Ricotta cheese is a common ingredient in lasagna.
Ricotta cheese, or "re-cooked" cheese, is a common ingredient in many Italian or Mediterranean dishes and desserts. The cheese is made either by reheating the sweet whey leftover from other cheese preparation, such as mozzarella or pecorino, or by simply heating cow's milk and adding an acid to separate the whey proteins into curds. Ricotta is often desirable because of its mild taste and relatively low fat content. According to mangiabenepasta.com, ricotta has only a 4 to 10 percent fat content. For those times when ricotta is unavailable, there are a few simple substitutes that will usually yield similar results.
Cottage Cheese
Both cottage cheese and ricotta cheese are unripened cheeses, meaning that they do not require a maturation process like other cheeses. Cottage cheese also has a mild flavor, similar to that of ricotta. The primary difference is its texture. Whereas ricotta cheese tends to be dry and grainy, cottage cheese is more watery and usually has larger curds. However, despite their differences, cottage cheese can almost always be substituted for ricotta cheese, particularly in dishes like lasagna or manicotti. Be sure to drain the cottage cheese before use.
Silken Tofu
For a vegan option, silken tofu is an excellent ricotta cheese alternative. Silken tofu has a texture that is similar to ricotta cheese, and can usually be used in identical proportions. The Go Dairy Free website suggests adding a bit of lemon juice to the tofu before use. You can either put the tofu in a blender or dice it into small pieces.
Paneer
Paneer is an Indian cheese that uses cow's or buffalo milk as well as lemon or lime juice for a coagulant. The primary difference between paneer and ricotta is that paneer is heated to 200 degrees Fahrenheit during its production, whereas ricotta is only heated to 185 degrees. However, in terms of taste and texture, the two are virtually identical if the paneer is made of cow's milk.
Recipe
The following recipe for a vegan ricotta cheese alternative was published in "The New Vegetarian American Cookbook," by Marilyn Diamond. Gather 1 pound firm tofu, 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp seasoned salt or rock salt. Combine three-fourths of the tofu with the other ingredients and mash smooth, or use a food processor. Use a spoon to mash in the remaining tofu to give the right texture.
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