recipes

31 Delightful Recipes Starring Ricotta Cheese

Vegetarian squash tortas, pea potstickers with chile crisp, a cake that’s bursting with berries, and more wonderfully creamy ricotta cheese recipes.
Whipped ricotta cheese on two slices of toast with date and rhubarb compote
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Summer Moore

Why devote an entire gallery to ricotta cheese recipes? If you don’t know the answer, we’re not sure we can be friends.

Just kidding; allow us to explain: Ricotta is kind of like the Muenster or Monterey Jack of the spreadable cheese world: It can be the star, but it’s best as a supporting player, balancing more robust flavors or lending a creamy texture to a dish without adding too much moisture or heft. Its slightly sweet taste is more likely to highlight other ingredients than fight with them.

You can find it in any grocery store, but if you’re the type who wants to get elbow-deep in curds and whey, here’s how to make fresh ricotta cheese yourself. (It’s shockingly easy: All you need is milk, some kind of acid like vinegar or lemon juice, and salt.)

Now, onto our best ricotta cheese recipes.

  • Fried Caper and Artichoke Toasts on a beige plate on a orange surface
    Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pierce Abernathy, prop styling by Olga Grigorenko
    1/31

    Fried Caper and Artichoke Toasts

    Some of our favorite ricotta cheese recipes are simply for toasts, piled high with either sweet or savory ingredients. The cheese acts as a kind of binding so that nothing is lost on its way to your mouth, i.e., it’s very important.

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  • Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi, Prop Styling by Alex Massillon
    2/31

    Manicotti

    This manicotti recipe is made with thin crepes (crespelle in Italian) instead of dried manicotti shells. The result is somehow both delicate and hardy at the same time.

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  • Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Kat Boytsova, prop styling by Gerri Williams
    3/31

    Creamy Ricotta Gnocchi

    Boil and drain the pillowy dumplings, then bathe them in a creamy sauce doused with lemon zest and black pepper. For a version that’s a little less, shall we say, monochromatic, try this Springy Ricotta Gnocchi With Peas and Herbs.

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kate Buckens
    4/31

    Classic Cannoli

    If you can find sheep’s-milk ricotta, then go ahead and use it, skipping the combination of goat cheese and cow’s-milk ricotta in this recipe.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Aneta Florczyk 
    5/31

    Charred Peppers With Lemon Ricotta and Cucumbers

    This is all you need to do in order to make lemon ricotta: Combine ricotta with olive oil, lemon zest, and salt. It goes well with this springy side dish—or any carbohydrate your heart desires. (See above, re: toast.)

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  • Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio
    6/31

    Fried Zucchini and Butternut Squash Torta

    Eating your veggies has never tasted this good. (To be fair, they’re beer-battered and fried until crispy.) Note: The method works for broccolini or mushrooms too.

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  • Photograph by Joyce Lee, food styling by Brandon Gray, prop styling by Chloe Kirk
    11/31

    Summer Squash and Arugula Pesto Pizza

    From the pizza dough to the ricotta-stuffed squash blossoms to the peppery arugula pesto, every component of this recipe is homemade. And if you’re generally a fan of savory, doughy Italian dishes (aren’t we all?), try these vegetarian calzones, which benefit from a mixture of three cheeses, including ricotta, Parmesan, and mozzarella.

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  • Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca
    12/31

    Spinach Lasagna With Ricotta

    The cook time on this classic lasagna is about one hour, which gives you just enough time to change clothes and set the table before your dinner guests arrive. For a less traditional but still party-worthy version, try this Spicy Skillet Lasagna With Ricotta and Spinach.

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  • Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Judy Kim, prop styling by Gözde Eker
    13/31

    Cannoli Ice Cream

    How does one turn a cannoli into ice cream? Mix the creamy base with chocolate, pistachios, and crushed-up sugar cones and freeze it. Boom.

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  • Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Shuai Wang, Prop Styling by Megan Forbes and Christina Hussey
    14/31

    Mouthwatering Charred Beets With Ricotta

    Sichuanese mouthwatering sauce is characterized by its tart and spicy flavor and most commonly paired with poached chicken. Here, sweet beets, grilled kale, and creamy ricotta make for a hearty vegetarian version.

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  • Marcus Nilsson
    15/31

    BA's Best Spaghetti and Meatballs

    One of the most comforting and delicious pasta recipes in the Italian-American culinary oeuvre, spaghetti and meatballs would not be complete without the ricotta that keeps the meat so tender and moist.

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  • Photographs by Jenny Huang, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Sophie Strangio
    16/31

    Ricotta Cornmeal Pound Cake

    “The cake has a surprisingly tender crumb knowing that cornmeal is an ingredient, but that must be due to the ricotta.” Yes, Deb from Philadelphia, it is! And thanks for the comments on this ricotta cheese recipe; we really do read them.

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kate Buckens
    19/31

    White Pesto Pasta

    This weeknight-friendly ricotta pasta is for when only a bowl full of (cheesy, garlicky) carbs will do. It’s not not health food, either: Ricotta contains all nine essential amino acids and is high in protein and calcium.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Sue Li
    20/31

    Broccoli and Garlic-Ricotta Toasts With Hot Honey

    Load one platter with these crostini and another with slices of prosciutto and we’d say you’ve got your dinner party appetizers handled. Now grab yourself a cocktail.

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  • Ditte Isager
    31/31

    Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes

    Some say that mark of a great pancake is that it can be eaten without maple syrup. Well, this ricotta cheese recipe delivers: It’s nutty, lemony, and ever so moist.

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Joe joined the Bon Appétit team in 2022 after climbing the editorial ranks for a few years at Condé Nast’s other food publication, Epicurious. As the senior SEO editor, he works to make sure Google loves all of BA’s cooking stories just as much as you do. Look for his... Read more
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