Sherri Hall · This post may contain affiliate links.

    This ricotta cheese mixture combines three kinds of cheeses and seasonings and is perfect for filling your favorite Italian baked dishes - lasagna, baked ziti, manicotti and more.

    Jump to Recipe
    ricotta cheese mixture in a red bowl with a wooden spoon and some uncooked ziti noodles in the background

    This ricotta cheese mixture is perfect for using as a filling for all of your Italian baked dishes such as lasagna, baked ziti, manicotti, or stuffed shells.

    In fact, the recipe comes courtesy of my half-Italian father who is responsible for teaching me how to cook.

    This mixture is so simple to make, yet it adds a tremendous amount of flavor to these dishes rather than just using plain ricotta.

    What ingredients are in the mix?

    Well, besides ricotta cheese of course, the mixture also has mozzarella and Romano cheeses, as well as fresh parsley, black pepper and eggs.

    You can also use garlic powder if you'd like, depending on the amount of garlic in the sauce you are using.

    For the most part, the blend of the three cheeses with the parsley and black pepper will complement almost any tomato sauce you're going to use in your pasta dishes.

    Over spicing the cheese mixture can clash with the sauce causing the overall flavor of the dish to be a bust.

    What are the best cheeses to use for ricotta cheese filling?

    For starters, you want to use a creamy, whole milk ricotta such as Biazzo or Galbani.

    Using a ricotta that is too watery will cause a runny result, and nobody wants that. 😉

    Container of Biazzo brand ricotta cheese

    However, if you do find that your ricotta is a little too watery, you can always strain it using cheesecloth before mixing it with the other ingredients.

    To do so, scoop ricotta into a large cheesecloth.

    Pull up the corners of the cheesecloth and twist to form a bundle.

    Hold the bundle of cheese over a bowl so the water will drip into it.

    Keep a tight hold of the bundle with one hand and start squeezing with your other hand from the top down to remove excess water.

    For the mozzarella, you can use either whole milk or part skim, but either way, be sure to choose one labeled "low-moisture."

    You can buy a block and shred it yourself or by pre-shredded if you prefer

    Package of Galbani brand mozzarella cheese

    Now for the grated cheese, you can use either Romano or Parmesan.

    I would recommend Locatelli brand Pecorino Romano, but you can use your favorite.

    Container of Locatelli brand Pecorino Romano cheese

    On a side note, Locatelli was my ultimate favorite cheese as a child.

    My father used to joke that he was going to go broke from having to spend a fortune on all the grated cheese I alone was consuming.

    He even went as far as to start buying blocks that we had to grate ourselves.

    Apparently, the logic was that I wouldn't use as much cheese because my hand would get tired.

    Yeah, OK Dad, so that plan was a flop! Pass me that grater...I'll show you how it's done! 🙂

    Please note that Romano cheese is not technically vegetarian because it typically contains animal rennet. However, you can use a vegetarian-friendly Parmesan in it's place if you prefer.

    BelGioioso and 365 by Whole Foods both make a vegetarian-friendly Parmesan cheese.

    How to make this ricotta cheese mixture

    Add ricotta cheese to a large mixing bowl.

    Ricotta cheese in a mixing bowl

    Add shredded mozzarella and grated Romano cheeses.

    Ricotta, mozzarella and pecorino romano cheese in a mixing bowl

    After stirring in the cheeses, add the eggs.

    Two eggs added to the cheese mixture in a mixing bowl

    After stirring in the eggs, add fresh parsley and optional garlic powder.

    Chopped parsley added to the cheese mixture in a mixing bowl

    Stir to combine, and refrigerate until ready to use.

    cheese mixture in mixing bowl after everything was combined

    Watch it on YouTube

    For a non-dairy/vegan take on ricotta, try our sunflower seed ricotta.

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    cheese mixture in a red bowl with a wooden spoon and ziti noodles behind it
    Print Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    4.85 from 33 votes

    Ricotta Cheese Mixture

    This ricotta cheese mixture combines three kinds of cheeses and seasonings and is perfect for filling your favorite Italian baked dishes - lasagna, baked ziti, manicotti and more.
    Course Ingredient, Main Course
    Cuisine Italian
    Keyword baked ziti, cheese, cheese filling, lasagna, manicotti, ricotta, ricotta filling, vegetarian
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Total Time 10 minutes
    Servings 12
    Calories 168kcal
    Author Sherri Hall

    Ingredients

    • 32 oz ricotta cheese (2 lb. container, whole milk)
    • ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (part skim or whole milk)
    • ⅓ cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese*
    • 2 eggs
    • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
    • ½ cup fresh parsley leaves, loosely packed (finely chopped; measure before chopping)
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder (optional)

    Instructions

    • Place ricotta cheese in a large mixing bowl.
    • Add mozzarella and Romano cheeses and stir.
    • Stir in eggs.
    • Add in black pepper and parsley as well as the garlic powder if you're using it. Stir together and refrigerate until ready to use.

    (Please refer to the post above for instructional photographs and other helpful information for this recipe)

    Suggested Equipment/Tools

    Mixing Bowls
    Box Grater

    Notes

    This recipe can be used for up to 16 oz. lasagna noodles, up to 16 oz. ziti or penne pasta, 8-12 oz. jumbo shells, or a count of 12-16 manicotti shells (traditional or gluten-free).
    *Note that most Romano and Parmesan cheeses are not technically vegetarian as they typically contain animal rennet. However, BelGioioso and 365 by Whole Foods are two brands that offer a vegetarian-friendly Parmesan.
    If you find that your ricotta is too watery, strain it using cheesecloth before mixing it with the other ingredients. To do so, scoop ricotta into a large cheesecloth. Pull up the corners of the cheesecloth and twist to form a bundle. Hold the bundle of cheese over a bowl so the water will drip into it. Keep a tight hold of the bundle with one hand and start squeezing with your other hand from the top down to remove excess water.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Fiber: 1g

    ©Watch Learn Eat. All content and images are copyright protected. Recipes and images are not to be used or republished without prior permission. If you adapt this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, and link back to this post for the original recipe.

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    1. Tim

      January 04, 2023 at 11:57 am

      5 stars
      Exactly what I was looking for. I was looking for the egg to ricotta ratio. Whew! I got that right. The only thing I didn't/forgot to do was add some mozz in the ricotta mixture. I nailed everything else, and it's it the oven right now. I can't wait.

      Reply
      • Sherri Hall

        January 10, 2023 at 1:02 pm

        Thanks so much, Tim! Hope you enjoyed! 🙂

        Reply
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    About Sherri

    Founder, Author, Recipe Developer, & Photographer

    With a lifelong passion for cooking, I specialize in creating easy meatless meals that are omnivore-approved!

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