Italian Baked Ricotta

The question was raised from a reader who drop by my site wanting to know how to make baked ricotta to use for grating over pasta.

It's a culinary preparation typical of Sicily. The ricotta cheese is dry salted and baked for a period ranging from 20 to 40 minutes at 350≈400°F (180≈200°C).

Cooking ricotta causes two phenomena: dehydration and subsequent compaction of the paste, which becomes quite strong and compact, forming a crusty brown and crisp surface.

There are many variants like sweet, savory, and spicy, the most interesting from a nutritional standpoint are those that do not involve the addition of high-calorie ingredients such as sugar used in some baked ricotta with lemon.

Ingredients:

- 1 lb (450g) ricotta cheese

Preparation: easy 20-40 min

Put the ricotta in an aluminum pan and bake from 20 to 40 min at 350≈400°F (180≈200°C). It will be ready when it is golden brown.

Very easy isn't it!

Of course there are other ways you could serve Italian baked ricotta and not just to grate over pasta.

For example with an appetizer, cut into chunks, or along with other cheeses and meats, or more simply you can slap it between two slices of baguette, perhaps with some leaf of lettuce, two or three sun-dried tomatoes, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil...

Or sprinkle with lemon juice, season it with good quality sea salt, fresh grinder black pepper, and with spices and herbs of choice.