I love ricotta, but I’ve never had truly fresh ricotta, so I decided to make my own. It requires very little time, no special equipment, and few ingredients, so I was able to prepare it one evening, then drain it over night for use the next day. I had no idea what I might make with it once it was finished, but that’s the story of my life right now. How bad could it be to simply nibble on fresh ricotta sprinkled with sea salt and perhaps a drizzle of fruity extra virgin olive oil? Of course, sprinkling it over a nice salad could be fabulous as well. Perfectly simple, right?
Simple seems never to be in my repertoire.
With less than a week until Easter and no real plans for a holiday meal in the works, I decided to look for dessert recipes that included ricotta and almost immediately found quite a few for a traditional Easter Pie, or in some cases, Pasteria. It’s like a cheesecake, but it’s made with ricotta and grain. Although the grain is most often wheat, some recipes use rice. Others are made with a crust and latticed top — but some are completely without either — and leave it to me to make one in the least traditional way possible, lacking crust, wheat, and candied fruit.
This small dessert is perfect for spring, or when berries are at their best.
Continue reading “Pasteria” with Balsamic Strawberries and Basil