Ricotta Cakes
We were looking for a recipe to use up some of the large container of ricotta cheese we opened recently. Nanny had given us a 1950 copy of "The Talisman" and we found just what we needed. The batter was supposed to be firmer so that they would be balls, but we doubled the flour and it was still not firm enough. Nanny suggests that we try draining the ricotta next time, but these were still delectable. Tender, cheesy, "pancakes" that are perfect with a quick homemade tomato sauce for a side dish or first course. Originally served as part of: Leftovers from There and Back Again.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces original ricotta (Polly-O)
- 1 tablespoon Pecorino romano cheese (Locatelli) (freshly grated)
- 2½ tablespoons all-purpose flour (divided)
- salt & pepper
- 1 large egg
- ½ tablespoon fresh, Italian leaf parsley (cleaned and chopped)
- 2 tablespoons butter (divided)
- quick, homemade, chunky tomato sauce
Instructions
In a large bowl, we combine the ricotta, Locatelli, ½ tablespoon of the flour, a little salt and some freshly ground black pepper. In a small cup we break our egg, whisk with a fork, and add to the large bowl, along with the parsley. We mix well with the fork.
We start to heat half the butter in our non-stick pan over medium heat. Meanwhile, we dump the wet cheese mixture onto a large piece of wax paper covered with a tablespoon of the remaining flour. We try to knead the dough with our fingers, but it is really messy and does not firm up. We mix the flour in as best we can, and then add the remaining tablespoon of flour. We probably should have just left the mixture in the large bowl, but we wanted to at least attempt kneading. Having failed, we wash our hands off and proceed as best we can.
The butter has melted and the foam is subsiding, so we use our cookie scoop, to make 1-inch balls of the batter. We put these directly from the scoop into the hot butter, putting 7 balls in the pan. We cook for a minute or so and the balls spread to a "pancake" look. The undersides get slightly browned, then we flip with a heat-safe spatula. We continue to cook until golden brown and cooked through. We transfer to a plate, sprinkle with salt, and continue. We add the rest of the butter, allow to melt, and the rest of the batter - 8 ice cream scoop-fulls - to the pan and cook until done.
We serve the ricotta cakes with freshly made tomato sauce.
Ingredients
- 8 oz ricotta (Polly-O) (drained, Nanny suggests)
- 1 tbsp Pecorino Romano (Locatelli) (freshly grated)
- 2½ tbsp all-purpose flour (divided)
- salt and pepper
- 1 large egg
- ½ tbsp fresh Italian parsley (chopped)
- 2 tbsp butter (divided)
- quick homemade tomato sauce
Instructions
What's a kid job?
A Kid job is a step kids can help with, with a grown-up nearby, not one they do on their own. Every kid is different, so go by what your child can do rather than by age. Roughly:
- Little ones (about 2 to 4) can stir, pour in ingredients a grown-up has measured, tear lettuce, wash vegetables and sprinkle toppings.
- Older kids (about 5 to 8) can also measure and level, crack eggs, whisk, roll and cut out dough, and put things together.
- Bigger kids can read the recipe aloud, keep track of the timer, and take on more of the cooking as they're ready.
Steps with a knife, microplane, skewers, stove, oven, grill or hot oil, or with raw meat, poultry or seafood, are marked Grown-up. Kids can still watch those, from a safe distance.
Kid job
In a large bowl, mix the ricotta, cheese, ½ tablespoon of the flour, a little salt and some pepper. Beat the egg with a fork and add it with the parsley. Mix in the rest of the flour; the batter will be soft.
Grown-up
Melt half the butter in a nonstick pan over medium heat. When the foam subsides, drop in 1-inch scoops of batter with a cookie scoop, about 7 at a time; they spread into little pancakes. Cook about 1 minute, until lightly browned underneath, flip, and cook until golden and cooked through.
Sprinkle with salt. Cook the rest in the remaining butter, and serve with tomato sauce.