Ricotta with Fresh Fruit

Enjoy Ricotta with Fresh Fruit for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, or  dessert. It is a low calorie alternative to cheesecake. An equivalent  weight slice of cheesecake can have over 3 times as many calories (about 700 calories). You do not need 700 calories from a dessert if your goal is losing weight.

Ricotta is Italian for recooked. It is made using the whey from cheese making. The whey is heated a second time, the first time is when making cheese, hence the name ricotta.

Ricotta is a soft, creamy, slightly sweet cheese similar to cottage cheese without the curds. It is commonly associated with lasagna and cannoli. Very few Americas eat or enjoy ricotta as a dessert other than in a high calorie cannoli. Ricotta with fresh or canned fruit is a healthy alternative to cannoli.

The number of calories in ricotta depends on whether you use non-fat or whole milk ricotta. A typical 1/4 cup serving (61 g) ranges from 50 to 100 calories.

Nutrition information for this recipe is for whole milk ricotta.

You can make a type of ricotta that is not technically ricotta since it is made from fresh milk and not from whey left over from making cheese. Homemade ricotta can be much firmer, almost like goat or feta cheese, since you control how much liquid is removed.

Related Recipe

Homemade ricotta recipe

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (61 g) whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) granulated sugar (optional)
• 3 oz. (85 g) any fresh fruit or fruits

Method of Preparation