Simple and easy to make, adding some of the pasta cooking water to the ricotta makes this dish creamier. My family used to use ditaloni pasta – a short pasta shaped like small tubes – which is eaten with a spoon, but here I’ve used spaghetti. We would also mix a tablespoon of sugar into the ricotta, without adding extra grated cheese... a real indulgence!
The magical land of Bucovina, in northern Moldavia, is well known for its outstanding dairy farms and produce. Thick, unctuous smântână and brânză, crème fraîche and curd cheese are used generously in many recipes. This cake is a happy marriage between dairy and another staple ingredient in the region: cornmeal (polenta). It is traditionally made in two versions: one savoury and one sweet, and some recipes add various amounts of flour, oil and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda). While it is common in Moldavia to mix cornmeal with flour, I have deliberately returned to a basic, gluten-free recipe here.
I have been making broccoli sandwiches for myself since I was a kid. In high school, I would sauté broccoli and put it on top of mashed potatoes between two slices of bread. In my early twenties I got hooked on steamed broccoli with ham and cheese on a sesame seed hamburger bun. Now I roast it and top it with mayo, pickled lychees, pine nuts, and a salty, crumbly cheese.
Pork loin is flattened and then rolled with a mix of creamy ricotta, bright tomatoes, garlic, fresh herbs and lemon.
In most of Italy, these dumplings are called gnocchi verdi (gnocchi with greens) and ricotta or ravioli gnudi (“nude ravioli,” or ravioli filling without pasta).
These beautiful gnocchi show off a rich red color. The flavor of the gnocchi is earthy but not intensely beet-y, and the texture is soft and delicate.
I've made this dish as a quick supper and as an elegant dinner party first course. It goes both ways, which is key to its charm and longevity in my cooking repertoire.
Unmold onto a serving plate and cut into wedges like a cheesecake to serve.
Although in Italy the seeds from these sunflowers are usually pressed for their oil, it seemed logical to us to pair them with farro, a nutritious hearty grain seen throughout that country.
For these simple yet stunning crostini, roasted cherry tomatoes are paired with fresh, creamy ricotta, which also acts as an anchor for the tomatoes, keeping them from falling off the toast as you eat. Pile the tomatoes as high as you can for a truly spectacular summer snack. Make these crostini in August and September, when the tomatoes are really in season; in other months, tomatoes will not be exceptional.