Does ricotta cheese need to be cooked?

Ricotta is made from the whey leftover after making other cheeses, and the whey is heated to separate the ricotta curds from the remaining liquid. This heating process cooks the cheese.

However, you may want to cook ricotta in certain dishes for a variety of reasons:

* To melt it: Ricotta doesn't melt easily, but cooking it with other ingredients can help it soften and integrate into a sauce or filling.

* To remove excess moisture: Cooking ricotta can evaporate some of the moisture, making it thicker and better suited for certain applications.

* To enhance flavor: Cooking ricotta with other ingredients can infuse it with additional flavors.

Ultimately, whether you cook ricotta or not depends on the specific recipe or desired outcome.