What Is Ricotta Cheese?

Ricotta brings rich pasta, ravioli fillings, frittatas, and assorted desserts to mind. Its mild flavor and light, airy texture make it a winner in all sorts of dishes, both sweet and savory.

Whatever it's used in, ricotta has a way of making whatever's on the fork a comforting experience. It's no wonder it's made, eaten, and loved all over the world. But what exactly is it?

What Is Ricotta?

Ricotta is a classic, soft Italian cheese. It's most commonly made with cow's milk, especially in the United States, but it can be made with any animal milk, like goat, sheep, or water buffalo.

The signature features of ricotta include a mild flavor like a soft, malleable mozzarella with an even fresher milk taste, and a rich, luscious mouthfeel. It's incredibly moist and boasts a uniquely textured bite.

Origins

The word ricotta means 'recooked' in Italian. It's a cheese born out of the waste from cheesemaking — in particular, the leftover whey from making other mild cheeses like mozzarella or provolone.

In cheesemaking, milk is separated into curds, the solid parts, and whey, the liquid left behind. The curds are pressed to form cheese and the whey is a byproduct. Ricotta is made from reheating and recooking that whey, and the trace amount of curd left within it. At home and commercially, (in the U.S.), we just use regular old milk instead of whey, but the humble origin of this supple cheese remains.

Get the recipe: Ricotta Pie (Old Italian Recipe)

Ricotta vs. Ricotta Salata

With the word ricotta in both their names, it's easy to confuse these two cheeses for each other or assume they are the same. The only difference comes in their texture and added processing. Ricotta salata is simply ricotta that has been pressed, salted, and dried to create a crumblier, saltier, even shaveable cheese. In this state, it's more like a cotija or feta. Save fresh ricotta for fillings or dollops and use salata for a finishing sprinkle or garnish.

How to Make Ricotta Cheese

This cheese is easy to make, and the taste is exceptional. It's a simple process of heating milk and cream and then acidifying it – meaning adding an acid like lemon juice, vinegar, or buttermilk, while higher production facilities might use fermentation or add rennet instead, a substance from an enzyme found in the stomachs of ruminant animals that thickens it.

Be sure you're using pasteurized milk and not ultra-pasteurized, since the latter is heated to a higher temperature, and it'll affect how the cheese curdles. Other than that, all that stands between you and fresh, fluffy ricotta cheese are a few simple ingredients, a saucepan, a mesh strainer, a cheesecloth, a deep bowl, and roughly one hour.

Heat milk, cream, and salt in a saucepan until it steams and tiny bubbles line up around the edges. Add vinegar and stir in a figure-eight motion for a few seconds, then let sit a few minutes. Transfer the mixture to a cheesecloth-lined mesh strainer sat over a large bowl and let it drain about 20-45 minutes. How long you let it drain will determine how soft or firm your ricotta is.

Once you've drained it to your texture satisfaction, lift the cheesecloth out of the strainer and into a bowl. Let it cool on the counter until it reaches room temperature, then wrap it and chill it thoroughly, taking it out of the cheesecloth to serve. It may need a bit of salt, but other than that, it's good to eat.

For detailed instructions, check out Chef John's homemade ricotta cheese recipe.

How to Cook With Ricotta

Besides the go-tos like lasagna, ravioli filling, or other pasta dishes, ricotta makes a beautiful gnocchi that's less heavy than potato. It adds a lightness to items like meatballs, muffins, or waffles; and richness to sweet or savory tarts.

Try it in a dip or a fun breakfast like lemon-ricotta pancakes. It makes a lovely quiche and even lovelier desserts, like ricotta cheesecake, blueberry squares or cake, cookies, pie, or famously blended with sugar to fill cannoli. Basically, there really isn't anything ricotta can't do.

Where to Buy Ricotta

There's no need to schedule a trip to a specialty food store, you can buy ricotta in any ol' grocery store you frequent. It's inexpensive and widely available. Here in the U.S., the label might read whole, low-fat, or skim.

How to Store Ricotta

If the cheese is store-bought, check the container for the use-by date. Try and use the contents within one week of opening it and discard it immediately if there's any sign whatsoever of mold. It should remain white as snow – even a yellow tinge means deterioration.

Homemade ricotta only lasts a couple of days, so you may want to give some to a neighbor or have some friends over when you make it.

If you fear you might not get to it, freeze it. It'll last 6 months in that chilly chamber - but be aware that the flavor and definitely the texture will be affected, so eating it on toast won't be the move. Baking it in a cake will be. Defrost the frozen ricotta slowly in the fridge before use.

Related:

• Ridiculously Creamy Ricotta Pasta Recipes
• Ricotta Cake Recipes
• Sweet and Savory Ways to Use Ricotta Cheese for Breakfast