Ricotta with Lemon and Basil
Description
A delicious appetizer for any gathering. Ricotta with basil is one of those cases where we make a real delicacy with our own hands from simple, everyday ingredients—the kind you'd pay a pretty penny for at an Italian restaurant. This delicacy isn't too tedious to prepare, but it turns out divinely delicious. There's no comparison to those creamy spreads sold in stores. How to use ricotta with basil? However you like. You can spread it on bread and toast, wrap it in crepes and flatbreads, use it in main dishes and baked goods, or even serve it as a sauce or eat it just as is. But you absolutely have to try making this beauty. And don't forget—you should cook with pleasure! :) The appetizer is ready. Serve immediately.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
The ingredient list is short — milk, basil, lemon, and salt with pepper.
- 2
Step 2
Also, I should point out right away that you’ll need ordinary cheesecloth and a clip-on pot thermometer.
- 3
Step 3
Well, let's start by squeezing and straining the lemon juice from the pulp. You should get about 2/3 cup of juice — this takes 2 to 4 lemons, depending on their size and variety.
- 4
Step 4
Take a sieve or colander, cover it with cheesecloth, and place it in a very deep bowl.
- 5
Step 5
Pour the milk into a large pot.
- 6
Step 6
Over medium heat, heat the milk to 85 degrees, stirring constantly so the milk doesn’t boil over.
- 7
Step 7
As soon as the milk heats to 85°C, remove it from the heat and mix in the lemon juice. Let the milk with lemon juice sit for half an hour.
- 8
Step 8
After half an hour, pour the contents of the pot into a sieve covered with cheesecloth.
- 9
Step 9
Fold the cheesecloth and squeeze it well to remove the liquid.
- 10
Step 10
Essentially, the pulp left in the cheesecloth after pressing is ricotta.
- 11
Step 11
Now finely chop approximately half a cup of basil.
- 12
Step 12
Mix fresh ricotta with basil.
- 13
Step 13
Also add the zest of half a lemon.
- 14
Step 14
Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
- 15
Step 15
Transfer the ricotta to a container or storage vessel and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, the ricotta and basil cream will be ready to use. Trust me, it's very, very delicious! :)