What do you do with leftover fresh ricotta? Turn it into ricotta cake, of course!
I spent ages trying to perfect this recipe – here’s the original post from 2009 and our gluten free version, plus a ricotta slice I messed about with. I’m not sure why I found it all so hard – these days I just wing it and it seems to work every time.
Here’s a brief rundown on my most recent bake (quantities are loose)…
Mix one large well-drained 500ml tub of fresh ricotta with a big spoonful of Greek yoghurt (we used homemade) or sour cream, 150g sifted icing sugar and the grated rind of a small lemon.
Stir in two egg yolks. Beat two whites until firm, then fold into the batter.
Pour into a tin or pie dish lined with sweet shortcrust pastry (our recipe is here, but it’s quite sticky and fiddly – you have been warned!). Bake in a preheated 150C fan oven for about 50 minutes, rotating once (carefully). Leave to cool in the oven with the door ajar. Chill, then serve…
With the little piece of excess pastry, I made a baby berry pie for Small Man. He loved it…
. . . . .
And remember our roast lamb shoulders?
The following day, I turned the leftovers into that Aussie staple, shepherd’s pie…
I blitzed the meat in the food processor, then mixed it with cooked onion (chopped and fried until translucent), grated carrot, a splash of Worcestershire sauce, half a cup of tomato passata, salt, pepper and a couple of tablespoons of water. This was then spooned into a greased pie dish.
Three large potatoes were peeled and mashed with butter, salt and pepper (no liquid), then spread out over the meat and roughed with a fork. A little melted butter was brushed on top and the pie was baked for about 50 mins in a preheated 175C fan oven. From memory, I turned the heat up a bit at the end to brown the topping.
It was delicious with chipotle barbeque sauce!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
I love it! I hate wasting food.
Wish I had this recipe several weeks ago……..gave most of the extra to the dog who loved it! Love making little ‘baby’ pies. Thank you!!
I often buy kilo tubs of ricotta and am then required to make this cake/tart. It can also be made without the pastry. Waste is maddening but I guess at times, my chooks are rather pleased with stuff I haven’t had time to refashion or use up.
Oh I am soooo hungry now – especially that shepherds pie!! Tried my new oven last night and hate it :( It’s 30 years old and in F not C – wish I could recycle it haha!!
Another here who truly dislikes waste. My favourite recipe with ricotta is gnocchi. The recipe is from The Thrifty Kitchen by Suzanne and Kate Gibbs who have impeccable pedigree in this area, being the daughter and grand daughter of Margaret Fulton! Ingredients are 250g ricotta, 1/3 cup parmesan, 1 egg, 1tsp salt and 1 cup sifted flour. Divine:)
Wow that shepards pie looks amazing. I have been put off by shepard’s pie since it involved some sort of packet mix in my childhood but I will definitely make this next time we have leftover lamb.
Looks delicious!
I do love a bit of food upcycling. To ring the changes (we quite often eat shepherds pie) I sometimes add a layer of mashed swede under the potato or top it with lightly sweated leeks and a grating of cheese. We never eat ricotta – maybe we should start.
Your ricotta pie looks heavenly Celia. My Pete is usually the one who turns leftovers into another wonderful meal.
Have a glorious day.
:-) Mandy xo
It’s funny how you sweat over a recipe, making it just so that very first time and over time it evolves and adapts. I have quite a lot of quark (baker’s cheese) that I picked up for song so I’ve become the Queen of impromptu savoury tarts.
Leftovers generally make the best meals! Gorgeous food here Celia, yum!
Love ricotta tart. Makes me feel that it is healthy!
Just noticed this on the King Arthur site – looks like a figjamandlimecordial recipe! https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/asparagus-strata-with-sourdough-recipe
Hahaha not one of mine, but it looks awesome, thank you for the link!