Baked Ricotta With Italian Parsley Salad

Ingredients

BAKED RICOTTA

• 2 (15 ounce) containers whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 2 eggs

PARSLEY SALAD

• 6 cups loosely packed Italian parsley, stem removed
• 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 pint golden cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 small red onion, cut into paper-thin slices
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 2 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, more as needed
• salt & freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. 1

   Put ricotta in a large sieve or colander lined with a double thickness of cheesecloth. Cover the ricotta with the cheesecloth, set the sieve or colander over a bowl to catch the draining whey, and set a plate with a weight on top of the ricotta to speed draining. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

2. 2

   RICOTTA PIE:

3. 3

   Preheat the oven to 375°. Butter a 10-in pie pan. In a large bowl, stir together the ricotta and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the eggs, beating well. Transfer the mixture to a prepared pan spreading it evenly. Bake in the upper third of the oven until puffed and lightly brown-55 minutes. Let cool, then unmold onto a cutting board.

4. 4

   PARSLEY SALAD:.

5. 5

   In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Toss well. Taste and season according to personal preference. Serve immediately or let stand for up to 1 hour, tossing occasionally.

6. 6

   Cut the ricotta into 8 wedges and place on individual plates. Accompany each serving with some of the parsley salad.