I'd be willing to try a version with bechamel but the ricotta provides a signature distinctive taste. I suppose without it, it would taste pretty different. So, yeah, like the sibling comment says - this dish has evolved while retaining its old name. Much like some loanwords which take on new connotations.
I would not use the word "evolve", because in Italy it has not "evolved". There has been made an American version, which would have been best if it were called with a different name, but I guess I can't have everything...
I would rather replace "evolved" with "degraded", or better butchered or destroyed.
you can generally put all British, German or US cooking "evolvements" put into this category. thankfully the recent "fusion" cooking doesn't involve anything related to these evolvements, only the good asian and central american kitchens.
