Occasional Omnivore » ricotta

Tartine with ricotta and red onion jam

Caroline — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 03:00:52 +0000

I fell in love with tartines, or open-faced sandwiches, at a small lunchtime spot on rue du Dragon in Paris. The topping possibilities for tartines are endless—cheese, vegetables, meats, pate—but for this version I smeared ricotta on slices of no knead bread in a hurry. Next went a layer of sea salt with herbs de Provence, sweet red onion jam and rosemary for garnish.

I served this modified epicurious.com recipe with a simple salad for a light dinner. This jam-ricotta (or maybe chevre … mmmm) combination would work well atop cracker for an appetizer, as well.

Red Onion Jam
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 large red onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon raw or brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 pinch red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons chopped rosemary, plus a few sprigs for garnish
Black pepper

Instructions
Heat olive oil in a heavy frying pan on medium heat. Add onions, sugar, and salt and cook until onions are soft and deep brown, about 20 minutes. Remove onions from heat, stir in balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes and rosemary. Add pepper and additional salt, as needed.

Cool completely, or serve warm. The jam will store in the refrigerator for several days.

Makes 4 to 5 sandwiches

Sandwich Preparation
Brush 4 to 5 bread slices with olive oil, and heat just until crisp in the oven. Top with 2 to 3 tablespoons of ricotta, a sprinkle of sea salt, jam to coat and rosemary.

Creamy vegetable surplus orzo

Caroline — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 18:40:21 +0000

My inspiration for this meal, again, came from our farm stand stop on the way home from Georgia. I picked up a basket of yellow crookneck squash (the kind most people in the South have to give away) and planned a quick vegetarian supper. I based my recipe on this orzo from epicurious.com but substituted ricotta (which I had on hand) for the cream.

This recipe is a good foundation for (almost) any surplus of seasonal vegetables—leeks, spinach, winter squash, broccoli, tomato, and peas would all work well. And it took so little brain power and time to execute, I’m sure I’ll return to some variation soon.

Creamy Orzo with Yellow Squash and Mushrooms
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup diced onion
1 1/2 pounds yellow crookneck squash, split lengthwise and chopped
1/2 pound small cremini mushrooms, quartered
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups orzo pasta
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 chopped chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
Salt and pepper

Instructions
Heat butter and olive oil on medium-high heat in a large frying pan. Add onion and sweat, 1 to 2 minutes. Add squash, cooking for 5 minutes. Next, stir in mushroom quarters and garlic, and cook about 5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salty water to a boil. Pour in orzo, and cook according to package instructions. Drain orzo, reserving 1/3 cup pasta cooking water.

Combine orzo with vegetables, ricotta, Parmesan, parsley, and pine nuts. If the mixture is dry, pour in pasta water and combine. Season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary, and serve.

Serves 4 (main course) and 6 to 8 (for a side dish)

Navy bean pasta bake

Caroline — Sat, 23 May 2009 16:01:31 +0000

William and I love pasta. And it’s a no-brainer for a mostly vegetarian diet. But as satisfying and filling as a pasta dishes can be, I sometimes worry we’re not getting the protein we need from a pasta main course.

With leftover navy beans (again, stashed away from posole), I searched online for a pasta and bean recipe to ease my fears and fill our bellies. And I found the specified combination at Cooking Books.

With a few modifications, our version came out quite macaroni-and-cheese-like. Creamy beans and ricotta clung to the pasta shells. Tomato and zucchini provided summer veggie love, and the pesto added umph.

This recipe will be fun to play with—different beans and vegetables, maybe a stronger cheese, nuts in the pesto. I’ll keep you updated when we try it again.

Navy Bean Pasta Bake
3 cups shell-shaped pasta
3 cups cooked/canned navy beans
1/2 cup bean liquid
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
4 plum tomatoes, chopped roughly
1 cup julienned zucchini
2 cups packed basil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup parmesan cheese, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°. Bring a pot of water to boil, salt, and cook pasta until al dente (or just before). Meanwhile, toss zucchini with a sprinkle of salt, and let it drain in a colander, at least 10 minutes. Drain pasta, and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Combine pasta, beans, bean liquid, tomatoes, zucchini and salt and pepper to taste.

In a food processor, pulse basil, garlic, 1/2 cup parmesan, and olive oil with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Pour pasta mixture into a greased, deep 9×13″ baking dish. Spoon basil pesto over top, pressing pesto into the pasta with clean fingers. Top dish with remaining 1/2 cup parmesan. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until golden and bubbly.

Serves 4 to 6