The recipe for this quick, fresh cheese from Mozza chef Nancy Silverton should be a part of every cook's repertoire. It calls for only four ingredients and takes just 30 minutes to make. While it's not technically ricotta (Italian for "recooked") because it's not made by reheating whey (the liquid left over from making mozzarella), it boasts a fresher flavor and creamier texture than the stuff in your supermarket dairy aisle.
If your only experience with ricotta has been smothered inside lasagna or ravioli, you need to try this simple, herby, green-chile studded ricotta taco.
Life in the hilly inland of Molise was for centuries a pastoral existence, and the traditional staples of the pastoral table are still essential elements in cooking alla Molisana. Ricotta, a nutritious and always available by-product of cheesemaking, thus appears on the table in many forms, such as gnocchi, with pastas and vegetables, and in soups—or eaten just plain, with bread. Here’s one of the most delicious ways that ricotta can be enjoyed: drained, shaped in small pieces, breaded, and fried, ricotta fritta gains new dimensions of texture and flavor. Serve these fried ricotta morsels as a savory appetizer or main course, in a puddle of tomato sauce or on top of braised vegetables. On the other hand, if you top them with some poached peaches or peach preserve or fruit jam with a dollop of whipped cream, you have a glorious dessert.
This upscale quiche is great for company. Read the section on blind-baking the crust a few times before you get started; it’s the trickiest part (but by no means hard). The only special equipment you’ll need is a 10 1/2-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Once you have one of these, you’ll use it for a hundred different things, so it’s a good investment.
I make a ricotta that is blissfully dry, which works well in my recipes for ravioli, lasagna, and as a garnish on salads and pasta dishes. If you want a creamy ricotta, to serve dressed with a fruit syrup or to spread on crostini or to make cannoli cream, then you need to add some cream to the recipe: Replace 1 cup of the whole milk with heavy cream. Goat milk makes a creamier ricotta as well.
You can make this tart, which is accented with fennel and Pernod, with cow’s milk ricotta or small-batch sheep’s milk ricotta, which tastes even better.
If you’ve ever been intimidated by the thought of making fresh pasta at home, look no further. Ricotta gnocchi is simple to make, and it’s faster and more foolproof than its potato counterparts. The only tricky part is adding enough flour so that your dough is easy to work with, but not so much that it becomes stodgy or tough. If you don't want to make the buttery herb and pea sauce, use whatever you'd prefer, be it marinara, pesto, or sage and brown butter.
When creative director Richard Ferretti came to Gourmet two and a half years ago, he brought along a recipe for homemade fresh ricotta. It is more delicate in flavor than any store-bought version and has a lovely dry curd. Some of us make it at home often because it takes just a few minutes of active time. Topped with honey and cinnamon, it's also great for dessert.
Homemade ricotta is nothing like the supermarket version. It is luxurious, with a sweet, rich flavor that will make you appreciate why this cheese is such an integral part of Italian cuisine. The addition of heavy cream gives it an amazing texture. This ricotta can easily hold center stage on a plate. We like to serve it alongside baked pastas, as a condiment of sorts, instead of inside them. Its sweet creamy flavor is a wonderful contrast to the intense flavors of lasagna or baked ziti. Sweetened with a touch of honey and spread on good toast, it is a wonderful pick-me-up for the mid afternoon slump. In cheesecakes, it is revelatory. Even better, it’s easy to make. A little bit of effort will net you something truly indulgent.
Join Brad Leone, Zaynab Issa, Melissa Miranda, and Chrissy Tracey in the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen as they each prepare a cool fruit-based dessert perfect for warm summer nights. From cantaloupe candy and fresh berry sorbet to grilled mangoes and cheesecake, there's sure to be something here for every person at the cookout.
See Zaynab's full recipe for her lemon ricotta cake here: https://shape-flow.today/recipe/any-berry-lemon-ricotta-cake%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv class="StackedRatingsCardWrapper-RIFgn jsPKbl SummaryCollectionGridSummaryItem-ilztYA cpHIzM search_result_item-67c85614fe56a156571fb5ef">
Bon Appétit joins Taylor Falco, Chef de Cuisine at NYC’s Rolo’s, to make their wood-fired lasagna. Featured on the Bib Gourmand list from the Michelin Guide, Rolo’s puts their unique spin on traditional New York cuisine—including this Bologna-inspired lasagna. After all, there’s a reason Rolo’s is touted as one of Jeremy Allen White’s favorite spots in New York City.
