Ricotta

It’s been a while since I’d done a nerdy, science-experiment-like recipe, so today, we make ricotta! Traditional ricotta is made from whey left over from cheesemaking. Ricotta actually means “cooked twice” in Italian. This recipe uses whole milk and heavy cream instead of whey, so it’s not a traditional ricotta. However, it’s similar enough in taste and texture.

There are a lot of recipes out there for homemade ricotta, using different fat content milks and a variety of acids. Today’s recipe is a particularly decadent one from Ina Garten – in addition to the requisite whole milk, she adds heavy cream and uses white wine vinegar instead of just milk and distilled white vinegar.  

This ricotta is creamy and spreadable, which you can use like cream cheese. Add chives and garlic for a savory spread, or cinnamon and honey for a dessert spread. Compressed, this ricotta can also be made into a sliceable cheese. It melts beautifully and would be amazing on pizzas, mixed into pasta, or used in a “caprese” salad or sandwich – it’s not mozzarella, but it’s really close in taste and texture. 

Ricotta can be used in a variety of dishes. t’s also delicious by itself (perfect for those following keto / low carb diets) or with crackers and fruit as part of a cheese plate. It’s also a tasty alternative to avocado for toast – top with savory or sweet add-ons. It’s fun to make, hard to mess up, and delicious. A perfectly nerdy recipe for you to try!

For recipes you can use with this ricotta, try my Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, use as a spread for my Two Ingredient Pretzel Bagels, or make some tasty ricotta toast.

Ingredients

• 4 cups (1 quart) whole milk, not ultra-filtered / ultra-pasteurized 
• 2 cups (1 pint) heavy cream 
• 1 tsp kosher salt 
• 4 tbsp high quality white wine vinegar 

Directions

In a non-reactive, thick-walled or enameled pot, combine the whole milk and heavy cream. 

Add salt and stir to combine. 

Heat milk / cream / salt mixture over medium heat until just before boiling. Mixture can boil over pot if it boils completely, so keep an eye on this. 

Turn off heat and add vinegar. 

Stir slowly and carefully once, to distribute the vinegar. Leave completely alone for 5 – 10 minutes, until you see the whey separate from the curds. 

While waiting, prepare a draining setup: over a large pot, place a mesh sieve / colander. Then, lay 2 or 3 sheets of damp cheesecloth. 

Once the curds have formed, spoon the curds into the draining setup. Avoid dumping everything at once, to help drain the whey more efficiently. Fold the edges of the cheesecloth over the ricotta to protect it as the cheese drains. 

Allow to sit for 10-25 minutes; the longer the ricotta drains, the thicker the end result will be. For a creamy, spreadable ricotta, leave for about 15 minutes before spooning into a container. For a drier ricotta, which can be sliced for things like pizzas and grilled cheeses, allow to drain for the full 25 minutes, and lightly squeeze the whey out of the ricotta before transferring to a container. 

Both kinds will mellow after being wrapped in plastic and left in the fridge overnight, and will keep for up to a week.