Favorite Ricotta Cheese Recipes

Ricotta is produced from whey, the liquid separated out from the curds when cheese is made.

Italian Ricotta is typically made from the whey of sheep, cow, goat, or water buffalo milk. Water buffalo? Seriously?

It is "technically" not a cheese because it is made from a cheese by-product.

Ricotta is naturally low in fat, with a fat content ranging from 4 to 10 percent.

Ingredients
2 cups water
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups pancake mix (like Hungry Jack complete)
1 cup ricotta cheese
2/3 cup frozen blueberries
Melted butter

Directions
Stir 1/3 cup of water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Stir in the honey. Set aside and keep the honey syrup warm.

Using a rubber spatula, stir the remaining 1 2/3 cups of water and vanilla in a large bowl. Add the pancake mix and stir just until moistened but still lumpy. Stir in the ricotta into the pancake mixture, then stir gently to incorporate the ricotta but maintain a lumpy batter. Fold in the blueberries.

Heat a griddle over medium heat. Brush with the melted butter. Working in batches, spoon 1/4 cup of batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Serve with the honey syrup.

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This recipe calls for oven ready lasagne pasta which saves a ton of time but still tastes delicious. No need for boiling or messy preparation!

What You Will Need

1 box Oven Ready Lasagne (Skinner or Barilla)
2 jars spaghetti sauce of your choice (no meat)
2 eggs
1 container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese
4 cups (18 ounces) mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
1/2 cup (2 ounces) Parmesan cheese, grated
1 pound mild Italian sausage or ground beef

What To Do Next

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Spray 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Brown meat in a skillet over medium heat and drain,

Beat eggs in a medium bowl. Stir in ricotta and parmesan cheeses plus 2 cups of mozzarella cheese.

To Assemble:
Slightly overlap lasagne sheets in pan.
Spread fillings to the edge of each sheet.
Layer in the following order:
Spread 1 cup sauce to cover bottom of baking pan.
Layer 4 lasagne sheets.
Spread half the ricotta mixture and half of the browned meat.
Next, sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella cheese and spoon 1-1/2 cups sauce on top.
Repeat layering lasagne sheets, ricotta cheese mixture, meat, mozzarella cheese and 1-1/2 cups sauce.
Final layer will be 4 lasagne sheets, remaining browned meat, sauce and 1 cup mozzarella cheese

Cover pan with foil.

Bake until bubbly, approximately 50-60 minutes.

Uncover and continue cooking until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.






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Ingredients

24 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup extra-fine whole milk ricotta cheese (to refine, process in a food processor for 1 minute)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups sugar substitute (recommended: Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking)
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon no sugar added vanilla extract
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 eggs
3 egg yolks
Special Equipment: 1 (8-inch) springform cake pan

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Spray the springform pan with nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray. Set aside. In a shallow roasting pan big enough to fit the cake pan, pour about 1-inch of water and place it on the center rack of the oven to preheat.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat softened cream cheese, ricotta, sour cream and sugar substitute on low speed for about 1 minute until well blended.

In a separate bowl, using a wire whisk, mix heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, eggs, and egg yolks until blended.

Turn the mixer on medium speed, and slowly pour the egg mixture into the cream cheese mixture. Beat just until blended and then turn off; be careful not to over-whip.

Pour batter into the greased springform pan. Place pan into the heated water bath. Bake for 15 minutes, and then lower the oven temperature to 275 degrees F. Continue baking for 1 1/2 hours, or until top is light golden brown and cake is pulling away from the sides of the pan. Turn the oven off when finished cooking and leave the cake in the oven to cool for 3 more hours. (This will keep the cake nice and tall.) Then remove cake and refrigerate before serving. Serve chilled.