Ricotta Filling Recipes

25 WAYS TO USE RICOTTA CHEESE YOU'LL LOVE

Steps:

• Select your favorite recipe.
• Organize all the required ingredients.
• Prep a ricotta recipe in 30 minutes or less!

HOMEMADE RAVIOLI WITH RICOTTA CHEESE FILLING

Steps:

• In an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, add eggs, 1 at a time, and mix. Continue mixing and add all the flour and water; continue mixing until it forms a ball. Sprinkle some flour on work surface, and knead the dough until elastic and smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for about 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.
• Cut the ball of dough in half, cover and reserve the dough you are not immediately using to prevent it from drying out. Dust the counter and dough with flour. Form the dough into a rectangle and roll it through the pasta machine, 2 or 3 times, at its widest setting. Guide the sheet of dough with the palm of your hand as it emerges from the rollers. Reduce the setting and crank the dough through again, 2 or 3 times. Continue until the machine is at its narrowest setting. The dough should be paper-thin, about 1/8-inch thick.
• Dust the counter and dough with flour, and lay out the long sheet of pasta. Brush the top surface of dough with egg wash. Drop 1 tablespoon of cooled filling about 2 inches apart on half the sheet of pasta. Fold the unfilled half over the filling. With an espresso cup or finger, gently press out air pockets around each mound of filling and form a seal. Use a crimper to cut each pillow into squares. Check to make sure the crimped edges are well sealed before cooking. If making ravioli in advance, dust with cornmeal to prevent them from sticking.
• Cook the ravioli in plenty of boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes. Ravioli will float to the top when cooked so be careful not to overcrowd the pot. Lift the ravioli from water with a large strainer or slotted spoon. Plate the pasta, top with your favorite pasta sauce and grated cheese before serving.
• In a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine all ingredients. Chill in the refrigerator a few minutes to firm up the filling.

PEACHY SWEDES WITH RICOTTA FILLING

Steps:

• For the gingered peach topping: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
• Place the peaches, sugar, fresh ginger, ground ginger, white pepper and 3 cups water in a large saucepan over medium heat. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Drain the peaches and reserve the cooking liquid. Return the cooking liquid to the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the liquid has reduced by half and has a syrupy consistency. Pour the syrup over the peaches and hold in the oven. The peaches can be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated. Gently rewarm in a saucepan.
• For the ricotta filling: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the ricotta and cream cheese. Mix on high until perfectly smooth. Add the sugar and almond extract and pulse until combined. Transfer to a small bowl. The ricotta filling will keep in the refrigerator for three days.
• For the Swedish pancakes: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the eggs, milk, sugar and almond extract and whisk until light and fluffy. Add the flour and salt and whisk thoroughly to eliminate all lumps and make a smooth batter. With the stand mixer running on low, slowly stream in the melted butter until well combined. For a thinner pancake, adjust the thickness of the batter by adding a bit more milk. The pancake batter will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days. Whisk before using.
• Heat a griddle or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly butter the skillet and wait until the butter gets frothy and light in color but not browned. Add 1/8 cup of the pancake batter to the pan and cook until the edges are lightly browned. Flip over the pancake, put a spoonful of the ricotta filling into the center and cook until the other side is light golden brown. Fold the pancake in half (think quesadilla) and transfer to a large serving platter. Repeat the process until all of the batter has been used. Top with the gingered peaches, dust with the confectioners' sugar and serve.

RICOTTA-MASCARPONE CREPE FILLING

Steps:

• Whisk together cheeses and sugar in a bowl. Store, refrigerated in an airtight container, up to 2 days.

CANNOLI SHELLS AND RICOTTA CREAM FILLING

Steps:

• Three or more days in advance of making the cannoli shells set the ricotta in a colander inside of a large bowl.
• Scrape the ricotta into the colander and cover with plastic wrap.
• Let the ricotta drain in the refrigerator for two days, until it is dry.
• To make the dough for cannoli shells: In a small bowl put eggs.
• Beat eggs; add vanilla and ice water to eggs.
• In a large bowl, use your hands to combine the flour, sugar, salt, cocoa, and cinnamon.
• Add the shortening and mix until crumbly.
• Make well in dry mixture and add wet mixture.
• Using your hands mix together, if it is dry, add more ice water.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and well blended, about 3 minutes.
• Shape the dough into a flattened ball.
• Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for at least 30 to 60 minutes.
• Cut the dough into 4 pieces.
• Starting at the middle setting, run one of the pieces of dough through the rollers of a pasta machine or the dough can be rolled on a board with a rolling pin.
• Lightly dust the dough with flour as needed to keep the pieces from sticking.
• Continue to pass the dough through the machine until you reach the last or second to last setting.
• You might need to run the dough through the pasta machine three times.
• The dough needs to be thin-about the same thickness as construction paper; cut the dough into 4 1/2 inch circles. (Giovanna's cannoli tubes are 6 inches long and 1 inch in diameter.).
• Continue rolling out the remaining dough.
• If you do not have enough cannoli tubes for all of the dough, lay the pieces of dough on sheets of plastic wrap and keep them covered until you are ready to use them.
• Put a rack in the bottom of a large heavy kettle that you plan on putting your peanut oil into so that your cannoli shells do not touch the bottom and burn. (Giovanna uses a restaurant kettle that is about 18 inches in diameter.).
• Pour about 2 inches of oil in a smaller kettle. Giovanna used 4 quarts but her kettle is huge!
• Heat oil until a deep frying thermometer shows 375 degrees.
• Oil the cannoli tubes by placing them in the hot oil then draining them in a metal bowl (you need the oil on the tube so that later the cannoli shell will slip off easily).
• Lay the dough circle flat, center the tube on it, bring left edge onto tube, dab it with egg white, bring up right side of dough circle, dab it with egg white, and roll the tube; do not press the dough. You do not want the dough to be too tight on the tube, or you will have difficulty later getting your cannoli off. Be careful not to stretch the dough or pull it tightly. Avoid, as best as possible, getting egg white on the tube, or the cannoli will stick to it.
• Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Carefully lower a few of the cannoli tubes into the hot oil. Do not crowd the pan.
• Fry the shells until golden, about 2 minutes, turning them so that they brown evenly.
• With tongs, remove the cannoli tubes, holding them straight up so that the oil flows back into the pan.
• Then drain the cannoli still on tube briefly in a metal bowl.
• While the cannoli shells are still hot, carefully slide the shells off the tubes by grasping each tube with a clean towel and gently twisting the cannoli shell off the tube with your other hand protected by an oven mitt or towel. On another work surface area, lay oilcloth or newspaper, topped with a large rack.
• When the cannoli shells are barely warm set them on top of the rack.
• It is important that the shells stay on the racks overnight.
• Repeat with the remaining dough.
• If you are reusing the cannoli tubes, let them cool before wrapping them in the dough; set aside.
• The cannoli shells can be made up to 2 months before serving if you drain them properly overnight, and store them in sealed containers in a cool, dry place, but not in a refrigerator.
• To make the ricotta cream, put the thoroughly dry ricotta in a large mixing bowl with a wire whip and blend until creamy.
• Add the confectioners' sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon oil; blend until smooth.
• Transfer to a bowl and stir in the chocolate pieces. Store the ricotta cream in the refrigerator for 48 hours. After 48 hours, serve and freeze the rest.
• Frozen ricotta cream can be defrosted in the refrigerator later.
• To assemble, use a knife to push the ricotta cream into the cannoli shell.
• Place the cannoli on a serving platter and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.
• Use within an hour.

RICOTTA FILLING

Steps:

• FOLD TOGETHER the cheeses and egg yolk and season with salt and pepper.
• Proceed with recipe above.

RICOTTA-FILLED RAVIOLI (RAVIOLI DI RICOTTA)

Steps:

• To make the ravioli filling:
• 1. In a large bowl combine the ricotta, nutmeg, lemon zest, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and 1 egg. Season to taste with salt and pepper, stir well, and set aside.
• To make the ravioli dough:
• 1. Mound the flour on a clean work surface and create a well in the center. Place the eggs, egg yolks, and oil (if using) in the center. Using a fork, whisk the eggs and oil together and slowly start dragging the flour into the egg mixture. Knead by hand until all the ingredients are well combined and the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (Alternatively, place all the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. With the mixer on medium speed, knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.) Wrap the dough in plastic wrap or place it in a covered bowl and let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
• 2. Set up a pasta machine and turn it to the largest opening. Cut off pieces of dough about the size of an egg. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll the dough into sheets about 1/8-inch thick.
• 3. Lay 1 pasta sheet flat on a lightly floured work surface and determine approximately where the halfway point is lengthwise. Use a pastry brush to lightly wet one half of the dough with the remaining egg lightly beaten with water. Spoon mounds of the filling, about 2 teaspoons each, onto half of the wet side of the dough, leaving about a 1/2 inch between the mounds. Fold the dry half of the sheet over lengthwise to cover the filling. Press the pasta sheets together to seal the edges around the filling, and press out any excess air. Use a pastry cutter or knife to cut individual ravioli. As you cut out the ravioli, place them on a plate or baking sheet sprinkled with flour to keep them from sticking. Repeat with the remaining pasta and filling.
• 4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ravioli all at once and stir a few times to submerge and separate them. Cook, uncovered, at a gentle boil until the pasta is just tender to the bite, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain the ravioli thoroughly and serve with a desired sauce or cheese.