What to eat ricotta cheese

Ricotta is a soft Italian curd cheese made from whey with a grainy texture and delicate flavor. It is eaten as a standalone snack or added to sweet and savoury dishes, it is prepared sauces and toppings, put in salads and pastas.

Snacks ricotta

Ricotta, and cottage cheese, many eateries prepare dishes. This soft cheese can be served on Breakfast, season with honey, brown sugar, sweet corn syrup, adding fresh berries or dried fruit, pieces of nuts, grated chocolate and cinnamon. Try the Italian sandwiches crostini with ricotta. Spread the cream cheese on lightly toasted pieces of white bread, put slices of fresh pear or Apple and pour liquid honey. Lovers of salty snacks, can mix the ricotta with the garlic, chopped spicy greens, season with salt and pepper. Delicious and fresh get pasta of ricotta with the dill, salt and lemon zest. It is not only spreading on bread or crackers, but also with sticks of fresh vegetables.

Ricotta cheese has less fat than other popular Italian cheese – mozzarella. Want to cook a less caloric meals cheese often replace one another.

How to add ricotta to hot dishes

Ricotta can be added to many hot dishes. It is perfect for filling in cannelloni – cannelloni, she stuffed vegetables such as zucchini or peppers, mixing with other ingredients. Put cheese in casseroles, omelets, add to pasta and sprinkle with roasted vegetables. Ricotta is the traditional filling for Italian ravioli – ravioli and tortelini. Ricotta can be cooked many different cakes and pies, often this cheese is used to make one of the varieties of cheesecake.

For the filling often use a mixture of ricotta, spinach, pepper, salt and spicy greens.

Recipes with ricotta

Most often ricotta recipes found in "native" for this kind of cheese in Italian cuisine. Try to make small dumplings of ricotta – gnocchi (gnocchi). You will need:
- 200 grams fresh green spinach;
- 50 grams of fresh parsley;
- 1 clove of garlic;
- 150 grams of ricotta;
- 80 grams of wheat flour;
- 2 chicken eggs;
- 100 grams of grated Parmesan;
- a pinch of nutmeg;
- salt and freshly ground black pepper;
- olive oil for serving.

Rinse spinach under running water, dry it, fold several sheets in the "pile" and slice into thin strips. Place them in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for 2 minutes, then drain and squeeze spinach. Chop the parsley, garlic skip through the press. Mix ricotta, spinach, parsley, garlic and Parmesan in a bowl. Add eggs, flour, and season with salt and pepper, nutmeg, stir, using a fork. Moisten hands and shape mixture small balls the size of a walnut. Place them on a tray and put for 20-30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Boil in a large saucepan 5 liters of water. When the water boils, reduce the heat and place in boiling water for 10-12 gnocchi at a time. Wait until the dumplings float and remove them with a skimmer. Put in a deep bowl and cover with foil while cooking the next batch. Serve watering olive oil.