It is tastier than the classic ricotta, it is perfect grated on a pasta dish or on a vegetable pan and can be eaten without guilt because it is less caloric than many other cheeses
It's a ricotta cheese, but does not have the classic soft consistency. IS tough and use it grated to give more flavor to different dishes typical of southern regions. The ricotta salata has the classic conical shape and is not a cheese, but a dairy product, produced from the whey which is a residue of the processing of a sheep or cow cheese, which it is heated again to 85-90 ° (hence the name).
An "annealed" dairy product
The albumins, the whey proteins, when they reach 90 °, are denatured and, separating, surface on the surface, along with the fat that did not end up in the cheese. At this point they are collected and stored in small containers and give rise to ricotta cheese, which is left to cool and then sprinkled with coarse salt. The ricotta thus treated remains to rest up to 30 days and in this way its paste hardens. Because of the salt, which accelerates a dehydration process, the ricotta can lose up to 50% of the liquids it contained.
With sheep's milk
Unlike many other products, ricotta salata is mainly prepared withsheep's milk. That of sheep is a much fatter milk than beef, but it is rich in protein: it contains almost twice as much as cow's milk. The proteins of sheep's milk have a high biological-nutritional value and are rich in antioxidants, capable of inhibiting the action of free radicals, responsible for many diseases and cell aging.
Salted ricotta in the kitchen
Used above all to season the dishes of the tradition in the southern regions, salted ricotta is actually very versatile and goes perfectly with pasta and vegetable first courses. The recipe in which this dairy product finds the ideal combination is the pasta alla norma, a cult of Sicilian cuisine, made with fried aubergines and tomatoes. But he is able to emphasize a simple dish of spaghetti with tomato sauce and basil, as well as to one savory pie with zucchini and bacon. Salted ricotta enhances the flavor of cannelloni and baked pasta if grated abundantly, and is perfect on any vegetable, sautéed or baked au gratin.
Discover in the tutorial some suggestions to bring salted ricotta to the table!
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