Topping my list of cheeses that deserve more love than they get: ricotta salata. With spring imminent and asparagus beckoning, this savory sheep cheese should be in your fridge. It’s so useful! I don’t snack on it—it’s not meant for that—but I do shave it in salads and grate it on pasta with spring vegetables or lamb ragù. It loves asparagus, fava beans, peas, fennel, zucchini, beets. Basically, it’s ricotta with moisture removed so it will last longer.
Fresh ricotta loses its charm quickly. Within three or four days, it no longer tastes fluffy and sweet. But pressing it to remove whey and then salting the wheel makes it last a lot longer. Cheesemakers in Southern Italy figured this out eons ago. In times past, shepherds would put the pressed wheels on a ledge above the fireplace to dry out and absorb some of the smoke. Smoked ricotta salata is fantastic but good luck finding it. Importers have largely stopped bringing it in because nobody knows it and it doesn’t sell.
On a Calabrian farm: smoked ricotta salata
Even ricotta salata doesn’t last long after you open a package. I often see traces of surface mold developing after a couple of weeks. If that happens, don’t discard the piece. Just scrape off or cut out the mold. Then try to use the remaining cheese within the next few days.
How to store: If you buy pre-cut ricotta salata in plastic film, take it out of the plastic immediately. Rewrap it loosely in wax paper or coated cheese paper and put it in a lidded container or Ziploc-type bag. Everytime you take it out of the fridge and use some, replace the wrap. If you own a vacuum sealer, you can buy a big piece and seal what you’re not going to use within a couple of weeks.
Ricotta salata isn’t as salty, sheepy or hard as aged pecorino romano. Occasionally I find a version that’s relatively creamy, but typically it’s dry enough to grate.
With a cheese plane, shave ricotta salata into green salads with shaved fennel, sliced beets, peeled fava beans, radishes or zucchini ribbons.
I also like to mix equal parts of grated ricotta salata and pecorino romano for topping pasta or bean soup.
Shaved Asparagus & Arugula Salad with Ricotta Salata
No salad says springtime like this one. Pick up a rotisserie chicken from the market and dinner is good to go in 10 minutes. I developed this recipe originally for Discover California Wines. Pour a steely Sauvignon Blanc.
Dressing:
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon Vietnamese fish sauce
1 small clove garlic, very finely minced or grated
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Salad:
8 thick asparagus spears
3 ounces baby arugula or other baby greens (about 3 large handfuls)
Chunk of ricotta salata cheese
Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, fish sauce and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To trim the asparagus, hold each spear horizontally between both hands and bend it. It will snap naturally at the point at which the spear becomes tough. Discard the tough ends or use to make vegetable stock.
Working with one spear at a time, lay the spear flat on a work surface and shave it lengthwise into thin ribbons with a sharp vegetable peeler. Put the asparagus ribbons in a salad bowl and toss with just enough dressing to coat them lightly. Add the arugula. With a cheese plane or vegetable peeler, shave about 3 ounces of cheese—or as much as you like—into the bowl.
Add enough dressing to coat the salad lightly; you may not need it all. Toss gently, taste for seasoning, and serve immediately.
Serves 4