View Single Post
  #1 (permalink)   Report Post  
Posted to rec.food.cooking
Julie Bove[_2_] Julie Bove[_2_] is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 46,524
Default Do you put eggs in your lasagna?

I used to make lasagna all the time. When my daughter was young, she loved
helping me wash all the veggies and assembling the lasagna. The only thing
she didn't like? Eating the lasagna. So I quit making it.

Fast forward several years. Now we have food allergies. She has discovered
frozen lasagna that she isn't allergic to. She loves it. But it contains
eggs. And I'm allergic to eggs.

Now when I used to make lasagna, it didn't come out the same way twice. I
didn't follow an exact recipe. I usually used ricotta cheese but
occasionally I would use cottage cheese instead if that is what I had in the
house. I have seen online that you can also use a mix of the two. To this,
I would always add an egg and some grated Italian cheese. Might be
mozzarella, Parmesan, Romano, Asiago, whatever I had in the house. Usually
a mix of things. I would also usually add some chopped spinach, but if I
had no spinach, I would add lots of parsley.

I found it best to cook the noodles first. I would put down a layer of
sauce. I usually made my own, tomato with added peppers, onions and maybe
mushrooms, maybe a bit of carrot, but not chunky. I would use my immersion
blender because I found that some kids wouldn't eat chunks of veggies.
Anyway... I would then put down a layer of the pasta, then some of the
cheese mixture. Then a layer of sliced sautéed zucchini (to help lower the
carb count and up the veggie count). Then more sauce, more cheese mix, more
pasta then more sauce. I would bake it through and just before it was done
I would add more grated cheese and leave it in the oven until melted.

I have learned from making my meatloaf with veggies (about 1/2 meat and 1/2
veggies) that it is best to sauté all the veggies before using them. This
allows most of the liquid to seep out and it concentrates the flavors. Much
better end result. So if I do make it again, I will for sure sauté the
spinach before adding it to the cheese.

Anyway... I am concerned about making this without the egg. I have seen a
discussion online and the results were very mixed. Some say they never add
egg. But some were not talking about a cheese and vegetable type. They
were talking about one with ground beef and béchamel sauce. Some did make
the cheese kind and said they never added egg and it worked. Others said
they never used ricotta or cottage cheese and only grated cheese. I could
see this working too, although the end result wouldn't be the same.

So have you successfully made a cheese or cheese and veggie lasagna with no
eggs? I have been buying the gluten free lasagna noodles but using them
broken in chunks for chicken and noodles.

I would LOVE to be able to make and eat lasagna again. My only other
problem is the amount that it makes. At one point I had a huge lasagna pan.
I will have to look. Am not sure I still have it. No matter what I do, I
wind up with soooo much of it! I have made this for my husband's extended
family (Italian, lots of people there for dinner) and although they loved
it, there was still enough for a second day. Yes, I know it freezes, but I
never seem to have room in my freezer for leftovers.

I did buy some smaller casserole dishes for us to use while my husband is
away. Perhaps what I should do is start by pulling out a set amount of
noodles, then cooking and only using those? Using the whole box would for
sure be overkill. Unless perhaps my husband is home. He has no problems
eating leftovers.