Ricotta and Mascarpone?

[BerkshireTsarina]

After successfully making a new recipe for Polenta Cheesecake, I'm left with half a big container of ricotta and a small tub of mascarpone. Anything I can do with them that's delicious and EASY? I don't usually use either, so I'm idea-less. TIA.

[jo_jo_ba]

Lasagne and Canelloni occurred to me!

[barryg]

Even easier than those is a quick pasta bake. Just mix up the cheeses, plus some parm, with tomato sauce, mix with al dante pasta, top with mozz, and bake at 425 degrees or so.

Ricotta is also very good added to simple salads, like with grilled veggies or beets.

Spread ricotta on toasted baguette slices, top with choice of satueed or raw veggies like greens, tomato, shallot.

[karykat]

If you have any reason to make whipped cream, you can start with a mix of cream and marscapone, then whip. Will stay "set" longer that way.

I love marscapone with a little bit of sugar and fruit. So decadent. Like whipped cream in a semi-solid state.

[ESNY]

Can't think of anything better, or more simple than, marscapone on toasted sliced baguette and topped with a fig

[Whats_For_Dinner]

If I were you, neither of them would last very long, because I would be eating them out of the container with a spoon standing in front of the open fridge. I'm weak... so very weak.

Ricotta is great with veggies, pasta, on pizza, for dessert, for ricotta gnocchi (sheer awesomeness...)
The mascarpone, I would head straight to the nearest place to buy local produce, grab whatever berries look the best, combine, and savourrrr. Lucky you for having leftovers!

[BerkshireTsarina]

Bingo! Blueberries languishing (well, not for long now) in the fridge, mascarpone to top them tomorrow. Thanks, W_F_D. Easy is easy. That's easy.
Barryg, ricotta on baguette with sauteed shallot --- intriguing and almost as easy.
I see I'm coming in late to the decadent cheese-lovers party. Thanks, everyone!!!!!!!

[thew]

i love mascarpone on a toasted bagel. add lox if you want

[corneygirl]

Ricotta makes a nice quick pasta. Before draining reserve a little pasta water. Add a couple big spoonfuls (maybe a couple Tbs a serving) to the pasta and some of the saved water to make it creamy. I like to add peas and a ton of fresh ground black pepper. Fresh basil or parsley is nice to. Like other comments I like it on pizza as well, or toast.

[roxlet]

There is an Italian cook book called We Called it Macaroni that has a recipe for a delicious bruscetta. Essentially you mix ricotta and mascarpone and put that on pieces of toasted bread that has been rubbed with garlic. On top of that goes a dollop of a tomato mixture that combines sun dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil that has been ground together in a food processor. It is very delicious, and I have often thought of using this as a cold pasta sauce too by tossing first with the cheese mixture and then add the tomato mixture on top.

[karykat]

That sounds amazing. (Proportions if you have time?)

[roxlet]

I won't have access to the cookbook for a couple of weeks, but I will try to remember to look and post about it when I get home mid-July.

[bushwickgirl]

That sounds delicious, for both the bruschetta and pasta. I will remind you to look for the recipe when you get settled.

[roxlet]

Thanks! My brain may not function properly since I will be so deliriously happy to be home! Home, where you don't have to rinse bananas before you un-peel them because they are covered in dust...

[roxlet]

Bruschetta With Ricotta
1 lb of tomatoes, seeded and juiced
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup sun-drided tomatoes in oil -- drained, and reserve oil
1/4 cup basil leaves
salt
3/4 lb fresh ricotta
3 oz mascarpone
slices of bread toasted and rubbed with garlic

Combine fresh tomatoes, garlic, sun dried tomatoes and basil in a food processor. Pulse until all the ingredients are finely minced, then add enough of the reserved oil (or olive oil) to make the mixture spreadable. Add salt to taste

In a clean food processor bowl, combine the mascarpone and ricotta and process until smooth.

Drain any water that might have accumulated on top of the tomato mixture. Spread each piece of bread with some of the cheese mixture and then top with the tomatoes.

[bushwickgirl]

Oh, thanks for remembering. This is perfect for this time of year. Lovely with pasta.

[roxlet]

This is one of those recipes that is really much more than the sum of its parts. It doesn't sound like much, but put together it is a wow.

[toveggiegirl]

If you got leftover ricotta and blueberries, you must try Dorie Greenspan's moist and delicious Ricotta-Berry Muffins!
http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Ricotta-Berry-Muffins-333975

I also like to mix ricotta in with scrambled eggs, like in this recipe. I bet mascarpone would be great in eggs too.
Soft Scrambled Eggs With Fresh Ricotta and Chives
http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Soft...

[Pia]

Or this "blintz cake" -- just saw it today and it looks delicious.
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/20...

[JCap]

Add mascarpone to sauteed mushrooms and onion, and some pasta water for a creamy pasta sauce.

[Jemon]

With the mascarpone, I love to put it on toast with fresh strawberries and good balsamic vinegar or balsamic reduction.

For the ricotta, make cannoli! Mix in sugar, vanilla extract, mini chocolate chips if you want, and to be simple and Americanized, put the mixture into a sugar cone (ice cream cone). Almost as good as a regular cannolo shell.

[WhatThePho]

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/276527

Do a ricotta vs mascarpone cannoli taste test! :) And I'll be right over to help with all that tedious tasting.

[Jemon]

I had never heard of mascarpone being used to fill cannoli until I read that thread! Seems like it would be SUPER rich and could only be done with mini cannoli!

[lrhr]

Stir a little honey into the ricotta, add some fresh fruit if it's handy..or not...a small dash of chili will add a interesting subtle heat to a smooth easy snack/dessert.

[Jemon]

Honey mixed in, and eat it with canned peaches with chili just like cottage cheese!

[ewa95]

I use a lot of ricotta-- but I use fresh sheep ricotta. I substitute it in pies such as key lie pie and pumkin pie, and use it actually instead of mascarpone in tiramisu. I love it and it is so much better for you, too.
For cooking, ricotta is great as a sauce-- you can make "pink sauce" with ricotta and tomato sauce and it is very good. Or just add it to pasta (with a little pasta water) and flavor to taste. My kids love this as an alternative to mac and cheese :)