Homemade Ricotta Cheese

5 from 4 votes

Homemade Ricotta Cheese stuffed into roasted tomatoes are a thing of beauty! They're easy to make, delicious to eat, and look just about perfect on a breakfast or buffet table.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

chill time1

Total Time2

Course: BBQ Side dish, Vegetables, Vegetables - Side Dish

Servings: servings

Calories: 193kcal

Author: Renee Goerger

Ingredients

For the homemade the ricotta:

4 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
pinch salt

For the roasted tomatoes:

6 firm Roma plum tomatoes
Olive oil to drizzle
salt and pepper to taste
fresh basil leaves for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To make the homemade ricotta cheese:

In a large saucepan over low heat, bring the milk and cream to just below a simmer *Note - watch carefully and do not let the mixture boil or simmer.
*NOTE - You're looking for warm to the touch.
Stir in the apple cider vinegar, salt, and red pepper flakes (you'll notice curds forming almost immediately).
Cook on low, occasionally stirring for about 4-5 minutes.
*Note - it will be very thin, like watery oatmeal.
Turn off the heat and allow the curds to sit and cool for about 5-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, fold a large piece of cheesecloth and place it into a strainer over a bowl large bowl.
Pour the curds and whey (the remaining liquid) into the strainer with the cheesecloth and allow the curds to drain.
*Note - this will take quite a long time (at least 30 minutes) and will require you to discard the whey (liquid) in the bowl several times until the ricotta has adequately drained.
Once almost completely drained, place bowl, strainer, and ricotta into the refrigerator to cool and firm.

To make the roasted tomatoes:

Carefully scoop out the seeds and membrane.
Place the cut seeded and cut tomatoes on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Roast the tomatoes in a preheated 325-degree Fahrenheit oven for approximately 30 minutes.
*Note - Cooking the tomatoes longer will cause the tomatoes to collapse and won't be able to hold the filling.
Remove and cool completely at room temperature.
Once cool, fill each roasted tomato with a nice scoop of the red pepper ricotta and top with a pinch of black pepper.
Garnish with fresh basil leaves (if desired) and chill until ready to serve, or serve at room temperature.

Notes

Keep the ricotta cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Nutrition