The Creamiest 4-Ingredient Homemade Ricotta
If you’ve never made ricotta at home, prepare to be amazed. It’s silky, subtly tangy, and luxuriously soft with a clean, delicate flavor. Spoon it over toast, fold into pasta, or serve simply with olive oil and flaky salt — it’s that good. Make extra and bring to your friends and neighbors!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 357kcal
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups (946ml) whole milk
- 1 cup (237ml) heavy cream
- 3 Tbsp (44ml) fresh lemon juice, about 1½ lemons
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
Instructions
- Heat the milk and cream. Place 4 cups (946ml) whole milk and 1 cup (237ml) heavy cream in a stainless steel or enamel cast iron sauce pan. Warm over medium heat to a temperature of 190-195°F.
- Coagulate with lemon juice. Remove from the heat, then add 3 Tbsp )44ml) lemon juice and salt, stirring once gently to combine. Let sit at room temperature or 5-10 minutes.
- Strain the curds. Place a fine mesh strainer on top of a large, non-reactive bowl. Line the strainer with a piece of cheesecloth that has been folded over 2-3x.
- Strain the ricotta. Gently pour ricotta curds and whey (the liquid) over the cheesecloth and allow to drain for 30-60 minutes. The longer the ricotta sits, the thicker it will be. Begin checking at 30 minutes, draining the excess whey at the bottom of the bowl. (You can set this aside and use in other recipes, see note below!) If you're happy with the texture, move to the next step. If not, let it sit another half hour, when it has further thickened.
- Drain excess liquid. Carefully lift the cheesecloth out of the strainer, twist to seal, then very lightly squeeze out excess liquid. Transfer ricotta cheese to a bowl for serving or place in a storage container for use at a later time. Homemade ricotta is best served warm with a drizzle of high quality finishing oil and a sprinkling of flaky sea salt.
Notes
- Storage: Fresh ricotta keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. For best texture and flavor, let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving. Freezing isn’t recommended, as the curds can become grainy.
- Lemon swap: In a pinch, white wine vinegar can replace lemon juice. The curds will still form, but you’ll miss that delicate, fresh citrus brightness.
Nutrition
Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 106mg | Sodium: 418mg | Potassium: 378mg | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1270IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 314mg | Iron: 1mg
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