The whey, which was originally turbid and greenish yellow in color, becomes virtually limpid. The name ricotta is derived from the Latin word recocta, which means re-cooked or cooked twice. The ancient Romans made and consumed the cheese but it really became popular in the Middle Ages. Bartolomeo Sacchi, a 15th-century litterateur who resided at the papal court, has left a precise description of the cheese in which he also identified the origin of the name. The country people call it ricotta because it is cooked twice to extract the cheese from the buttermilk.
Ricotta is extremely white and has a rather pleasant flavor.
Storage Ricotta can be kept for a short time in the refrigerator. In cuisine, ricotta is the principal ingredient of a wide range of preparations, both savory and sweet. It is excellent when used in simple pastries in combination with a large variety of vegetables. It is also used in fillings for pastas, pizzas and focaccie. Combined with sugar, aromatized with cinnamon, coffee or chocolate and enriched with candied fruit and rum, the cheese makes an excellent cream for extremely delectable pastries traditional to the Latium region.