The word ricotta in Italian means recooked.
It does not mean that the ricotta cheese is cooked twice but instead refers to the process of reclaiming the proteins from whey.
Real Italian Lasagna does have ricotta as well as rich meat ragu and mozzarella.
Ricotta cheese pairs well with lasagna, pizza, crackers, spaghetti, dried fruits, vegetable sticks, bread, garlic bread, spinach and other finger foods.
When cooking or baking with ricotta cheese the ricotta cheese needs to be cooked for a least 30 minutes so that the ricotta cheese puffs up like a souffle and turns golden brown on the top.
Ricotta cheese is anti inflammatory and is also good for lowering blood pressure as well as for improving bone health and aiding in weight loss.
To drain cottage cheese or ricotta cheese place a cheesecloth lined or fine mesh strainer over a bowl and pour the cottage cheese or ricotta cheese into the strainer and allow it to drain until the liquid is off of the cheese.
Store bought ricotta does need to be drained if using the ricotta cheese in baked goods.
If you don't drain the ricotta before using it in baked goods the soggy ricotta cheese will make heavy pie crusts, cakes and even soggy dishes such as pasta or lasagna.
To drain ricotta cheese you should place a cheesecloth line, fine mesh strainer over a bowl.
Ricotta cheese is not bad for high blood pressure as ricotta cheese is pretty low in sodium which around 75 mg of sodium per 1 ounce serving of ricotta cheese.
Fresh Mozzarella and Goat cheese are also pretty low in sodium which makes them okay for high blood pressure.
You can eat ricotta cheese like yogurt or like cottage cheese.
If you want to eat ricotta cheese right out of the container you can do so or add it a bowl.
Ricotta cheese will last for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
It's best to eat the ricotta cheese within 1 to 2 weeks of buying it.
Mascarpone is not the same as ricotta although they are similar.
Mascarpone has a smooth and creamy texture that is similar to heavy whipping cream and Ricotta Cheese has a grainy texture like cottage cheese does.
The cheese that is close to ricotta cheese is Mascarpone cheese or Queso Fresco which is a fresh Mexican cheese that makes a good replacement for ricotta cheese in many dishes.
Ricotta and cottage cheese are not the same cheese although they are both soft, white and fresh cheese.
However there are some differences between ricotta which is that cottage cheese contains more liquid and is also lumpier than ricotta and ricotta cheese is made from very find curds that result in a smooth and slightly grainy texture.
The reason to use an egg with ricotta cheese is to help bind the cheese for the lasagna so that it does not ooze out of the lasagna or casserole when you cut it.
The egg helps all the cheesy goodness of the ricotta cheese to stay intact.
Cottage cheese does not taste the same as ricotta in lasagna as cottage cheese has a sharper and more acidic flavor than ricotta.
Ricotta cheese has a sweeter taste and does not clash with the ingredients in Lasagna like cottage cheese would.
Cottage cheese also remains grainy and lumpy in lasagna which is not ideal.
It is OK to eat ricotta everyday as it is healthy and is good as a part of a balanced diet.
However eating too much of the Ricotta could be fattening but as long as you eat small amounts of ricotta everyday it can benefit your health.
You can eat ricotta straight out of the container or add it to bread or other foods.
You can freeze ricotta cheese although when frozen and thawed the ricotta cheese will have a grainier texture although the flavor will still be the same.
Ricotta cheese is somewhat high in sodium with 136 mg of sodium per half cup of ricotta cheese.
The best way to eat ricotta cheese is to spread it on some toast, nachos or eat the ricotta cheese plain or even on salads.
You can eat ricotta cheese by itself or spread it on bread or add the ricotta cheese to other dishes.
I eat ricotta cheese by itself just like I would eat some cottage cheese by itself.
Italians eat ricotta cheese by itself or by adding honey, ham or spreading the ricotta cheese on warm bread.
Ricotta cheese is mainly used for dishes such as stuffed shells and Lasagna although Ricotta Cheese can be used in many other dishes or even eaten plain.
You can also use ricotta cheese on toast or put it with corn, scallions, pesto, tomatoes, fried eggs etc.
Or top the ricotta cheese with strawberries or honey or bananas, nutella or other fruits.
Ricotta cheese is an Italian whey cheese that is made from sheep, cow, goat, or Italian water buffalo milk whey left over from the production of other cheeses.
Like other whey cheeses, Ricotta cheese is made by coagulating the proteins that remain after the casein has been used to make cheese, notably albumin and globulin.
Ricotta Cheese can be frozen but when frozen Ricotta Cheese changes in texture.
However it's still safe to eat and frozen Ricotta Cheese is good in baked goods.
The ricotta cheese can be frozen for up to 2 months.
When freezing ricotta cheese just be aware that while the ricotta cheese can be frozen that the texture and taste of the ricotta cheese can change.
The ricotta cheese will remain safe to eat but it may not taste as good.
I would only freeze cheese such as ricotta cheese or any other cheese if I were just using the ricotta cheese or other cheese for cooking.
When cooking with ricotta cheese or any other frozen cheese you won't notice the texture or taste change.
But even if you don't cook with the cheese it's still okay to freeze it.
Ricotta is an Italian whey cheese made from sheep, cow, goat, or Italian water buffalo milk whey left over from the production of other cheeses.
Like other whey cheeses, it is made by coagulating the proteins that remain after the casein has been used to make cheese, notably albumin and globulin.