Ina Garten loves this 5-component holiday getaway appetizer recipe

Garten credited the recipe to Missy Robbins, chef at Lilia in Brooklyn, New York, and the sweet edition of it, with stone fruit and honey, can be discovered on the James Beard web page. We determined to consider it the two means. Spoiler alert: Both equally are incredible.

The greatest part about this dish, whether or not appetizer or dessert, is that it only calls for a handful of ingredients.

For starters, get your ricotta — and not just any outdated ricotta. In her recipe, Robbins claims, “The most significant issue about this recipe is acquiring the suitable ricotta. Do not acquire the frequent grocery retailer range. It is typically watery and doesn’t have more than enough excess fat content to get the creaminess you’re right after. Get the time to seek out out a much more reliable artisanal wide range, or go to your closest outdated-faculty Italian market to get the fantastic stuff.”

I strike my area Metropolitan Market place and was happy to find a fantastic choice of ricotta. I bought the refreshing ricotta, which is built in-house, but also Bellwether Farms’ Basket Ricotta, which is explained as “hand-dipped full milk ricotta.” Right after screening each, the Bellwether Farms edition was decidedly a lot less watery.

When you have the appropriate ricotta, the other substances for the primary recipe contain: olive oil, pink pepper flakes, lemon peel and contemporary thyme sprigs. That’s it.

Use olive oil to grease a muffin tin and fill with ricotta. Bake in a 375 F oven for 15 to 17 minutes. Let it interesting briefly, then flip it onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. (This is the position wherever you see if the ricotta is far too watery. I utilised a paper towel to sop up the further liquid.) As soon as on the sheet, drizzle with olive oil, time with salt and freshly floor black pepper, and sprinkle on crimson pepper flakes.

For my sweet version, I topped the cheese with lemon peel and thyme sprigs. For the savory model, I utilized orange peel and rosemary sprigs.

Place it back in the oven for another 10 to 12 minutes, or right until it receives golden brown all over the edges.

At the time it is done, the magic comes in how you plate it. For the savory version, I merely served it with garlic crostini. The cheese was creamy, tangy and subtly peppery and herby.

In Robbins’ sweet model, she suggests serving it with stone fruit. Considering that it is November — and stone fruit are scarce — I made do with strawberries (but you could also use contemporary figs or mango). I tossed them in olive oil and sea salt and served them with the baked ricotta, drizzled with honey. The combination of flavors was simply divine.

I just cannot wait around to experiment with different variations — possibly incorporate some pesto to the savory or some baked pear to the sweet. Irrespective, it’s one particular recipe, two methods — you actually can not reduce.