Spicy Buttermilk Ricotta
What is one to do with leftover buttermilk? Turn it into this creamy homemade ricotta!
I often wonder why buttermilk comes in such large jugs. What does one do with all that buttermilk? I used some for a chicken brine this week, and if you have never brined your chicken in buttermilk, boy, are you missing out. Samin Nosrat’s Buttermilk-Marinated Roasted Chicken from her book Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat is one of my all-time favorite chicken recipes, so if you haven’t tried it, I highly suggest you start with her recipe!
Ok, now back to the ricotta…
Staring at that jug of buttermilk in my fridge and with a loaf of fresh bread on my mind, “Buttermilk Ricotta” popped into my head. Why not?
The result - a creamy, tangy, and delicious ricotta. I added some red pepper flakes for spice, but you could surely leave it plain.
Here’s a loose recipe for the Spicy Buttermilk Ricotta. Play with the ratio of milk to buttermilk on your own if you want to experiment with the tanginess of the ricotta. Add spice in small increments so you can customize it to your preferred spice level.
Small Batch Buttermilk Ricotta (makes about 1/3 cup of ricotta)
Ingredients:
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon of salt or to taste
Optional: red pepper flakes
How to: In a medium saucepan, combine the whole milk and buttermilk over medium heat. Stir occasionally to prevent scalding.
Heat the milk mixture until it reaches a temperature of about 180º. This will help the curds form properly.
One the milk mixture reaches temp, remove it from the heat and let it sit undisturbed for about 10 minutes. This allows the curds to fully separate from the whey. If using red pepper flakes, add those now.
After 10 minutes, pour the mixture into a fine mesh sieve or through a cheesecloth-lined colander allowing the whey to drain into a bowl set beneath.
The longer the ricotta sits, the thicker (and less creamy) it will be, so you can decide the consistency you would like it to be.
Transfer the ricotta to a bowl and stir salt, to taste.
I love to enjoy my ricotta smeared on some toasty bread and topped with fresh veggies, herbs, and sometimes even anchovies, these are my favorite!
What else can you do with this ricotta?
layer ricotta with marinara sauce, pasta sheets, and mozzarella for a Classic Baked Lasagna
add ricotta to pancake batter for extra fluffiness and creaminess - try these Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, pro-tip: add blueberries too!
make Ricotta Gnocchi and toss it in a nutty brown butter sauce
Store any leftover ricotta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
