Part of the appeal of lasagna is the cheese, much of which comes in the form of ricotta. If your favorite brand of ricotta is out of stock, try reaching for cream cheese.

Use a tablespoon of cream cheese for each portion of lasagna. If the casserole is cut into six pieces, six dollops of cream cheese between the noodles and sauce should be plenty.

You can also use mascarpone, which is similar to cream cheese. Either way, the result will be a richer, creamier lasagna that makes this comfort food even more satisfying.

If you use cream or mascarpone cheese, soften them first by leaving them out of the fridge for a bit. When cold, they won't spread as easily as ricotta does.