Ricotta - three ways

Bake ricotta in foil for the perfect party hors d'oeuvres, toss it raw on just-boiled pasta to make a creamy and delicious sauce, or use it as a key ingredient in a cake, such as my Zia Donata's famous Italian cheesecake--the best part is minimum prep and cook time keeps you away from the stove, allowing you to actually enjoy the party at hand.

Baked Ricotta

Go to a good cheese store--not the cheese department of your local supermarket--and get really-good-quality ricotta cheese. Bake for ten minutes in tinfoil packets, then discard the foil for minimal, no-mess cleanup. Sprinkle with sea salt and fresh ground pepper, and top with Gaeta olives, pitted and chopped. Serve on a wooden tray with thick slices of rustic bread, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil.

Bucatini withFresh Ricotta

Serves 4

The only cooking in this dish is boiling the pasta, since the sauce is raw. Actually, in Italian
cuisine, there are many pasta recipes that call for sauces that aren't cooked. I just thought of this recipe when my mother brought me some beautiful, just-picked zucchini flowers from her garden.

zest of 1 lemon
salt and pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb good-quality bucatini pasta, such as De Cecco
2 cups fresh ricotta-- buffalo ricotta, if possible
6-8 zucchini flowers, depending on size

Place lemon zest, salt and pepper, and olive oil in a small bowl, and let the flavors infuse. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, throw in the pasta, and cook according to directions. Place ricotta into a large serving bowl, and toss in lemon-infused olive oil. Drain pasta, reserving a cup of pasta water, and toss pasta into ricotta mixture until well coated. Add in coarsely chopped zucchini flowers and extra salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Zia Donata's Ricotta Cheesecake

8 eggs
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tspn vanilla extract
juice of 1 lemon
1 large container (3 lbs) ricotta
1/2 cup of sweet liquor, such as Limoncello
zest of 1 lemon
cinnamon
powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Beat eggs until foamy. Add the sugar while beating continuously with a mixer. Once sugar is melted, beat in flour, followed by the heavy cream, and then add the vanilla extract, lemon juice, ricotta, and finally the sweet liquor. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan. Pour in the mixture and sprinkle entirely with cinnamon on top. Bake in oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, then check for doneness with a toothpick. Shut off the oven and leave cheesecake in there to settle for 10 to 15 more minutes.
Once cool, about a few hours, sprinkle with powdered sugar. (If you want to make the cheesecake the day before, let it cool for a minimum of an hour, then cover with a dishcloth and place in the refrigerator. Avoid tinfoil, as it creates too much moisture.)