Whenever I make a dish that has ricotta cheese in it, I reminisce about the time I lived in Sicily. One evening we had a big gathering of friends and there was a shepherd making fresh ricotta from sheep’s milk in a huge cauldron over a wood fire. The ricotta was truly sublime and it was an experience I will never forget. Eating fresh ricotta is a huge treat. Ricotta cheese is an ingredient featured in many Italian dishes. The word “torta” means cake in Italian and as the name suggests it is a ricotta cheese cake. However, this is a savory cheese cake made with ricotta and prosciutto or ham. This recipe for Ricotta Torte is a super easy appetizer that you can throw together in about 5 minutes.
RICOTTA TORTE: TORTA DI RICOTTA
Difficulty Rating: Easy
Makes 8 servings.
INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds ricotta cheese
1/2 cup minced prosciutto or 1/4-inch diced ham
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Fresh grated nutmeg or 1/8 teaspoon ground
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease an 8-inch springform pan with butter. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl until just combined. Do not over mix. Place into greased pan and bake for 45 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the oven door open a crack. Allow the torte to sit in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature 1 to 2 hours before serving. Remove from pan by running a thin sharp knife along the outside of the torte. Leave torte on the bottom of pan for serving.
