This ricotta recipe comes to me from a friend who lives here, and spent several years Italy . She did lots of cooking and baking using all fresh ingredients. She believes all natural ingredients are mandatory for the best flavor, and I agree. She is a big fan of ricotta, and while living in Italy , she said that even there it was difficult to find really good fresh ricotta in markets. One day a friend shared his recipe with her, and she tried it. It turned out to be not only easy, but also foolproof and delicious. I’ve made it several times. The recipe is terrific, but since I prefer it a little softer and creamier, I did tweak the timing a little.

If you love the delicate flavor of ricotta, and there’s a scarcity of good authentic Italian delis in your neighborhood—or maybe none—then you’ll want to try this recipe.

1 C plain yogurt (with live cultures)

½ gallon whole milk

½ C fresh lemon juice

¼ t salt

In a large stainless steel pan, combine the milk, salt and yogurt and simmer over medium heat—stirring occasionally—until bubbles form. Remove from heat, and now without stirring, pour the lemon juice in. The milk will immediately begin to curdle. Let it rest, uncovered, one hour.

Line a large sieve or colander with two layers of cheesecloth. Set the sieve on top of a large bowl. Slowly pour the milk into the sieve over the cheesecloth. Let it rest one hour.

Gather the cloth up around the cheese ball as shown in the next photo, and place it in a smaller bowl to finish draining completely.

Place the whole bowl in a large plastic bag and refrigerate several hours. Carefully remove the cheese to a sealed container. It is now ready to use.

My favorite use for ricotta is on a slice of toasted French bread topped with a chopped tomato/basil salad. This little Italian appetizer is referred to as a bruschetta (pronounced “broosketta”). A bruschetta is basically any savory topping on a slice of toasted bread.

Ricotta can also be used in a variety of other salads, creamy pasta sauces, lasagna, and many desserts. It’s light creamy texture makes it a low-fat substitute for cream cheese or mascarpone cheese.

Enjoy.

©Pauline Boren 2008