Almond Ricotta Al Forno

Ricotta cheese is a kitchen staple renowned for its versatility, enhancing almost any dish with its texture, flavor, and appearance. It's delightful whether used in sweet or savory recipes—adding a creamy touch to salads, stuffings, sauces, or as a garnish on pasta.

Kite Hill has developed a plant-based almond ricotta that uses traditional cheesemaking techniques, avoiding the starches and gums common in many vegan cheeses. This almond ricotta serves as a seamless substitute for traditional cow's milk ricotta. The use of almonds is not new to Italian cuisine, which has a long history of incorporating them into various foods and beverages, making them a natural choice for dairy alternatives.

This recipe takes inspiration from the Sicilian 'Ricotta Al Forno.' The cheese is baked with a selection of herbs, extra virgin olive oil, and flaky sea salt, along with other Mediterranean flavors. It emerges from the oven sliceable yet meltingly tender, offering endless delicious possibilities.

1 eight ounce container Kite Hill Almond Ricotta

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced

1 tablespoon fresh flat leaf parsley, minced

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon Maldon sea salt

3 sprinkles sweet paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons high quality aged balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking pan with parchment paper

Place half the oil, all the rosemary and parsley and a pinch of sea salt in three areas where the ricotta slice will land

Carefully slice the ricotta into 3 discs 3/8 inch thick and place on each area

Drizzle lightly with remaining olive oil and sprinkle the top and sides with a pinch of sea salt, black pepper and dust with paprika. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar on each slice

Cover with aluminum foil, dull side down

Bake for about one hour. Remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes

Let sit for a few minutes slice into wedges before serving