Ricotta in The Summer

Ricotta is always associated with the winter dishes from dense lasagnas and manicotti to heavy cheesecakes. However ,it can also be used in very light and airy summer dishes too from simple pasta dishes to desserts. It's a great addition to a warm weather diet.

David Tanis knows this and wrote about it in his A City Kitchen Column in yesterday's New York Times Food section. He was also lucky to visit a sheep dairy on a recent trip to Sicily. Twice daily about five hundred sheep are milked which produces a normal one hundred gallons of milk into a large vat. After the cheese curds are ready and scooped into molds, the remaining whey , a thin watery looking liquid - is then poured into a huge kettle. It then takes an old school method, namely a wood fire to cook it. When the whey reaches the right temperature ricotta is formed , floating to the surface. This earns its' name ricotta or twice cooked This is not the usual stuff that supermarkets sell,this is the gourmet version. According to Mr. Tanis, sheep ricotta, like Greek yogurt is much lighter and also less in calories. Cheese shops and Italian import stores sell it. it has to be bought when fresh and only has a two day shelf life. You can use cow's milk ricotta but again, get  the artisanal kind, not the mass produced version.

Ricotta can be turned into both savory and sweet dishes. Mr. Tanis suggests using it for the traditional lasagna and ravioli but also as an ingredient for gnocchi.It is best in a light pasta dish. This is his recipe : Use any pasta  and while it is boiling,  soften a diced onion in olive oil.  Add chopped zucchini (or peas, or split cherry tomatoes) and let it soften as well. When the pasta is al dente, it joins the zucchini in the pan, followed by a good dollop of ricotta and a splash of the pasta’s cooking water. The ricotta melts to a creamy blanket  and a handful of grated pecorino or Parmesan brings it all together. A touch of lemon zest and a spoonful of basil pesto can also be tossed in for zing and color but that's up to you. A summery dessert is taking the same ricotta and mixing it with the berries of the season, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries, along with three to four tablespoons of honey. Add a small splash of vanilla and lemon for more flavor. It can also be made into a creamy gelato as well and a different variation on ice pops.

Ricotta is not that heavy winter ingredient. It can be light and fresh and used in a variety of warm weather dishes. Try it in a summery pasta or dessert and taste its' delicate flavor.