Ricotta di Pecora
Ricotta di Pecora
Sheep's-milk Ricotta
If you have access to fresh organic sheep’s-milk ricotta, which is so common in Sicily, please take a moment to reflect on how profoundly lucky you are. Ricotta is one of those elusive ingredients that’s difficult to find in the US in a quality that even approaches that which is readily available all over Italy. The good news is, it’s pretty easy to make a quick version, though full disclosure: This isn’t true ricotta because it’s made with fresh dairy and vinegar rather than cultured whey left over after cheese making. Still, it works in a pinch. If you can’t get whole sheep’s milk, you can use cow’s milk instead.
Ingredients (4)
Ingredients (4)
Instructions
Heat the milk (2 quarts), heavy cream (½ cup), and salt (2 tsp) in a heavy-bottomed medium pot over medium heat to 185°F, stirring frequently with a heat-resistant spatula.
Add the vinegar (3 Tbsp) and stir until curds form. Remove from the heat.
After about 20 minutes, use a fine-mesh strainer to scoop out the curds and transfer them to a cheesecloth-lined colander set over a bowl.
Set aside in the refrigerator to drain for 2 hours.
The ricotta will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
This recipe is part of the Food of the Italian Islands digital cookbook, and is only available once you've purchased the cookbook.
Purchase ($25.00)
