From the blog For Love of the Table
This cheese is similar to—and can be used as you would—ricotta. Most recipes that you will find for "Homemade Ricotta" look pretty much like this recipe—the type and amount of acid will vary from recipe to recipe...and methods will vary slightly...but the process (and end product) is pretty much the same. But none of these are really ricotta. Ricotta is traditionally not made from milk. It is made instead with whey and is therefore a byproduct of the cheese making process (most often the Pecorino making process). If I understand the process correctly, you could make fresh ricotta at home. You just have to have access to a large quantity of whey.
1 quart whole milk
1/2 c. heavy cream
A scant teaspoon of kosher salt
3 to 4 T. fresh lemon juice
Pour the milk and cream (if using) into a non-reactive saucepan. Place over high heat and bring to just under a simmer (180° to 190°F), stirring the mixture frequently with a rubber spatula and making sure to scrape the whole pan bottom to prevent scorching. Remove from the heat. Add the salt and 3 T. of lemon juice and stir—you should almost immediately observe curds forming and separating from the translucent whey. If this isn't happening, gradually add more lemon juice until it does. Let the mixture sit undisturbed in a warm place for 10 to 20 minutes.
While the mixture sits, line a wide sieve or colander with several layers of cheesecloth and place over a deep bowl, or directly over the sink.
Working from the side of the pan, push aside some of the curd and gently ladle the whey into the prepared cheesecloth. Try not to break up the curds too much as you work. When you have removed as much of the whey as you can without pulverizing the curd, pour the remaining contents of the pan into the sieve. Lift the sides of the cloth once or twice to help the liquid drain. Don’t press on the curds. Let the curds drain for 15 to 60 minutes, depending on how dry you want your cheese to be. (I like to drain for 15 minutes and serve the cheese right away while it is still soft and warm. Draining it longer will produced something with a texture like cream cheese. No matter how long you drain it, it will firm up considerably upon chilling. For this reason, I always save some of the whey to add back in if the chilled cheese is too firm.) Taste and correct the salt. The cheese will keep for several days in the refrigerator. Makes 1 1/2 cups. Less if it drains longer than 15 minutes.
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