Ricotta salata cheese is made with sheep's milk.
Ricotta cheese is made of cow's or sheep's milk. Most ricotta salata cheese varieties are made from sheep's whey. It is a milky white cheese that is sold fresh and spreadable. Ricotta salata, as a table cheese, ages in 20 to 30 days after purchase. After the initial process, the cheese should feel like a denser, dry feta. At this point it is ready to sell; if allowed to age beyond this point it will become harder.
Ricotta Salata Frescolina
This type of ricotta salata is made of sheep's milk. It is a pure, white, rind-less, soft cheese. It is lightly salted, pressed and dried and then aged for at least three months. This cheese has a nutty, milky flavor according to the 1800 Cheese Club. It is a sweet cheese that is ideal for grating. This variety of ricotta is commonly used in salads, pastas and breads. This cheese is a rare Italian variety that has many uses.
Ricotta Salata Al Forno
This variety of ricotta is made in middle and southern Italy from cow's milk. After the whey is salted and aged, this cheese is baked in an oven. They cheese is brought to a temperature between 180 and 200 degrees for 20 to 45 minutes, according to Latte e derivati. The cooking dehydrates the cheese and compacts the paste, making a hardy, crusted cheese loaf typical of Sicily. This cheese is available in many flavors. For a low-sugar cheese, try this variety baked with lemon.
Ricotta Salata Affumicata
This name translates as smoked ricotta, which is exactly what characterizes this type of ricotta cheese. Traditional ricotta cheese is offered fresh. This type of ricotta, made from either sheep's or goat's milk, is aged for an additional 10 days to one month, and during this time it is smoked. This leads to a 50-percent reduction in the water content of the cheese, resulting in a much harder loaf. Because of the low humidity in this type of ricotta, this salted and smoked cheese keeps on the counter for longer than traditional ricotta. This cheese is primarily grated on top of pasta dishes and is rarely eaten alone, according to Latte e derivati.
Ricotta Salata Moliterna
This is a cheese made from ewe's milk. It is a semi-hard cheese that is soft enough to be spread but hard enough to be sliced. The curd is filtered, salted and formed into cylinders and then aged. This type of ricotta salata is not baked or smoked and, like original ricotta, is a smooth white cheese. When eaten young, this type of ricotta is considered a desert cheese. When aged it becomes ideal for grating.
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