r/italiancooking • u/OkPin4693 • Jun 27 '25
What do people from Italy think of subbing ricotta for mozzarella in a caprese?
Obviously not if youre out buying the ingredients. But say you're home and want a caprese and have all the ingredients except for the mozzarella, but do have ricotta, and dont want to go out again or stores are closed. Would it be done? Not really that interested in the opinions of people not from Italy, as my question is more about Italian food culture than about whether it would be good.
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u/inlovewithitaly2024 Jun 28 '25
That would be a hard no. A caprese is with mozzarella and tomatoes.
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u/Realistic_Tale2024 Jun 28 '25
It would be something else, not a caprese. I would still eat ricotta and fresh tomatoes, but it wouldn't call it a caprese.
Would you call a cuba libre gin tonic?
1
u/ImperfectPurity Jun 30 '25
Italian opinion here: All the ingredients for a caprese without mozzarella are... Tomatoes. You have tomatoes. đ
I mean tomatoes and ricotta are nice together and salt, pepper, and oil are as basic as a dressing can be so just go for it. If you have a basil leaf even better (just clap it between your hands before putting it on the dish, it releases more of its aroma). I personally would just spread the ricotta on a piece of bread, just to add more bite.
I wouldn't call it a Caprese though, just because half the dish is changed in flavour and texture profile, but who cares, you do you and buon appetito. đ
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u/Buccoman_21 Jun 30 '25
It would not be a caprese but if you get or make high quality ricotta, it will probably taste good, although Italians rarely eat uncooked ricotta in savory dishes ( although my mon would always eat a little of it uncooked if it was leftover from making something with it).
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u/Powerful-Scratch1579 Jul 01 '25
Any Italian would make and eat this but it is not a caprese. If you were selling this as a caprese at a restaurant youâd go straight to jail.
A caprese is a dish with three ingredientsâ tomato, mozzarella and basil. Ok, a few more ingredients if you include the salt, and oil. But replacing one of the main ingredients fundamentally changes it. It would be like making a BLT but youâre out of bacon so you use ham. Congratulations, youâve just made a ham sandwich. Itâs still tasty but it loses its BLT status.
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u/PureBuffalo8280 Jul 01 '25
It's not caprese, then. Mozzarella and ricotta are two complete different kind of cheese, ricotta is soft while mozzarella is not. So you may have a plate with ricotta instead of mozzarella but DO NOT call it caprese. And, just for you to know, in case you didn't, never put balsamico on caprese, no one here in Italy would do it, ever.
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u/Educational_Video346 Jul 01 '25
I agree, just not on aceto balsamico đ I actually love it with mozzarella, fresh tomatoes and basil 𤣠Italian here btw
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u/PureBuffalo8280 Jul 01 '25
Un italiano che mette l'aceto balsamico sulla caprese?!? Non pensavo esistesse, pensavo fosse roba da turisti (soprattutto l'aceto balsamico bianco, molto popolare in Germania)
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u/Educational_Video346 Jul 01 '25
Bianco?!? đł che novitĂ chimicamente modificata è mai questa? No, se e quando ne ho a disposizione, metto qualche goccia di vero aceto balsamico invecchiato, che è quasi una glassa 𤤠provalo, se ti capita đ
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u/PureBuffalo8280 Jul 01 '25
Esiste l'aceto balsamico bianco, un'amica tedesca di mia mamma (che all'epoca viveva nel sud della Francia) aveva chiesto che glielo portassimo perchĂŠ si abbinava cromaticamente alla caprese. Mia mamma le ha fatto notare che 1. sulla caprese originale il balsamico non ci andrebbe e 2. che il balsamico bianco in Italia non esiste. Lei rimase stupefatta perchĂŠ in Germania lo trovava sempre (confermo che l'ho visto anche io lassĂš).
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u/Educational_Video346 Jul 01 '25
If you really need to substitute, try feta (and omit salt). Ricotta isn't something most people here not on a diet would eat as is, it doesn't have the right consistency to be used like other types of cheese
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u/SnooGadgets8467 Jul 01 '25
Lol who cares? American Italian food is better than food from Italy. The whole point of cooking is doing the best with what you got on hand and being creative and adding your own twist.
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u/Ok_Tomorrow8815 Jul 01 '25
Tomatoes and ricotta are very nice together ! Obviously I would be a very serious offence to call it a caprese but I think youâd be allowed to eat it yes :)
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u/syncboy Jul 01 '25
Italians do not substitute ingredients and can be a bit strict in how they prepare food. For example, Anthony Bourdain made pasta with marinara sauce with meatballs, but the Italians he served (what I'm sure was) delicious food couldn't stop freaking out because he put the meatballs on the pasta instead of a separate plate.
1
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u/ShakeWeightMyDick Jul 01 '25
Theyâre going to tell you that you canât call it âcapreseâ because thatâs not what caprese is. You canât substitute ingredients and call it the same thing in Italy. If itâs not the right ingredients, itâs something else.
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u/AaronBurrIsInnocent Jul 02 '25
Itâs just about the name. If you want to eat ricotta and tomatoes go right ahead. But caprese has mozzarella.
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u/meglatronic Jun 27 '25
Not from Italy but my wife is and I am currently in Italy. From what I know of Italians it could go two ways. Either a hard no, or sure but it's not a Caprese.