What to do with ricotta?

[Anonymous]

I have a tub of ricotta in my fridge. I as going to make baked ziti but changed my mind. What else do you use ricotta for besides Italian cooking?

[Anonymous]

I have a friend who uses it in smoothies.

Lasagna comes to mind, as does stuffed shells but those are Italian. Are you in the mood for dessert? There are cannolis and other similar desserts (including the South Beach Diet Ricotta Cream). Also, there are recipes that are just pasta, ricotta, lemon and peas, but I think you need a good quality ricotta for those.

[Anonymous]

desserts, muffins, pancakes

[Anonymous]

Baked ziti. I only use it for that.

But I have a friend who would LOVE a piece of toast, smeared with ricotta and then with avocado and tomato slices.

[Anonymous]

Ricotta mousse: mix it with good cocoa powder, sugar to taste and I add a splash of Frangelico.
Stuffed peppers: mix ricotta with chopped spinach, Monterey Jack cheese, Parmesan cheese, some garlic, seasonings, ( I add in some brown rice or quinoa). Stuff peppers and roast on a bed of crushed , seasoned tomatoes.

[Anonymous]

For a healthy breakfast, I spread it on an English muffins and top it with fruit (usually blueberries). I then bake it for a few minutes. Yummy and filling!

[Anonymous]

Cheesecake

[Anonymous]

Lemon ricotta pancakes! Eat it drizzled with honey.

[Anonymous]

I love it on pizza. Regular pizza is good, but lately I've been crisping up a tortilla (400 for 5 min), then smearing the ricotta and topping with butternut squash I roasted with red onion and rosemary. SO good, and relatively healthy!

I also make appetizers with a mini turkey peperoni in a mini muffin tin, topped with a mix of spinach, ricotta and mozz, and then baked for 15-25 min. a yummy appetizer I bring to parties

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lemon ricotta pancakes! Eat it drizzled with honey.

Just had this for dessert, with some chopped up dried apricots. Yum.

[Anonymous]

Our whole family loves ricotta spinach pie. I make it with a frozen pie shell to keep it easy.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Ricotta-Spinach-Pie-1548

[Anonymous]

Kugel!

[Anonymous]

Add honey or sugar and mix in blueberries. Although this is much less satisfying if it's low fat ricotta. If it's full fat ricotta, it's super super delicious.
Also this easy pasta recipe: Cook pasta. While pasta cooking, sauté garlic and chopped broccoli in pan with olive oil and pine nuts or walnuts. When pasta done, add in broccoli mixture, big scoops of ricotta, and lots of fresh grated parmegiana. Mix it all up for creamy deliciousness. Again, better with full fat ricotta.

[Anonymous]

Crepes, Mac n Cheese along with some other mix cheese, spinach ricotta puff pastry rolls

[Anonymous]

I use it almost the same way as 11:40 - fastest ever pasta dish. I skip broccoli & grated parmesan. Instead, add lemon zest to sautéed garlic. Once garlic is lightly browned, add the ricotta and lower the heat to maintain warmth. Add to cooked pasta (I like wide ribbon-style noodles like pappardelle), arugula & a squeeze of lemon juice. Salt to taste.

Also use it sometimes as a replacement for goat cheese when making dishes for people who hate the taste of chèvre. It's not the same flavor, but similar consistency for many applications.