Many came and gone, but no ingredient could become an all-rounder but the ricotta cheese. The incredible ricotta is a versatile cheese and your partner at the right time of hunger. Whichever style or whenever time you have got, be it stirring or whipping, or brunch or dinner, the ricotta recipes have got your back.
What is Ricotta Cheese?
Have you ever imagined what clouds would be like? Ricotta cheese gives you the same impression of a soft fluffy piece of cloud, creaminess and taste is a bonus. Since the article is talking of cheese, the first ingredient would be mainly cow milk.
Ricotta translates to ‘recooked in Italian and it is called a ‘whey cheese’. The milk is separated into two different portions when you make cheese- the curd, and the whey water. Traditionally, the ricotta has been made using the leftover curd.
How to Make Fresh Ricotta Cheese?
Homemade ricotta cheese has a better flavour and texture than the one you will find in grocery stores mainly because it is made fresh. All you need is milk, a lemon, vinegar, and 30 minutes.
Once you have curdled the milk using citric juice and vinegar, you can separate its whey. Add a small portion of whole milk, vinegar and lemon juice mixture to the separated part and heat it to obtain it. The remaining curd will coagulate, become hard and solidify. Strain it in a pot using a cheesecloth.
3 Easy and Delicious Ricotta Recipes
You are good to start using this smooth Italian cheese to serve happiness on a plate. This article has brought to you various quick and simple creamy ricotta recipes you can try at home whenever you like to. Be it evening hunger, a dessert craving, or the sudden arrival of guests, you can do magics to various taste buds.
1. Savoury Ricotta Recipes
For the main course or a quick evening snack, you can easily incorporate ricotta into your dishes. You can try the following list of ricotta recipes for savoury dishes, which are flavourful and creamy.
(a) Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni
An exotic Italian go-to dish for everyone in the house, juicy spinach and ricotta stuffing inside the cannelloni lasagne tubes, with melted cheese and tomato basil sauce as a topping is one of the best and easy savoury recipes you should bless your guests with.
It is creamy, easy to make, friendly to vegetarians, and totally delicious. The greens in the dish make this one of the healthiest ricotta recipes for all.
(b) Zucchini & Herbed Ricotta Flatbread
The zucchini and herbed ricotta flatbread pizza is the love of all family members. Refreshing for summer, flavourful and easy to cook, it is loaded with fresh toppings, herbed garlic ricotta, zucchini, and some blistered tomatoes.
(c) Baked Ricotta
Fresh ricotta baked and paired with crackers, vegetables, or toasted bread, is one of the super yummy ricotta recipes for a quick and simple appetizer.
How to Make It?
Beat an egg, then add some ricotta, parmesan, spices and herbs of your choice. Beat until it combines well. Empty it in an oven-safe bowl and sprinkle some parmesan over it. Bake it and drizzle some olive oil over it. Platter it hot or at room temperature with some side snacks and toasted bread.
(d) Sweet Corn and Ricotta Raviolo
Are you fond of eggs? Because you will surely fall in love with one of the best ricotta recipes that incorporate the egg. Extra-large ravioli with each enveloping an egg yolk, that flows out to combine with pan sauce when cut open in the middle is amazing.
2. Sweet Ricotta Recipes
It has left no stone unturned as its magic resides in the desserts. Incorporating ricotta benefits the desserts as it plays a role in adding moisture and creaminess to them. You can try the following ricotta recipes for sweet and cheesy tastebuds.
(a) Fluffy Ricotta Pancakes
Moist, fluffy and mouth melting, these pancakes are a perfect fit as breakfast pancakes. These are Italian-style pancakes made of sweet ricotta that have their ultimate pancake game-richness and soft.
This is one of the easiest recipes to make because it contains the same ingredients required in the usual recipe of pancakes plus you add the ricotta. Try this recipe and kick start your morning with these soft and warm pancakes.
(b) Lemon Ricotta Cakes
One of the best ricotta recipes to climax an Italian dinner, the lemon ricotta cakes are perfectly soft and gooey with an unbeatable texture and flavour of fresh lemon juice and ricotta. They serve as a perfect breakfast along with fruits as a sider.
How to Make It?
To make a soft and cloudy texture lemon cake, first beat the ricotta along with butter and sugar before incorporating the other ingredients. At least devote 5 minutes of whisking to get the desired texture of the batter.
(c) Ricotta Toast with Pears and Honey
Are you thinking of what to eat for breakfast at bed? Refreshing fruity crusty bread is one of the best fruitful recipes when combined with ricotta. Ricotta toast with fresh pears or apples is the reason to demand breakfast in bed every morning.
How to Make It?
Combine some fresh ricotta with orange zest, a teaspoon of honey, salt, and tahini. Spread it over the toast and top with some sliced apples or pears. You can also drizzle some maple syrup to make it more tempting.
(d) Cherry and Plum Bruschetta
Is it difficult getting off the bed in the mornings? Now you have the perfect breakfast to make you wake up for. A very dish to make for yourself and for your partner to surprise. Show them your efforts by trying this one of the sweetest and cheesiest ricotta recipes.
How to Make It?
Combine some of it with sweet fruits like cherries and plum, with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt, and get addicted to the sweet and salty flavours of bruschetta to enjoy every morning in breakfast or as a dessert.
3. Pasta Dishes Using Creamy Ricotta
Another all-time favourite treat for everyone is the easy pasta dishes. The article has brought to you the best of all exotic and creamy ricotta recipes of pasta, which are not only tasty but also healthy with many vitamins and minerals.
(a) Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta Sauce
Imagine sitting in the verandah of spring, with some lemon ricotta cake and some whole wheat penne tossed with some crunchy veggies in homemade sun-dried tomato pesto sauce.
How to Make It?
Take medium-sized sun-dried tomatoes and blend them along with their oil, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir the tomato puree so obtained with parmesan. The pesto is ready and now you can combine it well with the penne to coat. Serve hot with some cheese on top and salt and pepper.
How to Do Food Styling?
To introduce creativity while serving, you can add some basil leaves on top. If you are using spaghetti, you can twist and serve the noodles with cheese.
(b) Spinach and Ricotta Gnocchi
Light and rich with iron, this lip-smacking recipe of spinach and ricotta gnocchi is heavenly in taste. Serve it for a first-course meal or a lunch party. The creaminess and moisture in your ricotta will be responsible for altering the amount of flour in your dumplings.
This is one of the healthiest and creamy ricotta recipes for a lunch party rich in iron and other beneficial minerals.
(c) Angel-hair Pasta along with Ricotta, Spinach and Artichoke
Delightful and appealing with its colours and flavourful smell, this is an absolute choice for vegetarians during summers.
How to Make It?
Heat the oil and butter and cook the garlic. Cook breadcrumbs in it and then cook pine nuts in it until it is golden. Add butter and cook some spinach and artichoke with some citric juice. Add the pasta and pine nut mixture, toss well and platter it hot.
(d) White Pesto Pasta
Spend an afternoon in a beachside lodge of a delightful Italian beach, or a catch-up party with old friends at your place with this creamy white pesto recipe. Built on a combination of roasted nuts, ricotta, and parmesan with the freshness of chopped garlic and some oregano.
White pesto can be combined well in any of the pasta, be it spaghetti, fusilli, farfalle or penne, it will always be loved for its taste and texture. Ricotta when added to pasta brings out a richness in every recipe, which is why white pesto pasta is one of the best ricotta recipes.
Calm your Taste Buds with Ricotta Recipes
Ricotta has been used as a hero ingredient in many recipes for a long time. Ricotta recipes are the friends who offer you a helping hand when you run out of recipes to charm the dining table.
Now you may have got your supper dilemmas solved and you are good to begin cooking the dinner now. Choose your style, either stir it through fritters or whip it to make a cheesecake. Invite your friends to a homemade brunch or dinner and they will love the ricotta recipes you will serve.
Very infomative! Keep sharing
Thank you so much
Look Delicious.. Will definitely try this recipes!!❤
Thank you so much