What to use instead of ricotta
It depends entirely on what it's doing in the dish. Here's the job, what else does it, and what to skip.
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Soft filling that stays in creamy pockets through a bake
It is a whey cheese with very little of the protein that makes cheese melt and stretch, so it holds as soft white curd instead of dissolving into the sauce.
Whole-milk cottage cheese, drained and blitzedRan out
1:1 by weight, drained 20 min in a sieve, then pulsed until smooth
Tangier and saltier, so cut the salt in the filling. Marginally looser and it browns more on top.
Farmer cheese loosened with creamRan out
1:1 by weight, plus 2 tbsp cream per cup
Drier and firmer, so the filling holds a sharper edge when you cut into the tray. Less sweet.
QuarkRan out
1:1 by weight
Noticeably tangier and it weeps less than ricotta. Smoother, so you lose the slight grain that makes ricotta read as ricotta.
Firm tofu crumbled with lemon and nutritional yeastPlant-based
15 oz firm tofu + 2 tbsp lemon juice + 2 tbsp nutritional yeast + 1/2 tsp salt, pulsed to a curd
Convincing texture and it holds shape well through a long bake. Beanier, and it needs more salt than you expect.
What doesn't work: Cream cheese in a baked ziti or stuffed shells. It is far higher in fat and it does melt, so instead of staying as distinct soft pockets it runs into the sauce and turns the whole tray gluey and uniform.
Sweetened filling piped into a shell without weeping
Drained hard, the curd holds its shape and the sugar dissolves into what moisture is left, so the filling pipes and stays put.
MascarponeRan out
1:1 by weight, folded not beaten
Smoother and richer with no grain at all. It splits into butter and liquid if you overbeat it, so stop early.
Quark, drained overnightRan out
1:1 by weight
Tangier and leaner. It holds a pipe well and the filling tastes closer to cheesecake than to cannoli.
Whole-milk cottage cheese, drained overnight and blitzedRan out
1:1 by weight
Very close once it is smooth. Slightly salty against the sugar, which some people prefer.
What doesn't work: Part-skim ricotta straight from the tub, unstrained. There is too much whey in it and sugar pulls out more. The filling looks right in the bowl and is a puddle in the bottom of the shell fifteen minutes after you pipe it.
Salty aged cheese grated over pasta
Ricotta salata is the pressed, salted, aged version. It is dry enough to shave into flakes that sit on top and season each forkful.
Feta, crumbledRan out
1:1 by weight
Saltier and much wetter, so it crumbles rather than shaving and softens on hot pasta. Tangier from the brine.
Cotija or queso secoRan out
1:1 by weight
Nearly the same job. Drier and sharper, and it stays in visible crumbles on the plate.
Mild pecorinoRan out
3/4 the weight
Saltier and much sharper, so use less. It grates to a powder rather than flakes and disappears into the sauce.
What doesn't work: Fresh ricotta on a pasta alla Norma because the recipe says ricotta salata. Same name, different product. Fresh ricotta is wet, sweet and unaged, so instead of salty flakes on top you get a bland white smear that thins the sauce.