Feta is salty, but so is ricotta salata, especially if you're using a traditional one made with sheep's milk. I work in the Specialty Foods department at Whole Foods (with all the fun cheeses) so I get questions like this all the time. Trust me, if you can't find the ricotta salata, feta will work the best. Queso fresco is a good option too. The texture of cottage cheese is completely different than ricotta salata. It will most likely make your dough too wet and sticky, because ricotta salata is a very dry, crumbly cheese, not a wet cheese with large curds like cottage cheese.
If you are concerned about the levels of salt in the dough and the recipe calls for salt additionally, I would add the cheese first, and avoid adding any extra salt to the dough itself. You can always taste it and if it's not salty enough for your preference, add a bit of salt in at the end, or sprinkle it on top. What kind of dough is it, exactly?
Your best bet would be a sheep's milk feta. If it's a vacuum-packed block or crumbled already, you should be fine just making the substitution as-is. If it's packed in brine when you buy it, follow these steps once you get it home
-Pat the block dry with a paper towel or kitchen towel.
-Line a colander with cheesecloth or paper towels and place it over a bowl to catch the water that will drain from the feta.
-Crumble the feta into the colander, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and mix. This will draw out any additional moisture.
-Allow the feta to sit refrigerated in the colander for a few hours, in order to get it as dry as possible.
The reason you want to do this is because ricotta salata has a similar flavor to feta, but has much less moisture, so allowing the feta to drain will prevent the dough from becoming soggy. Good luck!
5 Comments
If you are concerned about the levels of salt in the dough and the recipe calls for salt additionally, I would add the cheese first, and avoid adding any extra salt to the dough itself. You can always taste it and if it's not salty enough for your preference, add a bit of salt in at the end, or sprinkle it on top. What kind of dough is it, exactly?
Voted the Best Reply!
-Pat the block dry with a paper towel or kitchen towel.
-Line a colander with cheesecloth or paper towels and place it over a bowl to catch the water that will drain from the feta.
-Crumble the feta into the colander, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and mix. This will draw out any additional moisture.
-Allow the feta to sit refrigerated in the colander for a few hours, in order to get it as dry as possible.
The reason you want to do this is because ricotta salata has a similar flavor to feta, but has much less moisture, so allowing the feta to drain will prevent the dough from becoming soggy. Good luck!
I would suggest use cottage cheese and mix in some salt to taste. That way you are in control of the saltiness.