Ricotta Cheese!!!

It's Just Right for Cheesecake, Pancakes, and More
To give an old cheesecake recipe new life, replace half of the cream cheese with ricotta cheese.

For pancakes with a light and fluffy texture, combine egg yolks, sugar, flour, ricotta cheese, and lemon zest. Whip the egg whites and fold into the batter. Cook the pancakes and serve topped with yogurt sweetened with honey.

To make a no-cook ricotta sauce for pasta, combine:

1 cup ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
7 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan and/or Romano cheese
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 red bell peppers, seeded, roasted, and chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Toss with 3/4 pound pasta cooked according to the package directions.

For a new spin on creamed spinach, sauté 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion and 1 minced garlic clove in 2 tablespoons unsalted butter until tender, 2 minutes. Add 20 ounces trimmed and cleaned spinach. Cook, tossing once or twice, until just wilted, about 1 minute. Stir in 1/4 cup ricotta cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or more to taste).

To make a quick dessert mousse, whip 1 cup ricotta cheese with 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar until creamy, then stir in 1 teaspoon fresh orange juice, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/3 cup chopped almonds, and 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. Fold in 1 1/2 cups whipped cream and serve.

For an easy overnight cream pie, beat together 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese, 1 1/2 cups cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons brandy or rum, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, and 3 eggs. Pour into a prepared graham cracker crust and bake at 200ºF overnight (6 to 8 hours). Cool completely on a rack then refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.