Ricotta
Features: Ricotta obtained from cow's milk. White-yellowish color. Very tasty, since it contains a high percentage of fats.
Production Area: Inland of Liguria
Curiosities: The term ricotta derives from the Latin "recoctus", which refers to the whey re-cooking. Because it is not a product deriving from the milk casein coagulation at high temperatures, but from the proteins of whey, a by-product of the processing, according to the Italian Law it is not cheese.
Preparation: Ricotta produced with cow's milk whey, deriving from the production of various kinds of cheese in the inland. The whey is cooked in the traditional copper pots placed on boilers (the traditional ones are brickwork boilers). Ricotta is obtained through surfacing of the product. It is put into baskets or clothes in order to let the whey drain.
Recipes: Ricotta is used to prepare the filling of ravioli and cakes (both sweet and savory pies) based on vegetables. Among them, the so-called Baciocca, a local potato pie. The main ingredient is the potato, thinly cut and put in strata on a sheet of pasta dough. Besides potatoes, the filling consists of a lightly fried mixture of lard, chopped onions and garlic, ricotta (or milk and cream), and grated cheese (or sarasso). In some holiday farms, this pie is still cooked according to the traditional method, that is in the testo (crock) and under the bell, where it acquires the taste of tradition. The dish can be combined with the fine wine Golfo del Tigullio vermentino.
