Ricotta

Key facts Made from cow's milk or sheep's milk, ricotta is widely used in Italy - especially in the South of the country and in Sicily, where cannoli are filled with ricotta that has been sweetened with sugar and candied fruit. Ricotta is also used in Sicilian cassata.

This, strictly speaking, is not really a cheese but a sort of by-product of cheesemaking. It is made from the drained whey and then cooked; in Italian, the word ricotta means re-cooked.

It has a mild, fresh lactic flavour and contains only 14 per cent fat. It is actually delicious just by itself served with summer fruits, and I have eaten it freshly made in Apulia, Italy, sprinkled with coarse salt, pepper and olive oil, with really good bread.

Related Recipes

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 Serves 8 as a first course

Terrine with Three Cheeses

A lovely light terrine that's just perfect with a crisp salad and good bread. What's more, you can easily increase the quantities and make this for a buffet or party.

 

 

 Serves 2-3

A Very Quick Moussaka

This brilliant moussaka will give your guests the impression that you've been cooking for hours, when in fact - thanks to a raft of ready-made ingredients - all you've done is a quick assembly job.

 

 

 Serves 6

Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake with a Confit of Lemons

Although it may not be the obvious choice at the end of a rich meal, the light and fluffy texture of this cheesecake, and its hit of lemon makes it ideal. The confit needs to be made a day in advance.

 

 

 Serves 6-8

Cassata Siciliana

It may look as if this Italian classic took hours to make, but in fact you just assemble a few ingredients in a loaf tin and there you have it - a lovely dessert that will earn you plenty of compliments.

 

 

 Serves 8-10

Polenta and Ricotta Cake with Dates and Pecans

This unusual Italian cake freezes really well and makes a nice change from the more obvious teatime offerings: polenta gives the cake a grainy texture while the ricotta and amaretto to add moisture and an alcoholic kick!