Ricotta

Melt behaviour

Does not melt; softens and can dry out or brown at high, sustained heat

Best added in dollops rather than spread thinly, to avoid drying out over the bake; its low heat tolerance means it fares worse over a long domestic-oven bake than a short, hot one

Storage and preparation

Drain well before use; excess whey will make toppings watery

Common problems

• Spread thinly rather than dolloped, it dries out and can scorch before the crust finishes baking
• Undrained ricotta releases enough whey to make a calzone's interior watery once cut open

Substitutions

• a well-drained cottage cheese in a pinch, though texture differs

Styles using this cheese

• Pizza frittaDefiningGenerally accepted

  A key filling component alongside cooked tomato sauce, its mild creaminess offsetting the fried exterior.

• CalzoneDefiningGenerally accepted

  A key creamy filling component, mild enough to balance the cured meat or vegetables sealed in alongside it.

Evidence

Dolloping rather than spreading ricotta to manage its high moisture and low heat tolerance is standard practice on calzones and baked pan styles.

No external sources attached to this specific claim beyond editorial synthesis.

History and cultural context

A whey cheese with origins tracing to antiquity across the Mediterranean — its Italian name literally means 'recooked', describing the process of heating whey a second time after an initial cheese-making batch to recover its remaining protein, a technique practiced in various forms by ancient Greek and Roman dairying and refined across Italian regional traditions since.

Traditional regions: Italy

Used as a dolloped topping (not melted) or as a calzone/stuffed-crust filling internationally, rather than as a primary melting cheese, since it does not melt the way mozzarella does.

• The Oxford Companion to Food — Oxford University Press