Ricotta salata, stacked. Jann Huizenga / Getty Images Signature via Canva Pro
Ricotta Salata is a dry, aged cheese made especially in Sicily and Sardinia.
Note: some North American cheesemakers may drain regular ricotta, salt it and call it “ricotta salata”. This entry concerns instead the Italian original of that name.
Production
To make Ricotta Salata cheese, sheep’s milk whey and cow’s milk are heated until curds form. The curd is then lightly salted, pressed together tightly to form a dense, semi-firm cheese, then aged for 2 months or more. It feels like a dense, dry version of Feta cheese.
Cheeses that are aged longer, about 8 months, become hard enough to grate.
Cooking Tips
Ricotta salata is good in salads because it holds its shape well when sliced.
Substitutes
Feta, well-rinsed
History Notes
Originated in Sicily.
Language Notes
Ricotta Salata has nothing to do with “regular” ricotta: they both just share the word “ricotta”, which means recooked. Despite its name, which means “salted” ricotta, the cheese doesn’t actually taste particularly salty.
Ricotta salata in a market in Syracuse, Sicily, Italy. Joy / wikimedia / 2016 / CC BY 2.0
Ricotta salata cross section. Rebecca Siegel / flickr / 2010 / CC BY 2.0