Recipe: Roasted Fruit and Homemade Ricotta (Melissa d'Arabian)

ROASTED FRUIT AND HOMEMADE RICOTTA
"Setting out an assortment of sweet options for dessert, like homemade ricotta, fresh fruit, roasted fruit, toasted hazelnuts, and honey for drizzling, is visually appealing and allows guests to pick and choose how much (or little) dessert they want."


FOR THE RICOTTA:
2 cups 2% milk
1 cup whole milk
1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out with the tip of a paring knife (reserve the bean for another use or discard)

FOR THE FRUIT:
2 peaches, halved, pitted, and quartered
2 pears, seeded and quartered lengthwise
2 plums, pitted and quartered
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon lightly packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup hazelnuts (for serving)
Honey of choice (for serving)

TO MAKE THE RICOTTA:
Set a large fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl. Line the sieve with a dampened piece of cheesecloth; set aside.

Pour both of the milks into a medium stainless steel or enameled pot and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar. Let the mixture set for 5 minutes (it will separate into curds and whey).

Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth-lined sieve and drain until the ricotta is nice and thick, 20 to 25 minutes. Pour off and discard the water in the bowl occasionally (for thicker ricotta, drain longer).

Turn the ricotta out into a bowl and stir in the vanilla seeds. Use immediately or transfer the ricotta to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

TO ROAST THE FRUIT:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Add the peaches, pears, and plums to a large bowl and toss with the melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Place the fruit on a rimmed baking sheet.

Roast until slightly soft and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Roast the hazelnuts on a second rimmed baking sheet until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cutting board to cool, then roughly chop.

TO SERVE:
Serve the ricotta alongside the roasted fruit, chopped hazelnuts, and honey for drizzling.

Makes 6 servings

PER SERVING: Calories 191; Protein 6g; Dietary Fiber 3g; Sugars 20g; Total Fat 9g

Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Clarkson Potter
Source: Supermarket Healthy by Melissa d'Arabian