20+ Delicious Ricotta recipes (2024)

FAQs

What makes ricotta cheese taste good? ›

You can also add garlic powder, black pepper, fresh basil, or shredded mozzarella cheese for an added boost of flavor. For desserts, there are so many delicious ways to flavor your ricotta. Try using lemon zest, chocolate chips, maple syrup, or Nutella.

Stored properly, fresh ricotta will last in the freezer for one to three months. Once you thaw your cheese, it is not recommended to refreeze it. Since freezing it just once already causes the cheese to degrade somewhat, you can imagine what constant thawing and refreezing would do.

Unopened ricotta will last about two weeks in the fridge, while opened ricotta will last just a week. As for the freezer, you can store ricotta for up to three months.

You can add flavor to plain ricotta cheese by mixing in ingredients like herbs (such as basil, thyme, or rosemary), garlic, lemon zest, black pepper, or a drizzle of honey for a sweet twist. Incorporating roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, or chopped fresh fruits can also add both flavor and texture.

For extra creamy ricotta, add in an extra egg, a handful of grated parmesan, and a quarter cup of shredded mozzarella. Eggs help prevent the ricotta from drying out and serve to bind the ricotta so it doesn't become runny. One or more eggs are recommended whether you add the other ingredients mentioned here or not.

Enjoy with crackers, a drizzle of honey, dried fruits or vegetable sticks. As a spread: Toast slices of banana bread or fruit toast, spread with ricotta and drizzle with honey for a snack or brekky. Finger food pasties: Ricotta and spinach are a match made in heaven.

Generally speaking, you should think twice about freezing cheese, and doubly so for fresh varieties like cream cheese or ricotta. Ricotta is about 74% water, and when that water transforms into ice, it disrupts the cheese's texture and makes it dry, crumbly, and slightly grainy.

When it comes to storing ricotta, you can use the freezer, but it's important to know that it will compromise the quality of your cheese. While its flavor may endure the freezing process, the texture of ricotta suffers once it has been frozen and thawed, transforming from smooth and creamy to gritty and clumpy.

Yes, ricotta doesn't have a terribly distinct smell, especially compared to other cheeses, but once it begins to smell sour, that's a sign it's gone bad. Additionally, while mold is a sign to throw out your ricotta, there are other changes in appearance that can indicate something's wrong.

Some sources suggest that ricotta may last up to two weeks, but past that one-week mark you should look for signs of spoilage (more on that in a moment). And if it's been sitting for more than two weeks, throw it away.

Is ricotta cheese healthy? ›

Compared to most cheeses, ricotta is a healthier choice because it contains less salt and fat - 10 per cent fat, of which 6 per cent is saturated. It's light and creamy with a slightly grainy texture and delicate flavour that can be used on its own or in sweet and savoury dishes.

Ricotta is a fresh cheese, so it doesn't need to be cooked. You could serve it with some fresh fruit or on top of a salad.

Then, I head to an unmarked shop in the outskirts of town to buy some of Margherita Cavalera's exquisite ricotta. In Italy, ricotta is typically eaten as a filling for pasta or cannoli. Here in Racale, Margherita's ricotta is eaten by the spoonful — without even salt or olive oil.

Eggs help bind the ricotta cheese, but if you don't have eggs on hand then it's OK to omit them. Adding egg to ricotta cheese helps to bind the cheese for lasagna so that it doesn't ooze out of the casserole when you cut it. Basically, the egg helps all the cheesy goodness stay intact.

Ricotta lovers will be happy to know that ricotta cheese is a healthy food and belongs to the dairy food group. It can be enjoyed every day as part of a balanced diet.

It can also be eaten by itself, perhaps accompanied by honey or jam, or spread on fresh, warm bread. Made from the leftover curds from cheese making, ricotta is a prime example of the Italian tradition of never throwing anything away.

Compared to most cheeses, ricotta is a healthier choice because it contains less salt and fat - 10 per cent fat, of which 6 per cent is saturated. It's light and creamy with a slightly grainy texture and delicate flavour that can be used on its own or in sweet and savoury dishes.

Adding egg to ricotta cheese helps to bind the cheese for lasagna so that it doesn't ooze out of the casserole when you cut it. Basically, the egg helps all the cheesy goodness stay intact. So what happens if you don't put eggs in your lasagna? It'll just be a bit runnier, but omitting the egg won't affect the taste.

Ricotta's mild flavor makes it a great addition to both savory and sweet dishes. Lasagna, an Italian pasta and tomato sauce casserole, is a typical dish that uses ricotta as a stuffing. It is also used to stuff ravioli, manicotti, and other pasta.