Nonna's Lemon Ricotta Biscuits (muffins)
from Giada de Laurentiis

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 12 muffins

1.5 cups plain flour
1/2 cup ground almonds (or extra 1/2 cup flour)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar or more as needed for sprinkling
1/2 cup (1 stick / 115 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/3 cup thinly sliced almonds (optional)

Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/ 175 degrees C.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup sugar, butter, and lemon zest in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the ricotta. Beat in the egg, lemon juice, and almond extract. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until blended (the batter will be thick and fluffy).

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle the almonds and then the remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar over the muffins. Bake until the muffins just become pale golden on top, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

That looks great. Did it taste as good as it looks. Ricotta cheesecakes have a very different texture than cream cheese ones. Not sure they would freeze that well. Barnmom's cake looks like a better choice.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes don't freeze well but they are delicious and a nice low fat recipe. This one has sauteed apples but lemon curd, berries or jam go well with them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

It did taste great. It was gobbled up by my kids. It's not overly sweet but very flavorful and moist.

That cake looks wonderful, barnmom. Here's another way I use ricotta:

FRUIT WITH CANNOLI CREAM (4 servings)

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. orange zest
3 Tbs. orange juice
2 Tbs. mini chocolate chips
1 apple, cored and cut into 8 wedges
1 pear, cored and cut into 8 wedges
1 plum, pitted and cut into 8 wedges
1 pint strawberries, hulled

In a blender or food processor, combine the cheese, sugar, orange peel and orange juice and process until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and fold in 1 Tbs. of the chocolate chips. Place the fruit on a platter and spoon the ricotta mixture over it. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips, and serve.

Note: You can also arrange the fruit in four large goblets or wine glasses and top each portion with some of the sauce and chips. Other fresh fruits can be substituted. Apricots, raspberries and blueberries are all good in this recipe.

Cooking light had this recipe a few months ago for turkey rictota meatballs. Since I buy ground turkey instead of ground beef now, this was perfect for us. I used dried basil and oregano instead of fresh (which I only have in the summer) and I cooked them completely on the stovetop. I also threw in a clove of minced fresh garlic.

Here is a link that might be useful: Turkey Ricotta Meatballs

My kids love this ricotta gnocchi. They are perfect for freezing.

Gnocchi di Ricotta
3 1/4 cups of flour
2 eggs
1.5 pound of ricotta cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese plus extra for sprinkling
pinch of salt & pepper
1 teaspoon of olive oil
4 cups marinara sauce

Serves 6

1. Place 3 cups of the flour in a large bowl. Lightly beat the egs with a fork then add them to the flour along with the ricotta, 1/2 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt and pepper. Mix ingredients together to form a dough.

2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured working surface and knead lightly for 2 to 3 more minutes, gradually adding remaining flour if the dough sticks to the board or your hands. The dough is ready when it no longer sticks but is still somewhat tacky to the touch and soft.

3. Divide the dough into four pieces and roll into balls. Using both hands, roll out each ball of dough into a log about the width of your index finger. Cut each log into 1/2 inch pieces.

4. When ready to cook, bing a large pot of water to a boil. Add a teaspoon of olive oil oil and the gnocchi. Cook uncovered over high heat until the gnocchi rise to the surface of the water, about 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Remove the gnocchi from the water with a slotted spoon and transfer to the saute pan with the marinara sauce. Tss gnocchi in sauce until coated and serve.

There's always lasagna! Plus it freezes really well. This is an awesome recipe and one of my favorites.

"Joey's Killer Lasagna"...

Makes eight big portions.
1 medium onion -- chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound Italian sausage -- casings removed and broken up
1/2 pound ground veal
2 cloves garlic -- minced
4 ounces mushrooms -- chopped
15 ounces tomato sauce
12 ounces tomato paste
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon oregano -- leaves
1 teaspoon basil -- crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
8 ounces mozzarella cheese -- thinly sliced
1 pound Ricotta cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
12 ounces lasagna noodles

Saute the chopped onion in the olive oil. Add and cook the ground meats, starting with the sausage, then the beef, then the veal.

Add the garlic and mushrooms. Cook. Drain.

Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, wine, water, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and sugar. Simmer covered for 1-1/2 hours.

Cook the lasagna noodles while sauce is simmering. Use 10 to 16 pieces depending on the width of the noodles. Drain, rinse, drain again. Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

Cover the bottom of the dish with a thin layer of the sauce. Layer: 1/3 of the noodles, 1/3 of the sauce, 1/3 of the Ricotta cheese (in dollops), 1/3 of the Mozzarella. Repeat twice more. Cover with the Parmesan cheese.
Bake uncovered in a 350-degree oven for 40-50 minutes, or until bubbly.

This recipe will use up a pound of Ricotta.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Cassata Cake (Sicilian Ricotta Cheesecake)
==========================================
Source: Bonnie Stern, Toronto

Cake Base

1 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 eggs
2 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons lemon juice (Brandy, orange ligueur or Amaretto)

Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter a 9 x 5 loaf pan.

Cream butter until light and add sugar gradually.

Beat eggs in one at a time.

Add vanilla and favorings

Stir or sift dry ingredients together and stir into egg mixture quickly. Pour into pan and bake 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 hours.

Note: This cake improves with age and freezes well.

Filling, Icing and Final Assembly

1 pound ricotta cheese
2/3 cups sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 ounces of liqueur (Orange, Cognac, Amaretto, your choice)
2 oz. semisweet chocolate grated
1/4 cup candied fruit

Icing,

2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup sifted icing sugar
2 oz liqueur (use the same as above)

Beat the sugar into the cheese. Add vanilla, liqueur, fruit and chocolate.

Slice the cake into 3 or 4 layers and spread each with some of the cheese mixture reshaping the cake into a loaf as you proceed. Finish with a layer of cake. The cake will keep, well wrapped, two days at this point.

A few hours before serving whip the cream until light and add the sugar and liqueur. Continue beating until quite stiff.

Spread a coating of cream over the sides and top of the cake. Place the remaining cream into a piping bag and decorate the cake. It could be garnished with pistachio nuts , chocolate curls or strawberries. This cake is very rich so serve think slices.

Notes: This cake ban also be iced with chocolate icing and it can be made into a round instead of in a loaf.

My Notes: I usually add extra chocolate to the filling and leave out the candied fruit.

OOHH, thank you for those recipes. They all look and sound so good! I'm going to start with the meatballs cuz along with the ricotta I have a couple bunches of basil, hope it's still good, and having a hard time choosing between the cheesecake and muffin cake. But am keeping them all since I often overbuy ricotta, don't ask me why.

Coincidently, I just sent this recipe out to the students of my Epicurean Kitchen Garden class. This is an upscale version of what might have been made during ancient Roman times:

ITALIAN CHEESECAKE WITH POMEGRANATE SAUCE

Serves 16

Ingredients

Cheesecake

1 Tbs unsalted butter, softened
16 ounces skim-milk ricotta cheese, well drained
1 pound mascarpone cheese
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs, separated
1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt

Pomegranate Sauce

4 large pomegranates (about 3 pounds)
3 Tbs cornstarch, sifted
3/4 cup sugar

Directions

Cheesecake

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Grease a 9-inch springform with the butter. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and grease the paper with the remaining butter. Generously dust the pan with flour and shake out the excess.

In a bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the ricotta and mascarpone until smooth.

Beat in the sugar. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, until well blended. Fold in the flour.

In another bowl, with clean beaters, beat the egg whites with the salt until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the cheese mixture. Pour the batter into the pan, and smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out
clean.

Turn off the oven and leave the cake in the oven with the door ajar for 30 minutes. Remove the cake to a rack and let cool completely, then cover and refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours.

To serve, run a knife around the edges of the cake to loosen it. Release the spring on the side of the pan and remove the springform ring. Put a serving dish over the top of the cake and invert it onto the plate. Remove the parchment paper.

Spread the pomegranate sauce evenly over the top of the cake. Cut the cake into wedges. (The sauce may also be placed in a bowl and passed on the side.)

Pomegranate sauce:

Cut the pomegranates in half. Place a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl. Using a spoon or your fingers, scrape the seeds into the sieve.

With a wooden spoon or a flat meat pounder, press on the seeds to extract 2 cups of juice. Discard the seeds and set the juice aside.

In a medium saucepan, mix the cornstarch with the sugar. Slowly stir in the pomegranate juice and mix well. Cook the sauce over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce begins to thicken and darkens to a deep wine color, and the sauce coats the back of the spoon. Remove from the heat and let cool. The sauce may be made ahead and stored in a jar in the refrigerator. It will thicken somewhat if stored. When ready to use, thin with a little warm water if necessary.

Joe

When I have leftover green chile pork (which means I have to make a double recipe, LOL), I make enchiladas. I usually use the 1-pint size for the 10-pak of tortillas.

Half of them have pork and cheese; and the other half are vegetarian with ricotta, mozzarella or jack, jazzed up with some McCormick lemon pepper (low salt and very flavorful). I throw in some salsa, red or green, into a 9x13 casserole, alternate the filled tortillas, top with more salsa and cheese, and bake till hot.

Don't know if this freezes, but it reheats beautifully for lunch-sized portions.

Here's a quick one that uses 2 #s-- it's a very dense, super moist treat-- would probably freeze well without the topping-- just add when defrosted.

I've done this one also as a lemon ,using a lemon or white mix & lemon pudding. And of course it's so much better with real whipped cream !

Diane's Home Cookin Chapter: Cakes, mixes

Italian Love Cake
=================
1 box fudge marble cake mix
2 pounds ricotta cheese
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 box instant chocolate pudding, (3 3/4 ounce)
1 cup milk
8 ounces non-dairy whipped topping, thawed
. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cake as directed on box and pour
into greased and floured 9 x 13 pan. In separate bowl, combine ricotta,
sugar, eggs, and vanilla; mix well. Spoon over unbaked cake. Bake cake
for 1 hour. Cool.

Mix instant pudding with milk; fold in whipped topping. Spread over
cake; refrigerate.

Exported from Home Cookin 5.5 (www.mountain-software.com)

We've been having ricotta for dessert lately. I stir in sugar and some kind of flavoring like cocoa powder or lemon zest or the cinnamon I used today.

Hey Barnmom and other folks, I made the lemon ricotta muffins this weekend because I too had a pint of ricotta languishing in the fridge due to a canceled calzone episode. i've been enjoying the muffins with coffe or tea for breakfast. They actually taste better the second day, which is not so common with baked goods. I used ground hazelnut flour instead of almonds because I have a bag in the fridge I am trying to use up. So I used a tsp. of hazelnut liqueur instead of almond extract in the muffins. I also used lowfat ricotta, which didn't appear to make a HUGE difference, but i am used to lowfat stuff. I just topped the muffins with sanding sugar.

Thanks for posting this recipe, I may make these again, since i love anything italian.

Laurie, thanks for bring this back to the top. I bought a Sam's Club size of ricotta and could use the ideas.

Craftyrn, I can kill to birds with one stone (I hate that saying, I won't kill a bird), I need a quick dessert and I have 2 pounds of ricotta.

Reporting back that I made the Italian Love Cake--incorrectly, but I made it. My error turned out two desserts: chocolate flan and the cake with mousse. My guest thought it was on purpose that I served chocolate flan and the love cake with mousse.

I used my new Sur La Table gadget to make cute little cakes (instead of ice cream forms) from the Italian Love Cake which was baked in a 9X13 cake, then topped each cake with mousse.

Here is a link that might be useful: Also good for making small cakes

Think I might be going to buy a quart of ricotta......
The thing I i\keep dreaming about is Nonni's lemon ricotta pound cake or whatever eileen of renown as Alice's mother posted.....
It's 8:30 and I am just now eating "dinner"......some leftover....but yummy pasta salad....needy friends got in the way.
Linda C

Just found this recipe on the Fine Cooking site when I was browsing this morning.

Wild Blueberry and Ricotta Pancakes

Ricotta makes these pancakes light and creamy. ItÂs the perfect foil for the intense sweet-tart flavor of wild blueberries, which are widely available frozen. You can also use cultivated blueberries, which are larger but still sweet and delicious.
Yields about eighteen pancakes.
3 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup part-skim ricotta, drained of excess liquid before measuring
2-1/4 cups buttermilk
5 Tbs. granulated sugar
1 Tbs. pure vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. table salt
8 oz. (1-3/4 cups) all-purpose flour
1tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
6 oz. frozen wild blueberries (donÂt thaw) or fresh wild or cultivated blueberries (1-1/2 cups)
Vegetable oil for the griddle
Softened salted butter, pure maple syrup, and confectioners' sugar, for serving

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and ricotta. Whisk in the buttermilk, sugar, vanilla, and salt.
In a small bowl, stir the flour, baking powder, and baking soda with a spatula. Fold into the egg yolk mixture until just combined.
Beat the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until they hold firm peaks. Fold gently into the batter until just combined. Fold in the blueberries.
Lightly oil a griddle and set it over medium heat. The griddle is ready when water droplets dance briefly on the surface before disappearing. Ladle a scant 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto the griddle. Cook until the undersides are nicely browned, the edges look set, and small bubbles appear on the surface, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until the second sides are golden brown, about 3 minutes more. Repeat, re-oiling the griddle between batches, until all the batter is cooked. Serve at once with butter, maple syrup, and confectioners sugar.

From Fine Cooking
April 3, 2009