Housemade Ricotta & Sugar Snaps

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I fell in love with ricotta on my first visit to Italy, and it has been a staple for me ever since. My early breakfasts in Italy began with fresh ricotta from the local alimentari over a slice of toasted bread with a drizzle of local honey. Like butter, there’s both magic and ease in making ricotta at home. And nothing can beat a dollop of the rich, creamy, freshly made cheese. In this simple preparation, which takes just a few minutes of active time to make, that creaminess is given a boost by the sweet, crunchy sugar snaps tossed in bright lemon juice. It’s one of those snacks that’s so delicious, it’s hard to believe it is so easy to prepare.

Serves 4

For the ricotta (this yields approximately 4 cups in total)

2 quarts whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

½ teaspoon sea salt, plus additional for finishing

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

For the salad

1 pound fresh sugar snap peas, trimmed, with some sliced in half lengthwise

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon torn fresh mint

1. To make the ricotta, heat the milk and cream in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until temperature reaches 110ºF, for approximately 6 minutes. Be sure not to allow dairy to boil.

2. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the salt and lemon juice, and let it stand at least an hour until the mixture curdles.

3. Line a sieve with cheesecloth and place over a large bowl. Carefully pour the mixture into the sieve. Bundle up the cheesecloth with the curds inside and squeeze to remove as much liquid as possible. The more liquid you remove, the denser the cheese will be. Allow to continue to drain overnight in the refrigerator to remove excess liquid.

4. To make the salad, place sugar snaps in a medium-size bowl. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and the lemon juice. Let marinate 20 to 30 minutes to tenderize the snap peas.

5. Spoon ⅔ cup of ricotta into 4 small bowls. (Reserve remaining ricotta for another use.) Top each with the sugar snap peas, drizzle with the remaining olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and garnish with mint.

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