Roasted Squash With Ricotta And Lemon Food

RICOTTA, SQUASH AND HONEY FLATBREAD

Steps:

• Stir together the ricotta with a large pinch of salt and few grinds of pepper in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Prepare an outdoor grill for medium-high heat. Brush the grill grates with oil. Toss together the squash and zucchini slices, 1 tablespoon of the oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl. Grill the vegetables, turning once, until nicely marked and just tender, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove to the large bowl and toss with the juice of one of the lemon halves.
• Brush the tops of the flatbreads with the remaining tablespoon oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread a quarter of the ricotta over each flatbread. Divide the grilled vegetables among the flatbreads. Transfer the flatbreads to the grill, cover and cook until the bottoms are slightly charred and crisp in spots and the ricotta is warm, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Remove to serving plates and top each with a drizzle of oil, a squeeze of the other lemon half, some lemon zest and a drizzle of honey. Sprinkle with salt and red pepper flakes, then top with the fresh herbs.

MARINATED SUMMER SQUASH WITH HAZELNUTS AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F. Toss squash and 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt in a colander; set over a bowl. Let sit 10 minutes, then pat dry with paper towels.
• Toss hazelnuts and 1 Tbsp. oil on a rimmed baking sheet and roast, shaking occasionally, until golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Let cool; crush into large pieces with a measuring cup or glass.
• Smack 3 mint sprigs against your cutting board a few times to release their flavor; mix in a large bowl with garlic, vinegar, sugar, red pepper flakes, and 2 Tbsp. oil; set dressing aside.
• Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high until shimmering. Arrange squash cut side down in skillet, breaking into smaller pieces if needed in order to fit in a single layer, and cook, moving around in pan to ensure even browning, until golden brown on cut side, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover (if you don't have a lid use a baking sheet), and continue to cook until very tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool slightly.
• Cut squash into 2" pieces and toss in reserved dressing to coat; season with kosher salt and black pepper. Let sit at room temperature, tossing occasionally, 15 minutes. Pluck out mint sprigs; discard.
• Meanwhile, zest lemon half into a small bowl, mix in ricotta and remaining 1 Tbsp. oil; season with kosher salt. Hang on to that lemon.
• Spread lemon ricotta over platter. Top with squash and their juices. Squeeze reserved lemon over. Pull leaves from remaining mint sprigs (you want about 1/4 cup). Scatter mint and hazelnuts over squash. Drizzle generously with oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Serve with toast.

LEMONY RICOTTA SUMMER SQUASH GALETTE

Steps:

• 1. Sprinkle zucchini lightly with salt. Transfer to a colander; drain for 15 minutes. Pat dry with paper towels. Preheat oven to 400°F.
• 2. Meanwhile, on a large piece of lightly floured parchment, roll dough to a 12 inch circle. Transfer parchment and dough to a large baking sheet; set aside.
• 3. For ricotta filling, in a medium bowl whisk together ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, garlic, 1 teaspoons of olive oil, lemon peel, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Using a spatula, spread ricotta filling over dough. leaving a 11/2-inch border. Top with squash rounds. Drizzle with remaining olive oil Gently fold over pastry edges, pleating as necessary.
• 4. In a small bowl whisk together egg yolk and 1 teaspoons water. Lightly brush pastry edges with egg mixture. Transfer galette to oven. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Sprinkle fresh dill weed, if desired Serve warm or at room temperature.

OVEN ROASTED SQUASH WITH RICOTTA AND POMEGRANATE SEEDS

Steps:

• For the squash: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cut the squash in half along the equator. Scoop out seeds and discard. Cut into 1 1/2-inch crescent-like slices, then cut the slices in half and place in a large bowl. Add the sage, onions, olive oil, Aleppo pepper, salt and black pepper. Toss, then place in a baking dish. Bake until the squash is caramelized and tender but still holding its shape, about 50 minutes.
• For the garlic confit: Add the garlic and oil to a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer, uncovered and undisturbed, about 30 minutes. Cool, then place garlic, half of the oil and 2 tablespoons water in a blender and puree. Set aside.
• For the sweet garlic ricotta: Add the ricotta and 3 tablespoons pureed garlic confit to a bowl and whisk to combine. Season to taste with salt. Set aside.
• Place the squash on a serving platter. Dollop with the sweet garlic ricotta and garnish with the pomegranate seeds.

SUMMER SQUASH 'PASTA' WITH RICOTTA

Steps:

• Using a vegetable peeler, peel one strip off of the first squash, lengthwise. Discard first strip (since it's all skin). Rotating the squash, continue peeling the squash so each strip has a thin sliver of skin. Once there is no skin left, use the peeler to slice around the remainder of the squash until you hit the seeds. Repeat with other two squashes.
• In a large pan over medium heat, heat enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Once the garlic starts to turn golden, add the slivers of squash and a dash of salt and pepper. Using tongs, toss to coat and drizzle a little more oil if the squash looks dry. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the slivers start to wilt. At this point, add the tomatoes and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
• Remove the pan from heat and immediately stir in ricotta and fresh basil. Use the tongs to work the ricotta into a sauce, ensuring each strand of squash is coated.
• Serve immediately or at room temperature.