The Ingredient You'll Never Find In A Traditional Italian Lasagna Alla Bolognese

You might think that you know lasagna. Odds are, you have eaten slices from quite a few of them over the years. But many, if not most, of the recipes that you'll find around the internet these days contain one ingredient that isn't present in a traditional lasagna alla bolognese: ricotta cheese.

As crazy as that might sound to hear, a traditional Northern Italian lasagna isn't stuffed with ricotta, and it doesn't come topped with a layer of melted mozzarella either. The work that falls to ricotta in many recipes — providing the creamy layers in the filling — is instead accomplished with a silky bechamel sauce in a traditional lasagna. For those not familiar, bechamel is one of French cuisine's five mother sauces, a simple sauce made with butter, flour, milk, and seasonings. The exact origins of bechamel sauce are a bit hazy, however, and it may have actually originated in Italy, rather than France. Wherever it was first cooked up, this is the creamy component to add for a classic lasagna alla bolognese.

The other major filling in this traditional lasagna is a rich ragu alla bolognese sauce. Between the complex, meaty sauce and the creamy bechamel, it is generally thought that there is no need for a layer of mozzarella on top, though Parmesan cheese is typically used in the filling. Then again, if you like things extra cheesy, we aren't going to judge you for sprinkling some grated mozzarella over the top before you pop it in the oven. Even our own classic lasagne alla bolognese recipe makes this non-traditional (but melty and delicious) choice.

If all of this feels like it is shattering your view of Italian or Italian-American cuisine, don't worry, there is precedent in the Old Country for ricotta and mozzarella in lasagna — just not in lasagna alla bolognese. Depending on where you are in Italy, the expected ingredients in lasagna change. Head to the South of Italy, to good old Naples, and the ragu and bechamel give way, but what you find in their stead may be similarly unfamiliar.

Also sometimes called lasagne di carnevale, Neapolitan lasagna is a decadent layered pasta dish filled with things both familiar and unexpected. Here, the mozzarella and ricotta return to the mix, as well as tomato sauce and those nice, wide noodles that you know and love, but after that, things get a bit wild. Instead of ragu, it is common to fill Neapolitan lasagna with sausage, small meatballs, and even ingredients like salami, mortadella, and hard-boiled eggs. Definitely different from most of what you'll find in the U.S., but undeniably delicious too.

We're not here to cast judgment in the ricotta versus bechamel lasagna debate. Both ingredients can undoubtedly produce a delicious lasagna, and knowing all of your options really opens the door for you to dial in your own personal perfect recipe. But it does change your perspective on what seems like such a familiar pasta dish.