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Homemade Ricotta Cheese
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Homemade Ricotta

Adapted from here.
Servings 12 ounces
Author Brandon Matzek

Ingredients

  • 1 quart whole milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup whole plain greek yogurt (regular plain yogurt is ok too, just make sure it's full fat)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Olive oil, for serving
  • Lemon zest, for serving
  • Freshly ground black pepper, for serving
  • Flaky sea salt, for serving

Instructions

  • In a medium saucepan, add whole milk, heavy cream, greek yogurt, lemon juice and kosher salt, whisking to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until the mixture begins to curdle.
  • While the mixture is warming up, line a colander with 4 layers of cheesecloth*. Set the lined colander over a tall bowl.
  • Once the mixture curdles, pour into the colander. Let drain for about 5 minutes for a creamier ricotta. Drain for about 15 minutes for a dry ricotta. Transfer the ricotta to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.
  • I like to enjoy this ricotta with a drizzle of olive oil, a light grating of lemon zest, several turns of black pepper and flaky sea salt on top. But really, you can use this in any recipe that calls for ricotta. Keep in mind that this ricotta is salted, so adjust seasoning accordingly.

Notes

*I recently discovered that you can reuse cheesecloth! Simply rinse out any leftover particles under hot, running water, then hang to dry. I wouldn't recommend reusing cheesecloth that has come in contact with meat or fish though.