When I was little, I’ll confess that I thought ricotta and cottage cheese were the exact same thing. I suppose, phonetically, they sound similar and they look alike…heck, I looked it up and you can use them interchangeably in a lot of recipes. But, they’re completely different things, and I was a fool to think otherwise. There, I feel a lot better, and I’m glad we’re communicating in such an open and honest way. Now, forget about cottage cheese completely, because today we’re talking ricotta.
Ricotta is a delicious Italian cheese made from cow, sheep, goat, or, yes, even water buffalo milk whey, left over from the production of other cheeses. It has been produced since as far back as the Bronze Age. It’s creamy, mild, and delicious in pasta or on toast. It’s high in calcium and protein, which makes it an okay choice when trying to eat healthy (in moderation of course—I’d advise against the “all-ricotta diet”).
Ricotta is a classic example. This soft, sweet, white cheese is made from what is left over after making other cheeses. Strictly speaking, ricotta is not really considered a cheese, but a latticino—which means a dairy by-product—just as cow or buffalo milk mozzarellas are.
Commercially, according to DeLallo, the curdy white stuff is created by taking the whey thats left over from making various kinds of cow, sheep, or goats milk cheeses, typically letting it ferment for a day or so, then recooking it to separate the curds — ricotta, after all, means “recooked” in Italian. Doing so makes the mixture a latticino — a dairy byproduct — instead of a cheese in its own right. The result of the Italian kitchens propensity towards utilizing every ingredient to its fullest, ricotta is a delicious and endlessly versatile example of “waste not, want not.”
As a dairy product thats often used in rich and savory recipes, ricotta is commonly referred to as cheese. But did you know that, technically, it isnt cheese at all?
Its actually a byproduct of the cheesemaking process, so (naturally) one must make cheese to get homemade ricotta. To do so, you heat salted whole milk to just below boiling point, add lemon juice (or white vinegar) to the hot milk to curdle it, strain the mixture through cheesecloth, and reserve the lumpy mix of curds (via Serious Eats). To separate the mozzarella, the whole milk is heated with citric acid and the coagulating agent known as rennet, and strained to gather the curds, which are then worked by hand. The leftover liquid, known as whey (recall the old nursery rhyme), can be gathered, heated with additional lemon juice, and strained — and youve got ricotta, according to Food.
If you are a fan of Italian or Italian-American cuisine, the chances are good that you have stocked your refrigerator with a tub of creamy ricotta on more than one occasion. Ricotta is similar to cottage cheese, featuring soft curds suspended in a milky white liquid that is made from milk, salt, and an acidic ingredient such as lemon juice. Commonly featured in many Italian dishes like classic baked ziti to stuffed ravioli to hearty sausage lasagna, ricotta lends its mild creaminess to other foods outside the Mediterranean pantheon (via The Cheese Professor). These airy, sugar-dusted beignets, for example, take their richness from ricotta, and the ingredient provides a beautifully puffy base for the juicy heirloom tomatoes in this savory tart.
How do you make ricotta?
Here’s how to make ricotta. The process to make traditional whey ricotta cheese starts similarly to other cheeses: You heat your preferred milk until the curds and whey separate. Now, while the curds become the basis for cheese varieties such as mozzarella, reheating the whey (with the optional addition of citric acid) produces the moist, fine grains that traditionally create, you guessed it, ricotta (the name literally means “twice cooked”). The problem with making ricotta, however, is you get stuck in vicious “Who’s On First?” style exchanges with others. You’ll be like “I’m making ricotta!” and they’ll say “No way!” and you’ll say “Actually, yes whey!” and so on and so forth. If you’re up for that, then get cooking!
How Ricotta Cheese Is Made In Italy | Regional Eats
FAQ
Is ricotta just cottage cheese?
What is real ricotta made of?
Is ricotta always sheep milk?
Is ricotta a byproduct of mozzarella cheese?
What is the difference between cheese and ricotta?
That’s because cheese is made from milk in its natural state, while ricotta is made from milk that has already undergone some processing. In cheesemaking, a coagulant such as acid or the animal protein rennet is added to heated milk and/or cream.
Does cottage cheese have less fat than other foods?
Like milk, cottage cheese comes in full-fat, low-fat, and fat-free. This last one, is an excellent source of protein, very low in fat, and contains relatively few calories, packed with many nutrients, such as B vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, and selenium.
Is Ricotta a good cheese?
Mild, delicate ricotta adds a creamy layer to lasagna, makes a fluffy filling for cannoli, and can be a rich topping for artisanal pizzas. It’s versatile and easy to find. You can even make it at home. But while all ricottas might carry the same name, the cheeses you find in the market can vary substantially in texture and flavor. What is Ricotta?
Where does ricotta cheese come from?
Ricotta is a creamy, white cheese originating from Italy. The word “ricotta” means “recooked” in Italian, referring to the method by which the cheese is made. Unlike many other cheeses, ricotta is not made directly from whole milk. Instead, it’s made from the whey left over from the production of other cheeses, such as mozzarella or provolone.