Alternative to Ricotta | Ask Nigella.com (2024)

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Alternative to Ricotta | Ask Nigella.com? ›

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Mascarpone: Another Italian cheese, mascarpone makes a great ricotta substitute. However, since mascarpone is more tart and flavorful, you should only use it in dishes with other strong flavors.

Silken tofu is the best choice for a ricotta replacement, drained and run through a food processor. There are even vegan-friendly ricotta recipes online that use tofu to make it. That mixture would drop in fine to lasagna or another pasta dish.

The unique processes result in two very different products—mascarpone is a rich, decadent, and super spreadable cheese with a slight tang. Ricotta, on the other hand, has a lumpy, soft texture and mild, milky flavor.

9. Fromage Blanc. This French soft cheese boasts a texture remarkably similar to ricotta, with a delightfully mild and tangy flavor. Fromage Blanc's velvety consistency makes it an exceptional substitute, seamlessly blending into both savory and sweet dishes.

In southern Italy lasagna is generally made with dried sheets of pasta layered with rich meat ragú, ricotta and mozzarella. In the north, especially in Bologna, the most popular version of lasagna features fresh egg pasta colored green with spinach and layered with ragú, bechamel and Parmigiano Reggiano.

Cottage Cheese

Cottage cheese is a good replacement for ricotta cheese in savory recipes. This low-fat swap has a similar flavor, and its chunky texture can be altered to better match ricotta's.

Ricotta cheese and creme fraiche both have a tangy taste, but creme fraiche wins out on smoothness and richness. Because of its lumpy and slightly grainy texture, ricotta works better as a substitute for creme fraiche in pasta dishes rather than in a silky and creamy sauce.

They have a similar texture so can very often substitute each other but Philadephia is more savory while mascarpone is milkier in taste. Is mascarpone cheese similar to ricotta? Mascarpone and ricotta are both Italian kinds of soft cheese, but mascarpone is made from cream and ricotta is made from whey.

What is a substitute for ricotta cheese in baked ziti? ›

If you're simply looking to substitute another cheese for ricotta without the extra step, cottage cheese is the most similar, and cream cheese and mascarpone are also worthy replacements (via Izzy Cooking).

Cottage cheese is an excellent match for smooth ricotta in a tub – the texture has a similar creamy consistency. Although cottage cheese has more bumpy curds as opposed to the smooth texture of ricotta in a tub, the flavor is very comparable.

While ricotta tends to be a good substitution for burrata in dishes where the cheeses are used raw, there are recipes in which the swap simply does not work well: Those that require the cheese to be melted.

So, ricotta actually translates to recooked in Italian, and ricotta is what's called a "whey cheese." When you make cheese, you separate milk into two distinct things. You have the solids, called curds, which will be separated out and pressed to form cheese. And you have the liquid that is left behind, called whey.

Common Uses of Ricotta

It's commonly used in savoury dishes such as lasagne, stuffed shells, and other Italian dishes, but it can also be used in sweet recipes like cheesecake and cannoli.

Like mascarpone in northern Italian cuisine, ricotta is a favorite component of many Italian desserts, such as cheesecakes and cannoli. Also, a variety of different cookies include ricotta as an ingredient.

In Italy, ricotta is typically eaten as a filling for pasta or cannoli. Here in Racale, Margherita's ricotta is eaten by the spoonful — without even salt or olive oil. Light and pillowy in texture, it's like tasting a cloud of sheep's milk.