Making (or substitute for) ricotta cheese?

Question

Some of my favorite dishes call for ricotta cheese, be it anything from a lasagna to cannoli. Arguably, this is a very easy thing to find in the States (and presumably elsewhere), so I'd never thought about it. But, living in Japan, I have yet to find it anywhere - supermarkets, import shops, or cheese shops. (Mind you, cheese is a pretty rare thing here, and a delicacy at that.)

So, being unable to buy it anywhere, what are my options? Is there a substitution I can try, or is it something I can make at home?

Answer 1

Pulse posted a recipe, and while I've made ricotta using the yogurt/vinegar combo before, I find you get better tasting ricotta with this simple recipe:

• 1 liter whole fat milk
• 1/4 liter sour milk/buttermilk (2%+ fat)
• Large pinch of salt

Bring the milk, buttermilk and salt to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer for a few minutes, until the milk curdles. Pour the curds and whey through a cheesecloth-lined strainer, and hang the cheesecloth for 15-30 minutes. The longer you wait, more solid your ricotta will become. One liter of milk will make about 150-200 grams of solid ricotta.

I like this recipe because of its simplicity. You get better results by using better quality dairy, and you can substitute sheep/goat milk if available. It also scales extremely well, and often I quadruple the recipe without a hitch.

Answer 2

You can make ricotta at home and it's not that difficult. You don't need anything that may be hard to find. Here's a really simple recipe:

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/homemade_ricotta_cheese/

As a substitute, you have a few options. One would be cottage cheese. The problem is it tends to be a bit watery, so dump a pot or two into some fine cheesecloth, place it in a strainer for an while and it will be a little better.

Another option would be Paneer. it's really simple to make and you can have it ready within the hour. here's a recipe:

How to Make Paneer

Whilst both of these options work, they will not be ricotta...

Answer 3

Joe mentioned tofu as a ricotta substitute when making cannoli; I recommend it for lasagna as well.

I love my mom's lasagna, and I only found out as an adult that she uses soft tofu instead of ricotta. Now, I do the same.

Answer 4

My mother doesn't like ricotta cheese, so all of the lasagna I had growing up was with cottage cheese plus some extra Parmesan cheese in place of ricotta. My family enjoyed that recipe many years. (Note: I'm not saying this makes a similar flavor -- it doesn't. She did this specifically because she doesn't like the flavor of ricotta.)

Answer 5

See some of the other suggestions for trying to actually make cheese ...

... but for lasagna, you don't necessarily need ricotta -- there are a number of very good recipes that use a bechamel (white sauce) and only a little bit of a grating cheese (parmesean, pecorino romano, etc.) on top.

For the cannoli, you might try experimenting with sweetening some silken tofu, and putting it through a blender to make it creamy. I'd try using powdered sugar, if it's available, both because it won't leave a gritty quality, and it contains cornstarch which might help to keep it from getting too watery. A quick internet search found a few hits on 'tofu cannoli' and 'soy cannoli' if you want to see what other people have done.

Answer 6

I've used this recipe http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/000282.html for making fresh ricotta.

Also, depending on what you are putting it into, the acid from a small amount of lemon juice will also help start the curdling and carries a nice taste into the cheese.

As for finding the cheesecloth, my best source has been the hardware store (Home Depot and Lowes here), the paint section carries cheesecloth for straining paint.

I strongly recommend making your own, the first time I made a batch for my mom when she was making Lasagna, it took the dish to a whole new level.

Answer 7

I'd go for sauce béchamel for lasagna and cannelloni if you have to find a quick solution.