Ricotta

Meaning "re-cooked", ricotta is a cheese anomaly: it is not made of caseins (like classic cheeses) but of albumin and globulin recovered by heating residual "whey". This biochemistry gives it a flaky, light, and granular texture, devoid of melting strings. It lends itself admirably to pasta stuffings (ravioli) because it retains moisture very well without becoming liquid during cooking. Whipped in a blender, it emulsifies into a cream of cloudy softness.