on the same day we made butter, we also made ricotta. (gasp!) and just like that golden buttery goodness, homemade ricotta couldn't be simpler. it's creamy, dreamy, and worth the minimal (and i mean minimal) effort to make. plus, you have the necessary ingredients on hand pretty much all the time.
seriously, what are you waiting for?
i can point you to two terrific recipes i've tried which i now basically combine when making ricotta - simply recipes and smitten kitchen. both yield ricotta that is beyond divine, so i suppose it depends what you have on hand, yogurt or cream.
you needn't rationalize what's in your fridge, Betty Sue. no judging here.
basically all you do is cook milk + a bit of heavy cream or yogurt + a few teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar + a pinch of salt (optional). as it slowly boils, curdles form within a few minutes, and then you strain.
the hardest part is waiting while it strains. (insert Mick Jagger overdub singing "I'm just waiting while it strains." sorry. but yes, i actually was singing that while it strained. i do enjoy a bad pun now and then.) as you can see, i improvised with a paper towel since cheesecloth was nowhere in sight. whatever works, my friends.
we sampled a few spoonfuls while it was warm and i reserved the rest for a baked pasta dish we were having that night. ok, i may have snuck a few spoonfuls from the reserved stuff when no one was looking. cook's treat.
the plan is to make a batch this afternoon to dollop atop pizza we'll be making tonight. the process will, of course, require random testing for quality control.
tell me, what do YOU make with ricotta? do you use it more for savory or sweet dishes? i'd love it if you'd share you favorite ricotta dish in the comments so everyone can enjoy them. xoxo
