See the Recipe for Ricotta Pie From Our <em>Notes From a Kitchen</em> Giveaway Winner (2024)

FAQs

How long can I keep fresh ricotta in the fridge? ›

While it's available prepackaged, fresh is generally best and the only choice when it comes to baking. Ricotta is available fresh all year round from the supermarket deli section. Store in the fridge in an airtight container and use within two to five days.

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.

But some still firmly believe ricotta is the way to go. It's lighter in texture than a béchamel and can offset the richness of the meat sauce and mozzarella.

To start with, look out for any sort of odor. Ricotta doesn't have much of a smell to it, so if it smells foul or off in any way, then it's time to throw it out. Additionally, look for any change in the ricotta's appearance. If it's growing mold, you'll have to throw the whole thing out.

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.

Ricotta that's fine to eat will either have no odor at all, or it might have a regular milky smell. If it starts to develop a sour or fermented smell, throw it away (even if the odor isn't rancid or unpleasant), as it's another bad sign.

Milk, cream, salt, and an acid. If I have fresh lemons, I'll use lemon juice. But if all I have is white vinegar (which I always have on hand), that's what I'll use. Some recipes for ricotta cheese don't call for heavy cream, but I like the way it makes a more creamy cheese.

Ricotta (Italian: [riˈkɔtta]) is an Italian whey cheese made from sheep, cow, goat, or Italian water buffalo milk whey left over from the production of other cheeses. Like other whey cheeses, it is made by coagulating the proteins that remain after the casein has been used to make cheese, notably albumin and globulin.

Light, creamy, and cloud-like in texture, my Whipped Ricotta Cream is an easy 5 minute dessert that I turn to when I'm craving something sweet, but want low effort. The base is made with 3 ingredients — ricotta cheese, heavy cream, and almond extract, no added sugar!

Meanwhile, combine ricotta cheese, egg, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and cayenne pepper in a bowl. Mix until a paste forms. Add 1/3 cup hot pasta water and whisk well. Repeat with another 1/3 cup pasta water.