A guide to ricotta — the soft, fresh Italian cheese made from whey. How it's made, its sweet and savory uses, and how to choose good ricotta.
Ricotta is one of the most useful cheeses in any kitchen — soft, fresh, mild, and at home in both sweet and savory cooking. It's also a clever bit of dairy thrift, traditionally made from a byproduct of other cheesemaking. Understanding what ricotta actually is helps you use it to its full potential.
What "Ricotta" Means
The word ricotta means "recooked," which is the key to how it's made. Traditional ricotta is produced not from milk directly but from whey — the liquid left over after making cheeses like mozzarella or provolone. That leftover whey still contains proteins, and when it's reheated (sometimes with a little added milk and an acid), those proteins coagulate into soft, delicate curds that are scooped out and drained. The result is technically a dairy product made from whey rather than a true cheese in the strictest sense.
Flavor and Texture
Ricotta is soft, moist, and slightly grainy, with a mild, sweet, milky flavor and a clean finish. Good fresh ricotta has a light, fluffy, almost cloud-like texture and a subtle sweetness, quite different from the dense, sometimes gummy tubs found in many supermarkets. It's low in salt and gentle in flavor, which is exactly why it's so versatile.
Savory Uses
Ricotta is a backbone of Italian cooking. It fills pasta like ravioli, tortellini, and lasagna, lightening rich dishes with its creamy texture. It's the classic filling, with spinach, for stuffed shells and cannelloni. Spread on toast and topped with olive oil, salt, and herbs — or with honey and fruit — it makes a quick, satisfying snack. It also enriches frittatas, dips, and gnocchi.
Sweet Uses
Ricotta's gentle sweetness makes it a star in desserts. It's the filling for Sicilian cannoli and the base of Italian ricotta cheesecake, which is lighter and less dense than the cream-cheese version. It folds into pancakes and cakes for a tender crumb, and pairs beautifully with honey, citrus, and berries for a simple dessert.
Types of Ricotta
Beyond fresh ricotta, there are aged and processed versions. Ricotta salata is salted, pressed, and dried into a firm cheese that's grated or shaved over pasta and salads. Ricotta infornata is baked, and ricotta affumicata is smoked. These keep far longer than fresh ricotta and offer quite different uses.
Buying and Storing
Seek out fresh ricotta from a deli or a good brand with a light, fluffy texture rather than a dense, watery one. Keep it refrigerated and use it within a few days, as fresh ricotta is highly perishable. If it's watery, draining it briefly in a sieve improves the texture for cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ricotta actually cheese?
Technically it's a whey product rather than a true cheese, since it's made by recooking leftover whey rather than curdling fresh milk, though it's universally treated as a cheese.
What's the difference between ricotta and cottage cheese?
Ricotta is finer, smoother, sweeter, and made from whey, while cottage cheese has larger, looser curds, more moisture, and a tangier, saltier flavor.
Can you eat ricotta raw?
Yes. Fresh ricotta is delicious eaten as is, spread on bread or topped with honey, fruit, or olive oil.