Ricotta Cheese

Ricotta cheese is really very easy to make. It’s also really expensive at the supermarket. I decided to give homemade a try, and the result was soft and creamy, a perfect filling for my manicotti dinner!

ricotta_cheese
Basically, all you have to do is heat milk. I chose whole milk because that’s what I had, but you can use  any – skim, heavy cream, or a combination.

Do not let the mixture boil.

When it is just before the boiling point, add a teaspoon of acid. I used lemon juice, but you can just as easily use vinegar. Watch the curds and whey separate (it’s very cool!). Let the mixture sit for a while and then drain it in a cheesecloth (or paper towel) lined sieve.

making_ricotta

Let drain for a few hours (or less, or more) and then eat.

This is a very simple recipe that you can play around with. If you want to use it for dessert, add a vanilla bean and some sugar to the mix. I mixed mine with frozen spinach and a pinch of salt, stuffed it into manicottis, and topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.

cheese_cloth cheese_sinkricotta_drip