Use it up · Eggs and dairy

Ricotta

Have extra ricotta? Here’s how to choose, store and prep ricotta, plus 7 family recipes to use it all up, best matches first.

🍽 See the recipes 🧺 Pick a few things you have

🛒 Choosing it

Whole-milk ricotta is creamier; part-skim is lighter. Both work in baked pasta.

🧊 Storing it

Fridge: About 1 week after opening
Freezer: Not recommended

Keep the fridge at 40°F or below and the freezer at 0°F. Freezer times are for best quality; food kept frozen at 0°F stays safe. When in doubt, throw it out. Times from Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

🔪 Prepping it

Mix with egg and Parmesan for lasagna and stuffed shells, or spoon onto toast with fruit.

🥣 Make it from scratch

Fresh ricotta-style cheese

📊 Nutrition per 100 g

Ricotta cheese. 100 g is about 3 1/2 ounces.

Calories	138 kcal	7%
Protein	11 g	23%
Total fat	7.9 g	10%
Saturated fat	4.9 g	25%
Total carbohydrate	5.1 g	2%
Dietary fiber	0.0 g	0%
Total sugars	0.3 g
Sodium	99 mg	4%
Calcium	272 mg	21%
Iron	0.4 mg	2%
Potassium	125 mg	3%

% Daily Value for adults (FDA). From USDA FoodData Central 171248 (SR Legacy).

🍽 Recipes that use it up

7 recipes, the ones that use the most ricotta first.

Plan them into your week in the meal planner, or find recipes for two or three things at once with the “What can I make?” picker.

More eggs and dairy

Eggs Milk Butter Cheddar and other firm cheeses Mozzarella Parmesan Cream cheese Sour cream Yogurt Cottage cheese Cream and half-and-half Buttermilk Feta All ingredients →

Storage times and buying tips are general guides from the sources below; follow any date or instructions on the package. Cook meat, poultry, fish and eggs to the USDA safe temperatures in each recipe.