Best Ricotta Al Forno Recipes

RICOTTA AL FORNO

Steps:

• Drain ricotta if necessary. Heat oven to 350°. Grease 8" springform pan with margarine. Coat with breadcrumbs, shake out excess. Put ricotta, eggs, cheese in bowl and mix. Stir in olives and seasoning. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 1 hour 15 minutes or until top is firm and golden. Cool. Remove sides of pan. Place pie with pan base on serving plate. Garnish. (See Brigida's Ricotta Sformata!)

PASTA AL FORNO (BAKED MACARONI)

Steps:

• Mix one cup of the sauce with the cooked macaroni.
• Mix the ricotta with 3/4 cup of grated cheese, parsley and egg.
• Add salt and pepper to taste and the red pepper flakes.
• Layer sauce on the bottom of a deep casserole.
• Add 1/3 of the pasta followed by 1/2 of the ricotta mixture.
• Sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella.
• Put down a layer of sauce and repeat.
• Add the final layer of macaroni and top with sauce and the remaining 1/4 cup of grated cheese.
• Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the casserole is bubbling and the cheese on top starts to brown.

POLENTA AL FORNO WITH SPINACH, RICOTTA AND FONTINA

Steps:

• Blanch spinach briefly in a large pot of boiling water, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and cool. Squeeze all excess moisture from spinach and roughly chop.
• In a large bowl, combine chopped spinach and ricotta. Season with salt and pepper, then add cayenne, lemon zest, half the Parmesan and all but 2 tablespoons of the fontina and stir well.
• Butter a 9- by 12-inch casserole dish. Ladle in half of the warm, soft polenta and spread with a spatula to make a thin layer. Spoon spinach mixture evenly over it. Top with remaining soft polenta and spread to smooth the surface. (May be made ahead up to this point, then covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before baking.)
• Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and fontina. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, until nicely browned. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

RICOTTA PASTA WITH TOMATOES AL FORNO

Steps:

• Prepare as for the master recipe, #192, sauteéing the garlic with the onions until soft, 8 minutes. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and parsley and season the sauce with salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat.
• Preheat the broiler to high and place the top rack 6 to 8 inches from the broiler.
• Drain the pasta. Add it to the bowl with the cheeses. Toss to melt the butter and evenly coat the pasta with cheeses, then season with salt and pepper. Add the tomato sauce and the basil and toss again to combine. Transfer the mixture to a baking casserole, then evenly distribute the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmigiano cheese and the slices of fresh mozzarella over the top. Place under the broiler and crisp up the top and edges of the pasta, melting and browning the cheeses evenly.