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White ricotta salata with a crumbly cut surface and a little grated cheese.

Ricotta salata

Ricotta salata is a saltier ricotta form distinguished from fresh and baked ricotta in Sicily’s culinary descriptions.

Italian name
Ricotta salata
Distinct forms
Fresh, salted and baked ricotta

A finish for pasta

For Catania’s pasta alla Norma, finish the pasta with tomato sauce, fried eggplant and grated ricotta salata. Add the salted cheese as a final grating. Choose ricotta salata when the recipe names it, rather than swapping in fresh or baked ricotta.

The right tools for it

Picked for this food.

  • OXO Good Grips Box Grater

    For grating this firm cheese over the finished dish or into a filling.

    Amazon
  • Cuisipro Surface Glide 4-Sided Box Grater

    Sharp, smooth-running faces that make short work of hard cheese.

    Amazon

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Cook with it

Keep the forms distinct

Choose the ricotta form called for by your dish: fresh, salted and baked ricotta are distinct forms. Check the producer’s label for the milk used.

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