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Ricotta Cheese

By Eugenia Bone

4.4

(2)

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I make a ricotta that is blissfully dry, which works well in my recipes for ravioli, lasagna, and as a garnish on salads and pasta dishes. If you want a creamy ricotta, to serve dressed with a fruit syrup or to spread on crostini or to make cannoli cream, then you need to add some cream to the recipe: Replace 1 cup of the whole milk with heavy cream. Goat milk makes a creamier ricotta as well.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 1 cup

Ingredients

4 cups whole organic milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

Preparation

  1. Have ready a colander lined with cheesecloth placed over a large bowl. Place the milk and salt in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Slowly bring the milk to 185°F. The milk will sizzle at the perimeter of the pot. Take the milk off the heat and stir in the vinegar. The curds will precipitate promptly. Allow them to form, a couple of minutes. Pour the milk and curds through the cheesecloth. Allow the curds to drain for an hour or so, then squeeze the curds in the cheesecloth and pack in a bowl. The ricotta holds for about 2 days in the refrigerator.

Reprinted from The Kitchen Ecosystem, by Eugenia Bone, Copyright © 2014, published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers. Eugenia Bone is the author Mycophilia and the James Beard-nominated Well-Preserved. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Saveur, Food & Wine, Gourmet, New York, and Harper's Bazaar, among many other publications. Bone, her architect husband, and their children split their time between New York and Colorado.
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