Ricotta has a use in all cuisine types and most preparations, such as tomato-basil torts.
Cheese makers produce traditional ricotta salata by reheating whey from other cheeses, such as provolone and mozzarella. American ricotta commonly uses a combination of whey and milk. Ricotta has a mild, salty flavor and a consistency similar to a creamy cottage cheese. It pairs well in several sweet and savory preparations, including desserts, starters and main courses.
Starters
Ricotta salata serves as a versatile accompaniment to numerous starters, appetizers and amuse bouche. Use ricotta as a part of a stuffing mixture for small mushrooms, such as baby bellas or buttons. For instance, add freshly-chopped lemon-thyme, lump crab meat, melted unsalted butter, panko and ricotta to a bowl, mix well and season to taste with kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Remove the mushroom stems, fill with the ricotta mixture, bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for eight minutes and top with chiffonade of basil. Other ricotta mixtures could include bacon, Parmesan and sun-dried tomato, or Parma ham, figs and crushed pistachios. Crumble ricotta over bruschetta or over a prosciutto tasting with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and freshly-cracked black pepper. It also pairs well with fresh fruit and honey, such as plums, blood oranges and mangoes.
Salads
Ricotta highlights other ingredients in many cold and warm salads. Successful cold salad preparations with ricotta may include cannellini beans, thinly-sliced fennel, Kalamata olives, thinly-sliced shallots, toasted pine nuts and a crisp, olive oil vinaigrette. Warm salad presentations featuring the cheese might include chicory or frisee lettuce, arugula, soft roasted garlic, baby beets and heirloom tomatoes, finished with warm bacon vinaigrette and freshly-cracked black pepper.
Sides
Incorporate ricotta in accompaniments to main dishes. For example, finish hot polenta with ricotta, savory, thyme and a touch of heavy cream. Pour the polenta mixture onto a sheet pan, allow it to cool and place in the freezer. Remove when frozen, cut individual squares or shapes of choice and place in a pan with olive oil over low heat. The melting ricotta will indicate it's ready for service. Warm couscous also pairs successfully with ricotta, sage, rosemary and roasted tomatoes.
Mains
In addition to common applications, such as pasta, ricotta salata has several uses as part of main course preparations. For instance, incorporate ricotta into gnocchi dough, and finish with a sauce comprised of sun-dried tomatoes, cream, freshly-torn basil, fennel and Parmigiano-Reggiano. German spaetzle benefits from the addition of ricotta in its batter, as do Cantonese dumplings or pot stickers -- although a non-traditional preparation, the saltiness of the ricotta plays well off the sweetness of the dumplings, particularly when paired with pork.
Desserts
Incorporate ricotta into desserts such as stuffed crepes and cannoli. Combine semi-sweet chocolate, amaretto, vanilla bean, fresh berries of choice, lemon zest, sugar, mascarpone and heavy cream over medium-low heat. When warm, place in the center of a crepe, roll and top with fresh fruit. For cannoli filling, add ricotta, semi-sweet chocolate, sugar, vanilla and Kirsch liqueur to a small saucepan and place over low heat. Roll the cannoli as required and fill.
Tags: with ricotta, black pepper, also pairs, fresh fruit, freshly-cracked black