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.
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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. 😉
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
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.
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.
Add shredded mozzarella and grated Romano cheeses.
After stirring in the cheeses, add the eggs.
After stirring in the eggs, add fresh parsley and optional garlic powder.
Stir to combine, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Watch it on YouTube
For a non-dairy/vegan take on ricotta, try our sunflower seed ricotta.
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Ricotta Cheese Mixture
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 (finely chopped)
- 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
Notes
Nutrition
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Staci
I´ve been making Italian dishes for many decades, thanks to my Italian GodMother. Will try this on the coming weekend but will grate fresh Pecorino Romano for us taste better then store bought grated.. Thanks for sharing.. Greetings from a California Girl living in southwestern Germany for a couple decades now.
Sherri Hall
That's awesome, Staci! What dish are you planning on making with the cheese mixture? Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Berta
Great recipe, but how long & at what temperature do you cook lasagna? Do I cover it with foil?
Sherri Hall
Thanks Berta! It depends on what type of lasagna noodles you are using (traditional or gluten-free) and if they are no boil or if you boil them first. I definitely suggest referring to the pasta packaging for the time and temp. but typically it will be between 375° F and 425° F and from 45 minutes to an hour. I usually cover with foil until the last 10 minutes and then remove it to melt/brown the cheese. Hope that helps! 🙂
cindy
I think it was bland as written and needed seasoning and more herbs. Definitely needed salt!
Marti
I just loved this! Thank you so muck for sharing.
Sherri Hall
Thanks so much, Marti! Happy you enjoyed the cheese mix! Have a good one! 🙂
Amanda
Perfect recipe… I use it all the time☺️
Sherri Hall
Thanks so much, Amanda! So glad to hear you enjoy it! Have an awesome day! 🙂
Juliann
How do you think this would taste with fresh basil instead of parsley? I’m making a caprese style lasagna
Sherri Hall
Hi Juliann! Yes, I think that the basil will work out nicely for a caprese lasagna. Sounds delicious! Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Joli
Loved your recipe. Next time I'd like to use up dry parsley I have, do you know how much dry I can substitute for the fresh? Thank you.
Sherri Hall
Thank you Joli! To substitute dry herbs for fresh, it's about 1 teaspoon of the dry version for each tablespoon of fresh. Using that calculation, 1/2 cup is 8 tablespoons, so you'd use 8 teaspoons which converts to 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons. Hope that helps! Happy Holidays! 🙂
bosco
no salt ?
Sherri Hall
Hi there! You really don't need to add any salt since the grated Romano or Parmesan cheese is pretty salty. Also, if you are using it in a baked dish with tomato or marinara sauce, there will be more salt from that as well. Hope that helps!
Taeheon O.
Thank you for your wonderful recipe! Can I use your image for my presentation? I am a university student from Korea.
Sherri Hall
Sure, thanks Taeheon! Good luck with your presentation! 🙂
Jenn
Love that herb grinder. Where can I find one! Amazing recipe!! Thank you!
Sherri Hall
Thanks so much, Jenn! 🙂 I actually got mine at a restaurant supply store years ago, but I just checked Amazon and this one looks comparable. Hope that helps and have a great rest of your day! 🙂
Kelly A Hounsome
Hi can u tell me how long this mixture will keep in fridge
Sherri Hall
Hi Kelly! It will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days if you are using an unopened container of ricotta when you make it. Just give it a stir before you are ready to use it. Hope that helps. 🙂
Becca.M
Used this recipe today for my family and oh my the smell from the kitchen had everyone asking when it was going to be done! I will be putting this in my best recipes binder! Thank you so much for this recipe it's a must try! ♡😁
Sherri Hall
Thanks so much, Becca! That is so awesome; so happy to hear that! Hope you enjoy the rest of your day! 🙂