I know what you’re thinking: Sure, we said we wanted you to keep the pizza recipes coming, but we didn’t mean the very next day. Don’t you have any cakes or cookies or pie-of-the-non-pizza variety to break up the content with? And my answer is: This is not a pizza recipe. It’s a recipe for cheese. And it’s long overdue.
Yes, we here at the smittenkitchen had our very first cheese-making experience last weekend. Except, you know how I say “we”? Well, what I actually mean is that Alex was sitting on the sofa, thinking to himself and occasionally out loud “why can’t we just buy it”? And people, it’s like he doesn’t know me at all.
Remember the Cook This List? I’ve had ricotta, and specifically Michael Chiarello’s* recipe on it for ages, but it took a kick in the pants from The New York Times Dining Section three weeks ago to finally get me to check this item off. Luisa–organized, timely Luisa–got to it first which was great because I got a preview of what to expect: a super-cinch recipe that could use a little zing.
My ricotta was precisely the same. I was amazed at how quickly it came together, and how it created a cheese smell in the apartment that was absolutely delicious. Believe me, if I’ve ever said the apartment “smells like cheese” before, it was not a compliment. But this time it was! Even the naysayer on the sofa agreed.
I found a bit of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice really perked the ricotta up, but I am sure it would indeed be tastier with sheep’s milk. Needless to say, I have yet to find a milk-producing sheep baa-ing around Manhattan, so I made due with what was available. From Horizon. In the eerily-close-to-it’s-expiration-date section of Gristedes.
As for what to do with your ricotta once you’ve made it–you know, twenty minutes later–I had come across a recipe for an open-faced ricotta, red onion “marmalade” and prosciutto sandwich on Epicurious a while back that fascinated me, but seeing as I am on a pizza-making bender, I thought these ingredients would make an unusual one.
Alex–poor guy, I guess it’s Harass Alex Day on the blog–is very wary of sweet and savory things mixed together. He doesn’t want to know about the apricot chicken dish I saw Dave Lieberman make once. He cannot deal with grapes in chicken salad. So you can imagine what he thought of a red onion “marmelade” but I am proud to say that on this, too, he admitted he’d been wrong. (And I didn’t rub it in. At all.) The red onion component is more tangy than sweet, and a hefty pinch of red pepper flakes steers it far from the dessert lane. Layered with fresh ricotta and prosciutto (actually, we use speck, but either works) that’s been baked to a curly crisp on top, it was a really fun dinner.
But really, this is a story about cheese. And if you do nothing else, you should make some too.
* Speaking of Chiarello, can I just say how much I miss him? I know I once called his recipes unnecessarily complicated. And well, sometimes they are. But every single one I have made has been utterly delicious and now he’s not on the Food Network anymore. And he’s been replaced with people whose cooking only encourages me to get out of the kitchen, not enjoy it. Come back, please! I’ll never talk smack about your recipes again! (Well, except in two or three days, when I get to the other one I made this week.)
One year ago: Whole Lemon Tart, Fresh Strawberry Tart
Homemade Ricotta
Adapted from Michael Chiarello, via the New York Times 5/28/08
[Update: I make ricotta differently these days, and even more rich. Here’s the recipe.]
Makes about 2 cups; can be doubled.
2 quarts whole milk
2 cups buttermilk
1. Line a wide sieve or colander with cheesecloth, folded so that it is at least 4 layers thick. Place in sink.
2. Pour milk and buttermilk into a heavy-bottomed pot. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently; scrape bottom of pot occasionally to prevent scorching. As milk heats, curds will begin to rise and clump on surface. Once mixture is steaming hot, stop stirring.
3. When mixture reaches 175 to 180 degrees on a candy thermometer, curds and whey will separate. (Whey will look like cloudy gray water underneath a mass of thick white curds.) Immediately turn off heat and gently ladle curds into sieve.
4. When all curds are in sieve and dripping has slowed (about 5 minutes), gently gather edges of cloth and twist to bring curds together; do not squeeze. Let drain 15 minutes more. Discard the whey.
5. Untie cloth and pack ricotta into airtight containers. Refrigerate and use within one week.
Fresh Ricotta and Red Onion Marmalade Pizza
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cups thinly sliced red onions
1 1/2 teaspoons golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Pinch of dried crushed red pepper
1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
6 to 8 thin slices prosciutto (speck works as well)
Pizza dough for one pizza [a simple recipe, a wine and honey version]
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and sugar. Cook until dark brown and tender, stirring frequently, about 16 minutes. Mix in vinegar and crushed pepper. Cook until mixture is thick, about 1 to 2 minutes more. Season marmalade generously to taste with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 500°F. Roll pizza dough out onto the back of a baking sheet, sprinkled with cornmeal. Brush with remaining 1 tablespoon of oil; sprinkle with salt. Spread onion marmalade over the crust, dollop ricotta all over the onion layer and top with slices of prosciutto. Bake until caramelized and crusty, about 10 to 12 minutes.
Oh, that looks some kind of wonderful.
Wow that pizza looks delicious! I love homemade pizza. Thank you for the recipe, I am going to put it on my dinner menu for next week. :)
“I think I will make cheese today!”
Is there nothing off limits? What wouldn’t you make? Churn your own butter? Press your own olives?
But keep it coming because it keeps me amused without having to do any of the work. I love it.
Woah. Replace the proscuitto with arugula and basil, and this is pretty much exactly what I made for dinner last night. (Well, I also used store-bought ricotta and pizza dough, but I’m getting there.) I was inspired by your last few posts to give the whole pizza-making thing a try, and it came out pretty well! Yet here I am running back for advice…
Basically, the dough caused me all sorts of problems. I tried rolling it, I tried stretching it, I tried holding onto a little piece of it in the air and letting gravity pull the rest downwards… I almost tried flinging it up in the air in a circle but I knew that would just lead to dough on the counter/floor/ceiling. No matter what I did, it just sprung back on itself! Eventually I gave up and just made a smaller, thicker pizza than I originally wanted to make. Any idea what went wrong? Would more kneading have helped? Was I not persistent enough in my rolling? (This was dough purchased from my corner pizza shop, so I don’t really know what was in it or how it was made, unfortunately.)
Well… I think I may just have to go into my kitchen right now and make some pizza! Mark’s out of town, but returning tonight, and since he is the official “pizza monster” (even though I think you may be challenging him for the title!), I don’t think he’ll mind if I whip out the pizza making skills this evening. All of yours look great and I love the veggies being the star of the show. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a pepperoni girl through and through, but it’s June and we’re trying to eat more veggies, so why not some gourmet veggie pizza? I think I’ll try a spinach, artichoke, mushroom pizza tonight. Mmmm, sounds good! Thanks for the inspiration!
You never cease to amaze me. Ever. I’m in awe and rather inspired to try so many things you make. Including the cheese. I love ricotta, and homemade? OMG!
Thanks, yet again,
April
Well that looks awfully delicious. And I JUST got back from the store with ricotta for pasta tonight, but I might have to save some for this, what with all the pizza inspiration around the internet these days.
Joanna, I had a similar springing-upon-itself problem last weekend. It helped to let it rest for 15 minutes. If you were using it right out of the fridge, it probably would have been easier with some time to come to room temp.
Joanna, was the dough room temperature? Was the room nice and warm? That was my problem with store-bought pizza dough (from Trader Joe’s). I was so excited to make pizza at home i didn’t let the dough rest for a long enough time in a nice warm room until it got up to about 75-80 degrees. Also, as far as I remember, overworking it makes the gluten shrink up into short strands– setting it aside for a while will soften it.
OK now I have to make pizza this weekend! You got me mouth WATERING!!!!!!!!!!
I have been meaning to make this – trouble is having lactose intolerant bf and also someone who a) says “why can’t you just buy this? isn’t it easier?” and b) loathes sweet/savory combinations… seriously, what’s wrong with our men? we love them, but c’mon — buy something when we can make it??
You say that a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon perks up the cheese, but not when to add these things. Help! I love the idea of the suggestions, but I’m a cheese-making noob! :)
Mm, Deb, this looks delicious! I don’t eat meat, but I could totally see the onion-and-ricotta combo without the prosciutto. I’m a horrible commenter but I wanted to say that your blog’s become one of my favourites as of late and I love the recent recipes!
Nooo, don’t discard the whey! http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/Cheese/Ricotta/RICOTTA_00.HTM You can get more cheese out of it =)
The pizza recipes are so good and your presentation is inspirational! Economizing has led us to have “Homemade Pizza Night” on Fridays (instead of going out for pizza); each of us makes our own pizza toppings and they go on the Big Green Egg. It’s better than going out!
You mean I can make cheese!? In my apartment? Don’t I need a farm or something… seriously. This is madness! The onion, cheese and proscuitto combination looks to die for. My, you sure do eat well in the smitten kitchen.
Michael’s still on the Food Network! At least in syndication. He’s on at 11:30 in the morning on weekdays, which is really just the same as not being on anymore unless you’re like me and telecommute with FN on as background noise. You’re right about him making you want to get in the kitchen, although I have to say he dirties more dishes per recipe than ANY OTHER CHEF EVER. You just KNOW he doesn’t wash his own dishes.
I’m definitely going to have to try this combination; I’ve been pondering cheesemaking lately as it is, and we do love us some red onions in this house. Giada made mini-pizzas today while I was writing a federal proposal and now I feel a compulsive need to host a cocktail party with mini-foods.
Hi Radish,
Why don’t you make two smaller pizzas? Or soy mozzarella cheese is kind of melty and if one does not eat dairy it provides something that resembles cheese. Not to insult this great cheese recipe…but if he doesn’t eat dairy, he may be fine with that. Can he tolerate any dairy? If so, perhaps a few layers of other toppings with select drops of cheese on your side would work!
On the other hand…this cheese recipe has just opened a new horizon for me! I wish I was not going away this weekend. This would have been perfect to make. Oh, and I neeeeeeed more dulce du leche brownies for my freezer:-) and wanted to try out the pistachio cake or hazel nut brown butter cake…was that the name of it?
Hi :). The pizza looks delicious!!!! I just wanted to bring something to your attention: ricotta in italian means cooked again, and it has that name because after the curds and the whey seperate for the first time, you make cheese out of the curds and the whey undergoes the second round of cooking, it gets salted, when it reaches the temperature of 176 and it’s removed from the stove when it reaches 194 degrees. The rest of the procedure is the same as with making cheese. :)
Having said that, i want to make the exact pizza you made! My mouth is watering!
YUM, that looks all kinds of delicious :)
show off.
First Luisa and now you! Will everyone beat me to the homemade-ricotta punch? Will I be able to make some before it becomes the next no-knead-bread-esque blog sensation? Will I stop using the hyphen-and-question-mark formula? Tune in to find out!
This is how I make my caramelized onions..I didn’t know it was an onion marmalade! It is kinda sticky thought..but not marmaladish! You ought to taste these strings of delight mixed into saurkraut..OoooMG..then used in a Reuben. Baby, it’ll just knock you out!
Oh..yeah. Pizza! I’m doing this with the peppers next round of pizza making. I’ll do the ricotta cheese one soon..it looks too good to miss as well.
I am going to have to try making my own ricotta! Definitely. Thanks!
That pizza recipe is pure genius! It has it all – sweet, salty, crispy and creamy. Fabulous!
BTW, I make that Lieberman apricot/chicken recipe all the time. We love it!
And if you press that cheese a little more to get some more water out you get yourself some pressed Indian Paneer. Or keep it loose and make an Indian style scramble with it. One personal favorite — an Indian style bruschetta –part toast your crusty bread, slap on some loose paneer, then some green cilantro or mint chutney on it, broil for a couple min. Hmmmm.
PS: Paneer may be made using yogurt or buttermilk or lemon juice to coagulate the milk solids. Avoid the paneer bricks you get in the stores — gaaack.
I still watch Michael Chiarello in the mornings at 11:30 am (EST). I work the evening shift. I have to agree with one of the previous commenters about how many dirty dishes the man uses!
I am experimenting with home made pizza dough now in response to your blog. Thanks!
Susan (22) has a great idea mixing the caramelized onions with sauerkraut on a Rueben. I’m having terrific cravings (no, not pregnant!) for sweet and savory mixes – tangy goat cheese with super-sweet quince jelly is a recent favorite.
Last week I made a pizza on phyllo dough (think it was in Gourmet about 10-15 years ago!) with onions I sauteed, without sugar, for 45 minutes. A few thinly sliced tomatoes, a touch of basil, and a sprinkling of parmesan….ahhhh, such texture and aroma!
Where do people get their buttermilk? I can only ever find light buttermilk (gag) in NYC. I thought it was just me, but then a recent issue of Fine Cooking confirmed that, north of the Mason-Dixon, you can pretty much only get the light stuff. Surely i this town there’s is genuine buttermilk to be found…? (Without mixing milk and lemon juice.)
Emily — I absolutely agree: I can only find the lowfat stuff. However, if you really want to get the stuff at home to be more like the stuff at the store (but with full-fat milk), the trick is to give it more than just a couple minutes to curdle, I hear. Like, a good 30 minutes will get an effect that should be no different from store-bought. There’s also buttermilk powder, but I haven’t played around with that yet.
I’ve been dying to make my own ricotta ever since I saw a special “make your own cheese” article on Donna Hay magazine. Gotta buy the right fabric!
This pizza looks amazing, Deb.
OMG this looks freakin delicious. this sounds like my dream pizza. in fact, i think it is my dream pizza. sigh…
This looks delicious. I think I will be trying it. I would say, however, that I think you made cottage cheese, not ricotta. This is very much like the cottage cheese I used to make. I’ve not made ricotta, but I think ricotta is made from the left over whey from other cheesemaking, not directly from the milk.
I LOVE homemade ricotta. I’ve made it so many times, and the only thing that makes me sad is it’s totally NOT cost-effective to make your own. I was on a kick for awhile where I’d make it, and my breakfast was a scoop of that with some pistachios and honey. I must say, when I realized how easy it was, I was totally in awe of myself for having done such a thing. If I could make it and not eat all of it as breakfast, this pizza looks like a great way to use it! Mmmm….
That pizza looks incredible!!! I really have got to make some ricotta…very impressive!
Deb and Emily
There is also a ricotta recipe that skips the buttermilk all together that I have been using, its very good. Less than1/2 tsp salt, 1 quart whole milk, 1 cup heavy whipping cream and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (I half the original recipe, or else I’ll be eating ricotta all week if you double this only use 3/4 tsp salt) Bring milk, cream and salt to a rolling boil over high heat whisking occasionally, reduce heat and add lemon juice, whisk until it curdles. Pour mixture into the cheese cloth and allow to drain at room temp for an hour, then chill for 2.
I was keeping it on the counter when the weather was cooler, but now I have been sticking it in the fridge to drain, its a little “wetter” but still good.
Shayna – I like that other ricotta recipe you just posted since I can’t get buttermilk either. All we can get for milk is UHT milk (ultra processed so that it doesn’t need refrigerating and has a long shelf life) because we live in a country where people don’t like milk! Do you think that kind of milk would still work in this recipe? We can get whipping cream.
How MUCH does this make? I bought a cooking light seasonal cook book a couple of years ago which wanted one to make their own ricotta, and I thought WHY? Fast forward a couple of years, and I am thinking I really need to pull that recipe out. I had been holding off, because well, I think if my husband walks into the kitchen and sees that I am making cheese he will know the crazy has finally hit the fan. But I suppose now I can point my finger and say “she made me do it”.
Adrienne and Squashi, thanks for the advice! I still have half the dough in my fridge, so I’ll probably try again this weekend. I’ll make sure to let it sit out and rest and warm up completely before I try to roll it out. Wish me luck!
Emily, I had the same thoughts… and I was also wondering if you could use powdered buttermilk. I have that stuff on hand, but will have to hunt for the real stuff. Now, you could get all crazy and MAKE BUTTER so you have buttermilk (uncultured), I’m not saying I wouldn’t go there, but maybe not this weekend!
Yum! And easy-looking, too. After reading this, I actually feel like I could make cheese at home. And I don’t cook, let alone undertake skilled DIY projects. Question – have you made yogurt cheese before? With the whole draining and cheese-cloth and whatnot?
I want a recipe for Mozzarella that sounds as easy as your ricotta. I saw Martha do it once, but it looked like everything Martha does – too much for me and my kitchen. So… Do you think you can do it?
Wow, great ideas and suggestions here for both pizza and cheese! I didn’t have much luck making fresh cheese with milk and buttermilk alone; adding a small amount of distilled (white, neutral) vinegar actually yielded a decent amount of curds. I also want to try my hand at fromage blanc (which needs a culture), but a pizza with any kind of fresh cheese is a new one, so sounds like something tasty to experiment with!
For unusual pizza toppings, I enjoy using chutney or some caramelized onion spread as a substitute for the usual tomato sauce. One of our “kitchen discoveries” which has become a popular dish (especially for variations!) is a pizza with chutney, chicken and (of course) cheese.
Yay!! I love fresh ricotta. Have used both buttermilk and lemon as the curd-producer, but I do prefer using yogurt. It’s about 1/4c. per litre of milk. You just bring the milk up to a simmer, pop in the yo, give it a stir, and in a few minutes, the magic is done. Have had great results with cow, sheep and goat milk and yogurt (can usually find goat and sheep milk at organic markets).
I also like to add a few flavoring agents into the milk as it simmers, like bay leaves, peppercorns, thyme, rosemary… then the resulting cheese is lightly scented.
Also, if you paddle this once it has hung out in the cheesecloth, you can make another cheese with the texture of chevre. Paddle until it starts to come together, add a couple tablespoons of your favorite delicious oil (cold press canola is amazing!), salt to taste, and spread it onto whatever in your life needs yummy cheese.
I have been making my own ricotta and mozzarella (and yogurt) since I joined a cow-sharing program. These seem to be popping up all over the nation. For cheese-making tips, and easy at-home kits, see http://www.cheesemaking.com and http://fiascofarm.com/
Enjoy!
Can you make me some Brie? Ha!
See you later! Ciao!
Now that you have made ricotta, you HAVE to try making your own mozzarella! It’s very easy, and SO delicious! I first started making it after reading Barbara Kingsolver’s book, _Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.” You can just Google “30-Minute Mozzarella” (it takes me 45 minutes!) or here’s the link to the post on my blog: http://lindseysluscious.blogspot.com/2007/12/blessed-are-cheesemakers.html
As a bonus, after you make the mozzarella, you can make ricotta from the whey!
Enjoy–Gina
Susan, your idea for using these caramelized onion in a Rueben is making me drool! Next time I get some corned beef (or buffalo, my fave) I’m definitely trying that.
Maybe you should make ricotta again and make these…
http://cupcakestakethecake.blogspot.com/2008/06/ricotta-raspberry-cupcakes.html
Oh I’m dying. I love your pizza recipes Deb! But, it’s 111 degrees F here, so I’m going to have to save this one, and the ricotta, for a cooler day. I can’t wait to try it.
Do not be afraid of the ricotta! Even *I* can make ricotta cheese! As a matter of fact, just tonight my seven year old who eats NOTHING, I swan he survives by photosynthesis, asked me with longing when I was going to make spinach pizza – which of course requires me making ricotta cheese.
I love Michael C.
Why would the FN cancel his show?
Even this southern girl has had enough of Paula Deen.
OH Fresh Ricotta *Swoon* !!!
I love Michael, too…he also has a show on the Fine Living Channell called Napa Style.
Deb, as far as I’m concerned, you could change this blog into All Pizza, All The Time and it would still work. You rock!!!
WOW. I can’t believe you have never done ricotta. It is so easy and gratifying. I usually make it after I make mozzarella. I’m assembling a post of “Uses for Whey” — ideas welcome.
Best,
Suzanne
I’m not sure I’d go through the trouble, but it looks divine. Also, the same filling would make a fantastic summer tart.
I can’t wait to try this. I started making my own mozzarella last summer and found it to be absolutely worth the (minimal) effort. And I definitely want to try a pork-free version of the pizza. Any ideas for those of use who keep kosher?
Kira–we refer to our photosynthesis child as “the air fern”.
Magpie Ima..I would think about anydeli thin sliced lunch meat would crisp up well on a pizza. Corned beef comes to mind!
After seeing all these pizza recipes, I finally tried my hand at dough last night. And made two (When I found out I’d be feeding four instead of two, but then somehow six people showed up at the table – guess I should’ve made three pies).
Anyway, it was sooo good! Thanks Deb, this was easy!
Thank you for the recipe! I have been toying with the idea of cheesemaking ever since I read of Barbara Kingsolver making homemade mozzarella and ricotta, and how easy it was.
I think this recipe will push me right in that direction.
whey is such a yummy, nutritious liquid-i hate to see you throw it away!
we make a lot of cheeses and yogurt at our house so we have a lot of the stuff, and here’s our favorite things to do with it:
wheymenade (mix with fresh lemon juice and sugar to taste)
added to soups, breads, etc instead of water-usually half whey half water/milk does the best.
enjoy!
I just gotta say that I saw it, I made it, and it was JUST DELICIOUS!!! I did, however, use store – bought ricotta, just because here in Spain it’s hard to find buttermilk in the supermarket! :-) Oh, and I used “jamon serrano”, I hope it’s close to spec or the cured ham you can get over there. It did taste terrific, so I guess it’s more or less the same.
But now that I’ve seen a non-buttermilk recipe posted here, I might give it a try for next time. What can I do with the leftover ricotta? Maybe in salads?
I just couldn’t stand seeing another gorgeous pizza post without making my own. I used the wine and honey crust recipe, and I found the dough extremely salty. My boyfried loved it, but it was just too much for me. Did you use 1 tsp kosher salt or 1 tsp table salt??? It was pretty awesome anyway! I will definitely have to try this ricotta recipe sometime.
Oh, this looks amazing, and I’m going to try it at my very first opportunity! I’ve been dying to try making some cheese and I think this might be the nudge I needed.
Maybe the M.C. can go back to public tv where they still have cooking shows about how to cook food. (Didn’t he start there?)
Maybe we can start a petition to get him back on!! I am also a huge fan and happen to own all of his cookbooks. Yes, a little complicated sometimes, but always delicious, and isn’t that really what we are after.
I have to agree that your site has become one of my faves. I make quite a few of your recipes and they too are always delicious!
I made this Sunday and it is by far the prettiest darn pizza I’ve ever seen. The ricotta was also really easy to make. Thanks for having such a wonderful, inspiring site.
Oh, yum, I LOVE making homemade ricotta and pizza, too! We do Friday Night Pizza every week, and homemade ricotta is always a big player in the rotation. I actually made the open-faced sandwich recipe from Epicurious that you mentioned — I like the idea of turning it into a pizza, though. Then again, what *isn’t* better on top of a pizza??
I, too, have been on a pizza bender recently. And SK is doing nothing to help steer me in another direction! Seriously though, when an acceptable amount of time has passed since the last time I ate pizza (ahem, 2 hours ago), I will be making this delicious concotion post-haste! I might even attempt the dough…. I just got a brand-spanking-new pizza stone, and this will be the perfect recipe with which to break it in. Thanks!!!
WOW. That looks amazing. I usually make some type of homemade pizza once a week and I am putting it on my list for next week.
And here I’ve been thinking I need to try my hand at cheesemaking! I have a coworker whose son is taking care of a goat this summer, so I keep hearing about how they are up to their ears in more goat’s milk than they know what to do with … sounds like a great opportunity to me. I’m looking forward to giving this one a try.
Oh man, I feel like a scrooge saying this, but that’s not ricotta. “Ricotta” means “re-cooked” and it’s the cheese that’s made from all that whey that you tossed. Technically, because it’s not made from milk, ricotta is not a cheese, rather a whey product.
I mean, what you have there looks really really tasty, but it’s not ricotta…and it’s things like this that make me grumpy at Michael Chiarello. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to yell at the TV because he was giving out bogus information.
Then again, I’m a horrible pedant.
Wow, so crazy enough…I made mozzarella and ricotta this morning using Rikki Carrol’s 30 minute mozzarella recipe. I then just made some of your pizza dough. Was planning on using the mozz for the pizza tonight, but did a search for ricotta to see what would come up here on Smitten Kitchen and lo and behold – we are having this for dinner instead!
Try this in a foccacia twist…
Slice red onions paper thin, toss with olive oil, red pepper flakes and finely chopped, fresh rosemary. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Spread the onion mix on pizza dough (Thinly rolled) and bake in a hot oven until crust is very crispy. Great for parties, or in place of garlic bread.
I made this pizza without the meat last night. I modified the ricotta slightly, making a smaller batch with 1.5 quarts milk and 1.5 cups buttermilk, plus a couple of big strips of lemon zest, a very small piece of star anise, and a teaspoon of salt. The anise and the lemon zest gave it just that little bit of pizazz that made my boyfriend go crazy! Why would I ever buy ricotta again??
This was fantastic and really very easy to make. I’ve been saving an expensive and special bottle of Pinot Noir since my birthday in March. I finally had the time to make something equally special and it was fantastic. All of the flavors really complemented one another. It was an amazing meal to treat my hubby on date night.
Your recipe was fantastic! Thanks so much. I actually put in edamame in my ricotta. Long story, but it turned out okay. http://www.foodieindenial.com/2009/12/pizza-with-caramalised-onion-edamame.html
I made this tonight with a 1/2 AP flour 1/2 whole wheat flour dough, spread on some ricotta, and parbaked the crust. Then I added the onion marmalade, substituted in some leftover turkey bacon, and sprinkled on some goat cheese…1 word: heavenly. I’ve made so many recipes from SK, and every one has been outstanding. My husband and coworkers thank you Deb!!!
I made the ricotta with goat milk– OMG– it was sssooooo good. I added about 1/4 tsp salt to 1 qt goat milk, 1 c buttermilk. I could only find low fat buttermilk, but the fat in the goat milk seems to have made up for it. I could not resist stirring for longer than I should have, so the curds did not come together as well as they should have. I will do better next time.
The next goat milk project is some goat milk caramel. There was some out for tasting at one of my favorite stores where they always have tasty things to try (Dave’s Pasta, Davis Sq, Somerville, MA). The tart balanced with the sweet so well. Yum!!
Made this pizza and it was a serious hit. This is a winner, people.
I accidentally made cheese yesterday. Who knew that you can’t sub in that random cup of buttermilk you’ve got in the fridge when trying to make bechamel? Me? I did not know. But since it was going into a casserole, it was still very tasty.
I just need to tell you how much I love this recipe! I’ve made it four times so far, and it is absurdly delicious every time. The last time I made it, the pizza dough failed miserably, so I made the toppings with yummy al dente rigatoni instead, and it was just as delicious! Thanks for all your amazing recipes but most recently (for me) this one. :D
DISCARD the whey?! honey!! put that whey back in the hot, but not scorching, pot and cover it… let it cook down down down til it turns into the most scrumptious delicious gjetost! mmm gjetost. best made with goat’s milk. in my experience cow’s milk makes the least flavorful of cheese… old 1/2 and 1/2 is actually quite nice… sheep’s milk makes fabulous cheese and goat’s has the most flavor…. robiola and blend all types of milk!
I made this for dinner last night and just loved it. I had extra store-bought ricotta to use up, so I haven’t made my own yet, but I will next time. Also, a great pizza tip I learned from a Gourmet.com video once: When you preheat the oven, put an upside-down sheet pan in the oven to get hot. Then shimmy the pizza from the back of the assembly baking sheet onto the hot one in the oven. It acts as a make-shift pizza stone and you get wonderful pizza parlor-esque crispy crust!
Wow. Made this last night and it was DELICIOUS. My girlfriend said it was one of the best pizzas she’s ever had and it tasted like it came from a restaurant. I did make the fresh honey-wine pizza dough, but not the fresh ricotta. I added shredded basil and parmesan as well. All in all, a huge hit!
So here’s my question. I can’t stop thinking about that onion marmalade. I think I could eat it with a spoon, but I’m trying to be more refined than that. I have another red onion awaiting its fate… can you (or anyone) give any suggestions for other uses? I will definitely be making this exact same pizza again, probably very soon. But I think this caramelized onion jam is SO fantastic, I want to use it on all kinds of other dishes – ideas??
Lindsay — Sandwiches! It’s so good there.
Made this again last night for girls’ night dinner and had rave reviews. Made the ricotta with your updated recipe – you might want to add a link to that recipe. For the crust I made Jim Lahey’s pizza crust which you start the day before with the 18 hour rise – oh my! I will never use another pizza dough recipe!
The red onion relish is heaven sent!
You. Are. A. Genius! So good. Simple. And unique.
I’d made some vegan ricotta a couple days ago (silken tofu, ground raw cashews, fresh lemon juice and salt) a few days ago and had some left after making manicotti. That, combined with some pizza dough in the frig, led to the discovery of your recipe. The red onion jam is just fantastic, and made for one wonderful pizza (well, I made some other changes including thin slices of a vegan Italian-style sausage instead of meat, and also a bit of sliced fresh basil for color and another flavor layer, but it was that red onion jam that gave the pizza its zing!). It is a terrific recipe, and seriously addicting.
I bought 2 doughs from a local pizza place and used store-bought ricotta. As I was pulling it out of the oven, the parchment paper the pizza was cooking on caught fire, the pizza slid off my paddle and did a face plant on the floor! Luckily had enough extras to make another..it was very good but I’ll have to try again with my own ricotta!
I made this a couple of weeks ago, and it immediately catapulted itself into the category of “Most Favorite Pizza of All Time.” Question for you – what do you make of soy sauce for balancing the sweetness of the onion marmalade? I find that a combination of Balsamic and Soy really prevents icky-sweetness and adds another dimension to the flavor.
I made the ricotta last night. Super easy and delicious. I didn’t add any lemon or salt to it. I used the ricotta to top baked salmon, along with the onion marmalade. Fantastic! I had the ricotta this morning mixed with a bit of honey on toast. I think there will be lots of ricotta in my future!
We made this for dinner and absolutely loved it. I had a little buffalo mozzarella I needed to use up so I tossed a few torn up pieces of it on there too. I don’t think I’d caramelized red onions before, and they were so sweet and delicious. Great recipe!
Wow really impressive. You shared really great sources of “fresh-ricotta-and-red-onion-pizza”.
Thank you.
What about using the whey to make the pizza dough?
( whey from the use-lemon-juice ricotta method)