We all love a good lasagna; it’s an Italian meal made up of layers of cheesy pleasure, meat sauce, and eggs that keep the cheese and sauce together.
If you are short on eggs or have an egg allergy, you will be relieved to discover that eggs are not always essential to produce good lasagna. They’re not even in the standard lasagna recipe!
Other binders that will improve the flavor of your lasagnas are chia seeds, flax seeds, bechamel sauce, plain yogurt, heavy cream, and mashed potatoes.
Let’s have a look at how you may use these egg alternatives to produce the tastiest lasagna.
Contents
- Egg Substitutes in Lasagna: Nutritional Value & Cooking Ratio
- What Is Lasagna?
- Nutritional Value of Lasagna
- Egg Substitutes in Lasagna
- Popular Lasagna Recipes You Can Try at Home
- Conclusion
- FAQs
- What can you use instead of eggs in lasagna?
- What can I use instead of egg for ricotta in lasagna?
- Do Italians put egg in lasagne?
- What does the egg do in a lasagna recipe?
- What can I add instead of an egg?
- What can you substitute for eggs in pasta?
- What do Italians use in lasagna instead of ricotta?
- Why put egg in ricotta cheese in lasagna?
- Can I use ricotta without egg?
- Do all lasagna noodles have eggs?
Egg Substitutes in Lasagna: Nutritional Value & Cooking Ratio
Substitute | Quantity | Calories | Fat | Carb | Protein | Fiber | Ratio |
Chia seeds | 1 tbsp | 58 | 3.7g | 5.1g | 2g | 4.1g | 1:1 |
Flax seeds | 1 tbsp | 46 | 3.6g | 2.5g | 1.6g | 2.4g | 1:1 |
Bechamel sauce | ½ cup | 159 | 9.83g | 13.15g | 4.66g | 0.3g | 2:1 |
Plain yogurt | 1 cup | 286 | 7g | 32g | 24g | 0g | 1:1 |
Heavy cream | ½ cup | 1618 | 172g | 13g | 14g | 0g | 2:1 |
Mashed potatoes | 4 cups | 950 | 36g | 142g | 16.4g | 12.6g | 1:4 |
What Is Lasagna?
One of the most well-known Italian pasta meals is lasagna. The pasta is rectangular, occasionally ribbon-shaped, and cooked with a filling that changes according on the recipe.
Alternatively, use bechamel sauce. Traditional versions, on the other hand, do not include eggs or bechamel sauce.A classic lasagna recipe includes Bolognese sauce, cheese, eggs, and noodles.
The Neapolitan dish, for example, comprises tomato sauce, meatballs, mozzarella, and ricotta cheese. Pesto sauce is used in Liguria, but red radicchio sauce is used in Venice. So, why do we put eggs in our lasagna?
What’s the Purpose of Eggs in Lasagna?
Eggs are often used in lasagna in two ways: boiled and diced as part of the filling or, as previously indicated, blended with milk or water to bind everything together.
Eggs, when added as a binder, soften the lasagna and bring the meat sauce and cheese together. The addition of eggs ensures that the flavors and textures in the lasagna meld together, resulting in creaminess and a lovely consistency throughout.
You may eliminate the eggs entirely for the filling and not worry about finding a substitute. We’ll concentrate just on egg replacements when they’re employed as a binder in this section.
Nutritional Value of Lasagna
One lasagna serving (about 1.5 cups) contains:
- 602 calories
- 32g fat
- 35g carbs
- 3.9g fiber
- 44g protein
Egg Substitutes in Lasagna
- Chia seeds & water
- Flax seeds & water
- Bechamel sauce
- Plain yogurt
- Heavy cream
- Mashed potatoes
Chia Seeds & Water
Are you a vegan in need of some luscious, egg-free lasagna? In a basic lasagna recipe, chia seeds are one of the greatest vegan binders.
Because chia seeds have little to no flavor, they won’t overshadow the flavor of the lasagna, which is ideal because we don’t want a substitution that will overpower the other components.
Instead of one egg, use 1 tablespoon chia seeds with 3 tablespoons water. Set it aside for a few minutes until it becomes sticky, then spread it evenly over each layer of lasagna.
Flax Seeds & Water
Ground flaxseeds and water are another important ingredient in many vegan recipes. They have the same binding qualities as eggs, much like chia seeds.
You’ll use a simple ratio here: 1 tbsp flaxseeds and 3 tbsp water for 1 egg. You do not need to heat or use any special equipment to make this combination; just combine the two and whisk until the mixture becomes sticky.
Because flaxseed lasagna is less fatty than egg lasagna, you may need to add more oil or butter to compensate for the low fat level of the mixture.
Bechamel Sauce
Bchamel is a creamy sauce comprised of flour, butter, milk, and either parmesan or mozzarella. The end result? A thick, velvety sauce that will take your lasagna dishes to the next level.
Bechamel sauce must be stacked uniformly, therefore for each layer of bechamel, there should be one layer of lasagna, one layer of meat sauce, and one layer of cheese.
Keep in mind, however, that although bechamel sauce will combine the components and provide richness to your dinner, it will not result in calorie savings! If you’re on a diet, see our nutritional chart and choose a calorie-free substitute, such as flaxseed.
Plain Yogurt
Plain yogurt is another option for egg replacement. It not only works well as an egg replacement in a lasagna dish, but it also allows you to substitute ricotta for either hard or semi-hard cheese.
Because normal yogurt is thicker than ricotta, it has enough binding strength to substitute both eggs and ricotta in a lasagna recipe.
In lieu of one egg, use one cup plain yogurt. After that, either add ricotta or combine the yogurt with another cheese, such as mozzarella. Cover each layer with the mixture after whisking them together.
Heavy Cream
Using heavy cream is one of the easiest ways to achieve a silky smooth lasagna.
However, there is a catch to its creaminess and smoothness. To make the binding work, you must add cornstarch or potato starch to the cream; you cannot use the cream alone.
In terms of proportions, you should be able to use half a tablespoon of starch per half a cup of cream for one egg, however you may need to experiment depending on how wet the other ingredients are.
After completely stirring the mixture, cover each layer evenly to ensure that the cheese and meat sauce adhere.
Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are more than a side dish! They may serve as a binding factor in lasagna, readily replacing eggs and, depending on your tastes, may even taste better. The mashed potatoes will give your lasagna a rich, creamy texture, which is great.
Boil the potatoes and mash them with some butter and milk. You may also use instant mashed potatoes or canned pumpkin puree, but make sure it’s unsweetened so it doesn’t overpower the taste of your lasagna.
In lieu of 1 egg, 4 cups of mashed potatoes are used. For wonderful and heavenly potato lasagnas, combine the potatoes and ricotta cheese and distribute it on each layer!
Popular Lasagna Recipes You Can Try at Home
Here are the three finest lasagna recipes if you’re seeking for ideas for family meals or gatherings. Prepare to take this dinner staple from good to great!
Three-Cheese Meatball Lasagna
The beef sauce is substituted with sausage meatballs in this initial dish. Chili is also available for people who want their dish hot. Fennel seeds lend a richness to the flavor. Furthermore, the three cheeses: cheddar, parmesan, and mozzarella are a marriage made in heaven!
Veggie Spinach & Mushroom Lasagna
When deciding what to serve vegetarian visitors at a lovely dinner party or holiday feast, a lasagna with spinach and mushrooms may be a very practical answer.
Flavorful spinach, ricotta, and mozzarella are followed by delectable shiitake and cremini mushrooms in this dish. Believe us when we say that these mushrooms have a meaty taste and firmness that even meat aficionados won’t be able to tell the difference!
Italian Sausage Lasagna
If you like a more classic lasagna, Italian sausage lasagna is your best choice. It’s easy to prepare and hearty, so no one will go hungry at your dinner party, and you won’t have to spend hours preparing it.
The lasagna is made using tomato sauce, cheese, spices, and herbs. Use Italian sausage instead of ground beef. You may go either mild or spicy, whatever you like. Enjoy!
Conclusion
Excellent news! You can create delicious lasagna without using any eggs.
You’ll be astonished at how good lasagna tastes when cooked with yogurt or bechamel sauce.
If you follow a vegan diet, go for chia or flax seeds. If you want something completely different in taste, mashed potatoes should be your first choice.
Overall, a little ingenuity and effort go a long way toward crafting a flawless egg-free lasagna, so go ahead and choose your substitute.