15 replies to this topic

[slarochelle]

I've got a pasta recipe that calls for crumbled ricotta (preferably Buffalo).

I don't think I've used Buffalo ricotta before, but if it's like the ricotta I have used, it's not something that would "crumble". Feta, that would crumble. Ricotta? Seems to have too much moisture to crumble. Not as much as say, cottage cheese, but enough to make crumbling a challenge.

Am I missing something? Will the standard ricotta give the same effect?

Steve

(FWIW, the recipe is pasta w/tomato, spinach and crumbled ricotta)

[Jinmyo]

Yes.

[La Niña]

Are you sure it says ricotta, and not ricotta salata? Because ricotta salata is crumble-able, not mushy like ricotta. More feta-ish.

Edited by La Niña, 23 January 2003 - 08:41 AM.

[slarochelle]

La Nina, it definitely said "ricotta (pref Buffalo)", no mention of salata.

HOWEVER, in the same book was another recipe w/ "ricotta (pref Buffalo)" (but not crumbled), and in the picture, it looked like a slice of feta, but more creamy. Unfortunately there is no picture of the dish in question.

Maybe I should mention this is from a Jamie Oliver cookbook. Could ricotta salata be the standard in England?

Steve
Washington DC - ish

[La Niña]

Hmm. Regular ricotta is definitely not slice-able, but ricotta salata is. Could be an error.

[Jinmyo]

slarochelle, it's not going to make any difference. Just use what you have.

[La Niña]

Jin - the two cheese taste so different, and the textures are so different - why do you say it's not going to make a difference?

[Jinmyo]

It's a Jamie Oliver recipe.

It'll be about tossing in a bunch of fresh herbs and sqooging some ricotta about, giving it a good ol' go with some extra virgin, me old son.

Perfectly good, but not particularly exacting nor needing exactness.

By the way, I thought hard ricotta was dura?

[La Niña]

Ahh, gotcha.

Speaking of ricotta salata - I've notice that some places have been substituting the Greek cheese manouri for ricotta salata. And although it's similar, it's not the same. Manouri is drier, finer, less creamy. I've spoken to some cheese people about it and the mavens say it's just a way to sell a cheaper product. Anybody experience this? I complained to the guys at my local good Italian market - but so far, no change, so I'm getting it elsewhere.

Jin, by "dura" do you just mean "hard?" Ricotta salata is hard, I don't mean hard like a hard cheese, but slice-able, crumble-able, certainly. I really like ricotta salata - I crumble it in salads, make omelettes with it, put it in tomato sauce, cut it up and serve it with olives, slice it thin and make salami and ricotta salata panini, etc., etc. I always ask for a taste before I buy any, though - because a lousy one can be extremely, extremely salty. Or too dry.

Edited by La Niña, 23 January 2003 - 09:27 AM.

[FoodMan]

Regular Ricotta is not as crumbleable as salata or feta but it defenitly could be crumbled, since it is usually a little grainy and dry.
I do not think this is an error from the book, I think I know what recipe you are talking about and it is not Ricotta Salata.


FM

Edited by FoodMan, 23 January 2003 - 10:02 AM.

[La Niña]

In my experience, ricotta can't really be crumbled, per se. It's sort of, say, chunk-and-drop-able, but not crumbly. I've had fresh ricotta lots of times - it's definitely not crumbly.

[Jinmyo]

La Nina, at Italian botegas in Ottawa I always see it labelled as "dura".

Ricotta is a bit grainy.

Anyway, Our Jamie said "crumble" for the American audience because they might not get whatever pukkha bloody term he might use at home.

[slarochelle]

So, FoodMan, if you are familiar with the recipe, have you tried it?

As Jimnyo said, it is Jamie Oliver, so it's not about exactness. I'm sure I'm being more anal about it then need be.

But now I have an excuse to try something new, ricotta salata, and will know the difference when I hit the store for it. Although it doesn't specifically say salata, its crumbliness is what I want.

Thank you all.

[La Niña]

I heard from somebody who isn't quite sure, but thinks that "ricotta dura" is yet a subcategory of ricotta, and is harder than ricotta salata.

I will email a friend of mine in Italy who is knowledgeable in these matters and see what she says.

[FoodMan]

In my experience, ricotta can't really be crumbled, per se.  It's sort of, say, chunk-and-drop-able, but not crumbly.  I've had fresh ricotta lots of times - it's definitely not crumbly.

That is very true, but I guess crumble is easier to say than "chunk-and-drop". Since as Jin said this is a Jamie Oliver recipe you can sub anything you like and it certainly is not exact but keep in mind that Ricotta Salata will give a much different flavor than regular fresh Ricotta.

I have tried the recipe ;I think, since I do not have the book with me right now but it does sound familiar; and it does taste excellent with Ricotta "Chunked-and-dropped" on it

FM

[slarochelle]

I used ricotta salata, and it does crumble. There is a slight mush happening at the same time.....some of the crumbling end ups stuck to your finger, which was fine with me. But overall, it crumbled nicely.

The dish was a success. Fresh made pasta, steamed leaf spinach, canned plum tomato, and the salata.

It had an amazingly fresh taste. Very nice, considering it was ~ 20 degrees outside when we had dinner.

Again, thanks everyone for your input.

Steve