Recipes with ricotta cheese

Elegant Italian pasta rolls stuffed with three cheeses, smoked ham, and prosciutto, poached in chicken broth and served over fresh tomato sauce. A masterchef-worthy showpiece.

Greek phyllo pastry nests filled with Parmesan, ricotta, and mint, baked golden, then topped with bubbly Kasseri cheese and a Kalamata olive. An elegant appetizer that stuns at any table.

A no-bake dessert pizza spread with whipped ricotta cannoli cream, chocolate chips, candied fruit, and crushed pistachios. No oven needed for the topping, just chill and assemble.

Vegetarian ratatouille lasagna layers Provencal vegetables with ricotta, mozzarella, marinara, and bechamel between tender noodles. Meatless, hearty, feeds six.

Ricotta-stuffed zucchini flowers filled with creamy ricotta, Asiago, chopped almonds, basil and parsley. Delicate squash blossoms baked until warm, elegant enough for company, easy enough for a summer Tuesday.

Manicotti Rita Taule wraps a creamy three-cheese ricotta filling inside delicate homemade crepes (no boiling pasta tubes). Baked under tomato sauce and melted mozzarella for a tender Italian classic.

Italian-inspired layered dessert with sponge cake soaked in rum and orange liqueur, sweetened ricotta cream, and fresh berries. A boozy, elegant trifle for special occasions.

Quick vegetarian crêpes stuffed with sautéed zucchini, green beans, fresh corn, ricotta, and Monterey Jack cheese. Topped with a tangy chive-lemon sour cream sauce and ready in under 30 minutes.

A very healthy dessert, malted milk powder, low-fat cheese, and very good chocolate, tasty and great.

Spinach ricotta gnocchi tossed in a simple butter-cream Parmesan sauce. Handmade Italian green gnocchi that are light, pillowy, and freezer-friendly.

Light apple raisin crepes with an oat bran batter, part-skim ricotta and apple filling, and a warm cinnamon syrup poured over at serving. Just 178 calories per serving.

Microwave lasagna with uncooked noodles that soften right in the sauce. Layered with ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan, this no-boil method delivers real lasagna in about an hour.

Chocolate tofu cake that bakes up silky like cheesecake but lighter, blending firm tofu with ricotta, cream cheese and cocoa, spiked with Irish cream and coffee liqueur. A water bath keeps it custardy smooth.

Lighter ricotta chocolate mousse made with part-skim ricotta, gelatin, cocoa powder, and chocolate syrup. A 25-minute Weight Watchers-friendly chocolate dessert that skips heavy cream entirely.

Sausage manicotti stuffs ricotta, browned Italian sausage, mozzarella, and Parmesan into pasta tubes, then bakes under tomato sauce and melted cheese. One-pan Italian-American comfort baked in 35 minutes.

Fig and ricotta crostini with fresh basil ribbons and aged balsamic vinegar on toasted baguette. Elegant five-ingredient Italian appetizer ready in 20 minutes.