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It's impossible to find ricotta in Japan, so I've been making my own for a while now. It's really easy and the results are so worth it. A couple of things to add to squeeeb's recipe: heat the milk slowly and stir it occasionally to prevent scorching. Keep the temp to 180-190 degrees F. Lemon juice is great, especially if you're planning to use the cheese for desserts, but any acid will work. I usually use white vinegar, and in a pinch cider vinegar. Also, if you're going to use it for desserts, omit the salt. You can let the milk/vinegar mix cool for a couple of hours, and pour it slowly through the cheesecloth if you don't have a mesh or slotted spoon. If you save the watery part (the buttermilk), you can use it to make other dishes as a substitute for water. The more you stir the curds, the smaller they will be. If you let the curds drain too long, they will become dry, but you can just add back in some of the buttermilk, or any milk, to make them the right consistency for stuffing shells or other pasta. Give it a try!
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