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1
Place butter and milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until butter has melted; remove from heat and let cool slightly.
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2
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt; set aside.
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3
Place egg yolks, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
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4
Whisk in a quarter of the milk-butter mixture (this will temper the eggs and prevent them from curdling), then whisk in the remaining milk-butter mixture until smooth.
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5
Add the reserved flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined (do not overmix); set aside.
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6
In a medium bowl, whisk egg whites to soft peaks (they should bend like soft-serve ice cream; make sure the bowl and whisk are perfectly clean with no traces of grease, or the whites will not whip properly).
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7
Halfway through whisking them, sprinkle in the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
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8
Using the rubber spatula, fold the whites into the reserved batter until just combined.
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9
Gently fold the ricotta into the batter, being careful not to break down the texture of the cheese (the batter will be lumpy and streaked with ricotta); set aside.
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10
Heat a large nonstick frying pan, griddle, or seasoned cast iron skillet over medium heat until hot, about 4 minutes.
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11
Test to see if the pan is hot enough by sprinkling a couple of drops of cold water in it: If the water bounces and sputters, the pan is ready to use.
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12
Lightly coat the pans surface with butter, then use a 1/4-cup measure to scoop the batter into the pan.
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13
Cook until bubbles form on top of the pancakes, about 4 to 5 minutes.
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14
Flip and cook the other side until the bottoms are golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes more.
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15
Repeat with the remaining batter.
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16
Serve immediately with powdered sugar, fruit, butter, or maple syrup.
