What Is Ricotta cheese and How Can I Use It?

Wondering what to do with ricotta cheese? This guide covers how to pick it, cook it, store it, and swap it, plus 523 recipes to put it to work.

What is ricotta cheese?

Nutrition

Quick facts

Where to find ricotta cheese: Ricotta cheese is usually found in the cheeses section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group: Ricotta cheese is a member of the Dairy and Egg Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese

乳清干酪

British (UK) term

Ricotta cheese

en français

fromage ricotta

en español

queso ricotta

How much does ricotta cheese weigh?

Related

Dairy and Egg Products

Recipes using ricotta cheese

There are 523 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Cheesy Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms

A cheesy and scrumptious side dish that goes perfect with mashed potatoes or any pasta dish.

Spinach Lasagne

Spinach lasagne layers a creamy ricotta-parmesan-spinach filling with no-boil noodles and tomato sauce, all under bubbling mozzarella and Monterey jack. A vegetarian classic that skips the noodle-boiling step.

Delicious Berry Breakfast Pancakes

Whole wheat berry breakfast pancakes made light with fluffy egg whites and skim milk, sweetened with a little honey, then topped with creamy ricotta, fresh berries and maple syrup. Ready in about 20 minutes.

Breakfast Ricotta Pancakes

Ricotta pancakes whisk creamy ricotta into a simple self-rising flour batter for tender, moist, custardy pancakes. A quick breakfast stack that's lovely with fresh berries, syrup, or a spoon of cream.

Basic Cheesecake

Basic cheesecake with a ricotta and cream cheese filling for a lighter, slightly tangy bite over a classic graham cracker crust. Bakes up tall, creamy, and clean enough to dress up with any fruit or sauce.

Baked Spinach & Ricotta Penne

Baked Spinach and Ricotta Penne recipe

Mini Cheesy Potato Casseroles

These potato cups are incorporated with feta and ricotta cheese. You can feel the chunks of feta in every spoonful.

Ravioli Bundles of Roasted Beets with Roasted Garlic Sauce

Basil and beets inside ravioli bundles served on a bed of roasted garlic cream sauce.

Blueberry-Ricotta Pancakes

This light pancakes taste so great, light, savory, they can be served as dessert, breakfast, all love them.

Feta, Ricotta & Swiss Chard Frittata

Found this recipe in donna hay magazine, and I just happened to have all the ingredients this recipe called for. I did make a few changes and cook it differently. The frittata came out delicious, but next time I will cook it on the stove top first to give a nicely browed bottom, then broil at the last a few minutes.

Lemon Verbena Ricotta Pancakes

Fluffy lemon verbena ricotta pancakes with whipped egg whites for lift and bright lemon zest. Ricotta drained overnight gives the batter a tender, soufflé-like texture worth the wait.

Thousand Layer Lasagna

Home made basil and spinach lasagna with home made red and white sauce, with the thousand layers juice sauce and tasty lasagna, it is a great recipe when you have company coming or a holiday dish for your family.

Baked Calzones

A Calzone is a turnover that originates from Italy. It is made of ingredients similar to pizza folded over and shaped like a crescent. The typical Calzone is stuffed with tomato and mozzarella, and may include other ingredients usually associated with pizza toppings.

Southwestern Vegetable Lasagna

A delicious lasagna dish that's packed with fresh spring vegetables. Use corn tortillas instead of the traditional lasagna noodles to make it a healthy yet tasty meal.

Deli Stuffed Calzone

A cheesy pizza pocket stuffed with 3 kinds of cheese, spinach, tomatoes, olives and salami.

Chocolate Maple Pie

Smooth, silky, rich and chocolaty. You can find all these deliciousness in this chocolate pie.

Vegetarian Barley Casserole with Sun Dried Tomato & Basil Pesto

Barley risotto layered with sun-dried tomatoes and homemade basil pesto, enriched with ricotta and goat cheese, then baked until the pesto toasts golden. A vegetarian main that eats like a feast.

Spinach Stuffed Shells

Cheesy, juicy, tasty and delicious. We used all ricotta cheese, put most of the mozzarella cheese into the filling ingredients, which we really enjoyed.

Cheesy Beet Green Gratin

A delicious way to cook the beet greens into a delicious dish. You can use kale, collard or any similar leafy green to make this creamy and tasty gratin.

Cheesy Vegetable Lasagna

Nobody will say no to this delicious lasagna. Layers of great flavors and very filling. Perfect to make ahead, then reheat it at the dinner time.

Triple Cheese & Zucchini Galette

Too many zucchinis? Try this galette that's made with ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan cheese and zucchini; cheesy and tasty filling is held by a flaky and tasty crust.

Breakfast Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes

Fluffy blueberry ricotta pancakes with lemon zest and whole wheat flour. Healthy breakfast pancakes that stay light and tender with creamy ricotta in every bite.

Whole Wheat Lemony Ricotta Muffins

These deliciously moist and lemony ricotta muffins are made with most whole wheat flour and olive oil, which adds health benefits to your diet without losing any great flavor and texture.

Four Cheese & Spinach Lasagna with Mushroom Ragu

Four cheeses mixed with spinach is the cheese layers, baby portobello mushrooms, dried porcini mushrooms and tomatoes make this delicious ragu. The lasagna comes out cheesy, juicy and full of flavors.

Pasta With Creamy Walnut Sauce & Rapini (Broccoli Rabe)

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Cheesy Spinach & Mushroom Lasagna

Cheesy and delicious! This lasagna will satisfy both of your palate and tummy. For a healthier result, use whole wheat lasagna instead.

Arugula, Parsley & Ricotta Pesto with Pasta

By using both arugula and parsley brings double refreshing taste into the pesto, ricotta adds the extra moisture and creaminess without overwhelming the parmesan, and the toasted walnuts makes the pesto taste nutty and fragrant. Toss it with pasta, or use it as a base on the pizza!

Almost Pasta Primavera

I found this on the cooking echo, it sounded sooo good! It may be worth trying out as soon as I can convience "Bert" that squash is good for you and yours.;-) which is the reason why I put it in my diabetic recipes file

Strawberry Ricotta Phyllo Purses with Chocolate Syrup

These phyllo purses look so lovely, filled with fresh strawberries and creamy ricotta cheese, drizzling some chocolate syrup and dust powdered sugar on top. These are crispy and chocolaty outside, juicy, fruity and smooth inside. And they look so pretty!

Broccoli & Corn Calzone

Refreshingly delicious. You can use whatever seasonal veggies you have for fillings, such as mushrooms, green peppers. Serve it with tomato sauce.

Double Chocolate Ricotta Muffins (Healthier Version)

Using most whole wheat flour and olive oil makes these muffins a lot healthier without losing any deliciousness. Super chocolaty, moist, and addictive, not only kids love it, but grown-ups also can't resist these yummy treats.

Dilly Zucchini Ricotta Muffins

Savory zucchini ricotta muffins with fresh dill weed and creamy ricotta baked into golden tender muffins. Brunch-friendly side that pairs with soup or stands alone with butter.

Mediterranean Stuffed Sweet Baby Peppers

These cute and fresh baby peppers are stuffed with a mixture of ricotta cheese, toasted walnuts, sun-dried tomatoes, basil pesto and black olives. Roast them in the oven, they come out cheesy, oozy and absolutely tasty. Serve these cute yet yummy peppers as an appetizer that everyone will love and enjoy.

Stuffed Pasta Shells

This scrumptious dish has pasta shells stuffed with spinach and ricotta and mozzarella cheese.

Mediterranean Chard, Feta & Olive Tart

A delicious savory tart, chunks of feta, black olives and herbal crust are delicious together. It can be served as an appetizer or a main dish!

Cheese & Walnut Stuffed Mushrooms on Toast

This is a recipe I made for a food styling course from a cookbook. The assignment was to duplicate the look and feel of a recipe from a magazine or cookbook. This is a modified recipe that came from the book Healthy Appetite by Gordon Ramsay.

Roasted Eggplant, Pepper & Garlic with Whole Wheat Pasta

Even if you don't like eggplant, you will love this dish. Roasting develops huge amount of flavor and gets rid of most of the moisture from the vegetables. Roasted garlic just adds more yumminess. A delicious pasta dish that can be served as a side dish or a vegetarian main course.

Strawberry Ricotta & Vanilla Sugar in Phyllo Squares

These delicate desserts are so elegant, ricotta cheese gives the smooth, creamy and light taste and texture, fresh strawberries let the flavor so refreshing and the vanilla sugar adds some nice zing along with some finely grated chocolate pieces on top.

Ricotta Lemon Cupcakes with Almond

Moist, lemony and delicious. These cupcakes are perfect for dessert after your main dish or even a delicious and nutritious breakfast with cup of smoothie.

Baked Polenta with Italian Sausage, Mushrooms & Three Cheeses

Creamy polenta loaded with Italian sausage, mushrooms, red pepper, ricotta, Gruyere, and Parmesan, set in a pie plate and baked into golden wedges. A make-ahead Italian showpiece.

Cheesy Ricotta Cheese Pancakes

Ricotta pancakes made with whipped egg whites for an extra-light, souffle-like texture. A protein-rich breakfast served with fresh fruit and maple syrup, ready in 20 minutes.

Lemony Ricotta Muffins

By adding ricotta cheese makes these muffins so moist and fluffy, freshly lemon zest and juice give the muffins citrus and refreshing taste. These delicate muffins can be breakfast, brunch or a snack during the afternoon, a small and tasty treat at any time!

Spaghetti with Tomato Ricotta Sauce

Mushrooms, ricotta, tomatoes and basil blend wonderful in this hearty sauce.

Ricotta Stuffed Sweet Baby Peppers-Vegetarian Version

Without pancetta or prosciutto, these small treats are still very yummy, with some balsamic glaze drizzling on top. Everyone wants some extra ones.

Renee's Pasta-Vegetable Bake

This recipe was given to me by a former co-worker. It is much lighter and healthier than regular lasagna.

Berries & Ricotta Mini Phyllo Tarts

Fresh berries, light and creamy ricotta cheese with the golden and crispy phyllo, these mini phyllo tarts are melting in your mouth, and you can't stop reaching them.

Venetian Style Ricotta & Sultana Pie

A very old recipe from Venice, Italy, a delicious cheesecake with raisins

Hope's Biquick Leek Quiche

An easy and tasty Bisquick quiche. Leeks and swiss cheese together make this delicious quiche. It can be served as a side dish or a vegetarian main dish.

Ricotta & Strawberry Cheese Pie with Almond Crust

Much lighter than classic cheesecake, and it is very smooth and flavorful, nice and creamy flavor from ricotta cheese and sour cream, lemon juice and zests add the refreshing citrus taste into the cheese pie; and the almond crust was flaky, nutty and tangy.

Moist Cherry Ricotta Muffins

Both cherries and ricotta cheese give the muffins super moist texture, fruity and creamy flavor. Fresh or frozen cherries, either of them will work well.

All 523 recipes