01
Cottage Cheese
10.0best for pie crust1 cup : 1 cup
Mild curds with similar moisture; drain well, slightly less creamy but works in lasagna and stuffed shells
10.0
ricotta substitute
in pie crust.
A splash of Ricotta in Pie Crust dough adds tenderness and helps it hold together when rolling. The replacement should be equally cold and low in fat.
top substitutes
adjustment for this dish
Cottage Cheese has more free whey than ricotta; drain 90 minutes in cheesecloth and puree smooth before folding into the flour-butter mix. Reduce ice water by 1 tbsp since cottage still runs wetter, and chill the shaped crust 75 minutes so the cold butter holds pea-size for flaky lamination.
02
Cottage
10.0best for pie crust1 cup : 1 cup
Smoother texture, works in baking
10.0
adjustment for this dish
Cottage (dry-curd) is naturally drier than ricotta, so skip the drain step entirely. Fold whole curds with cold butter into the flour, reserving chunky bits about pea-size; this contributes to flour pockets that steam open into tender flaky layers during blind baking at 400°F for 18 minutes.
03
Goat
10.0best for pie crust1 cup : 1 cup
Mild and creamy, good in pasta
10.0
adjustment for this dish
Goat is 21% fat and tangier than ricotta; cut the butter by 1 tbsp per cup of flour to prevent a greasy crust. Chill the pulled-together dough 75 minutes (not 60) before rolling between parchment, and dock in a 1/2-inch grid before blind bake since the extra fat makes the shell prone to lifting.
show 11 more substitutes
04
Queso Fresco
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Milder, use ricotta salata if possible
10.0
adjustment for this dish
Queso Fresco is drier and crumblier than ricotta, so blend with 1 tbsp ice water per cup of cheese until it reaches pea-size texture, then fold into the flour-butter mix. Rest 75 minutes chilled to let flour fully hydrate around the drier curds for proper rolling and crimping.
05
Brie
10.01 oz : 1 1/4 oz
Spread on toast or crackers for soft texture
10.0
adjustment for this dish
Brie (at 1.25 oz per 1 oz ricotta) brings 30% fat and a soft rind; remove rind and chill cubes to 38°F before cutting into the flour alongside butter. Reduce butter to 6 tbsp per cup of flour to offset brie's fat, and dock aggressively — the rich dough shrinks on the plate during blind bake.
06
Mozzarella
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Stretchy melty cheese; less creamy than ricotta, use shredded in baked dishes not as a filling
10.0
07
Neufchatel
7.51 cup : 1 cup
Lighter, blend until smooth
7.5
08
Feta
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Milder, creamy; add a squeeze of lemon for tang
10.0
09
Queso Blanco
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Softer, works in cooked dishes
10.0
10
Mascarpone
7.51 cup : 1 cup
Richer and creamier, works in lasagna
7.5
11
Avocado
7.51 cup : 1 cup
Creamy on toast, season with salt and pepper
7.5
12
Greek Yogurt
6.01 cup : 1 cup
Milder, slightly grainy; blend for smoother texture
6.0
13
Sour Cream
6.01 cup : 1 cup
Thicker, add splash of milk and lemon to thin
6.0
14
Heavy Cream
6.01 cup : 1 cup
Blend smooth with 2 tbsp milk for cream-like texture
6.0
technique for pie crust
technique
Ricotta in pie crust replaces part of the cold liquid and keeps the dough pliable without adding water's full gluten-forming power, yielding a crust that's both flaky and tender. Drain ricotta 45 minutes to 3% free whey, then fold in pea-size cold butter pieces already cut into flour.
Hydrate the mixture with 2 tbsp ice water per cup of flour plus 3 tbsp drained ricotta; the dough should just hold when pinched. Rest chilled for 60 minutes before rolling to relax gluten and firm up flour pockets for lamination.
Dock the shell with a fork in 1/2-inch grid before blind baking at 400°F for 18 minutes with pie weights, then 8 minutes uncovered. Unlike ricotta in scones which stays chunky and delivers visible layers, pie crust demands ricotta fully smeared into the fat so the shell crimps cleanly and doesn't shrink.
Roll between parchment to avoid flouring — extra flour toughens the rest of the dough, and ricotta crusts already have limited gluten tolerance. Chill the crimped shell 20 minutes before it hits the oven.
pitfalls to avoid
watch out
Don't skip draining ricotta to 3% free whey; wet curds flood the flour pockets and collapse flaky lamination.
watch out
Avoid flouring the dough during rolling; use parchment instead so tender ricotta crust doesn't toughen from added dry flour.
watch out
Chill the crimped shell 20 minutes before blind baking or the crimps slump and the crust shrinks down the plate sides.
watch out
Dock the base in a 1/2-inch grid before pie weights go in, or steam lifts the center and cracks the shell bottom.
watch out
Skip pulse mixing past 10 seconds when cutting in cold butter; over-pulse crumbles pea-size pieces to sand and kills the rise.