Savory Vegetable Ricotta Pie’s


I’ve made many things using ricotta on this blog, obviously we love it here, and I always have some in my frig! Ricotta is such a versatile cheese that works very well in sweet, and savory dishes alike! It bakes wonderful with any kind of veggie or herb that you put with it. I often make these pies for a light dinner, lunch, or brunch.

You can bake them with a crust, or without. Below I used a 10″ pie pan, and above I used a 10″ spring form pan. Basically the ingredients are the same. About 1lb. of ricotta, 1/2 lb or less, of your favorite shredded cheese, here I used a mixture of provolone, asiago, and mozzerella. 1 cup of grated parm or romano, 3 beaten eggs, garlic and onion. After that, you can add in whatever veggies you want!

You can use shredded zucchini which has been squeezed of its moisture, frozen spinach that has been thawed and squeezed of all water, chopped artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, sun dried tomatoes, various pesto’s and herbs for flavorings. You can get very creative with all your favorite flavors!

Just start out sauteing your onion and garlic in olive oil, then add your veggies. Have your eggs and all your cheese whipped up together in a separate bowl, and then combine it all together. I bake them at 350F, till golden and firm in the middle, not wet. It could take 30 to 50 min’s. It depends how good you get the moisture out of everything, the ricotta included. Cool them down a bit before you cut into them, so everything stays together.
Serve them with a salad or some fruit, for a complete meal thats light, satisfying and full of flavor! You’ll find that the leftovers are just as good as the day you made it!!
Buon Appetito!!!

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SAVORY RICOTTA BUNDLES WRAPPED IN PANCETTA!!

First I have to say, this it not my recipe, I discovered this little gem while sipping on a latte at Borders bookstore and looking through the latest Donna Hay magazine. She had a whole section on ricotta, which really interested me. I never did purchase the magazine, but I definitely made a mental note of these. They are very easy to make, so refreshing and light!! I have been craving something citrus so I knew just the thing to pair it with! Now I don’t quite remember the name Ms. Hay gave these, ( you’ll have to check out the magazine). But to me they are little ricotta bundles,so savory and so good!!! If you’re looking for a light lunch or dinner ( and you love ricotta!) you got to try these. And whats really nice, you can make a whole bunch, keep them in the frig, all you have to do is warm them slightly in the microwave. When they’re warmed all the flavors come out.

Simply mix about 1lb or more of ricotta, with 1 cup of Parmesan, (I used Romano) 1 egg, I added some lemon peel, salt and pepper. That’s it!!

Next take a muffin tin, sprayed with oil and line it with 1 piece of Pancetta, scoop the ricotta mixture on top. Bake at 350 degreesF for about 30 min. or until set and golden.
I placed them into a salad mixed with Romaine and Arugula, whipped up a fresh lemon and olive oil dressing to pour on top, and then topped it off with some toasted pine nuts.

Give them a try, if you’re craving something light and refreshing!

Buon Appetito!!!

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