Ricotta Cheese: Role Player
Ricotta is a whey cheese to which pizzeria operators are no stranger. A menu staple in many pizza shops and Italian restaurants coast to coast, the creamy cheese plays a role in various applications from calzone filling to lasagna enhancer to pizza topper. It often lends texture more than sheer flavor, which contributes to its ability to be used in both savory or sweet dishes.
Though it can be made from virtually any animal milk, in the United States ricotta is predominately made from cow’s milk. The item isn’t going to be the shining star in most dishes, but ricotta’s functionality makes it nonetheless a must-have. Getting right to it, here are some recipes that make excellent use of the cheese. As always, use these as a starting point and experiment until you get it just right for your customer base.
Interested in trying your hand at making your own fresh ricotta in house? It’s surprisingly simple. Here’s an easy method.
Jeremy White is the Editor in Chief for Pizza Today.
