Remember all that pesto I made and froze?  I sent a bag of pesto “cubes” with Emily to keep in her freezer in her apartment.  But there is still a lot of pesto in my freezer.  So, it is time to thaw some!

This dinner highlighted my pesto and Farmer Kim’s eggs in Molly Katzen’s Ricotta & Pesto Souffle.  I used her recipe except that I used my own pesto recipe.

It was a tasty, light dinner that we ate with tomato cucumber salad. For tonight I used a good red wine vinegar and olive oil in making the dressing, and added in some dried oregano.  Sorry, no pictures – we ate that before I thought to grab the camera.

Cam (the 3 year old) even ate his whole serving of souffle.  It always makes me happy to see a little one eating weird looking green food!

Ricotta & Pesto Souffle

from Molly Katzen’s Enchanted Broccoli Forest

a little melted butter (I used cooking spray) and grated parmesan for the souffle dish

1 lb ricotta cheese (I used part-skim)

6 eggs, separated and at room temperature (from Farmer Kim)

2 Tbsp unbleached white flour

1/2 tsp salt

freshly ground black pepper, lots

1/3 cup grated parmesan

1 cup pesto (home-made if possible)

Preheat the oven to 375F.  Lightly brush a 2 qt souffle dish with melted butter or spray with cooking spray.  Sprinkle the bottom with some grated parmesan.

Place the ricotta in a large bowl.  Add the egg yolks, four, salt, pepper, parmesan, and pesto.

Beat with a whisk until well combined.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks (I used my electric mixer).  I probably should have beaten them more, but they were pretty stiff.

Gently but persuasively (Mollie’s words) fold the beaten egg whites into the ricotta mixture.  Use a firm rubber spatula and turn the bowl as you fold.

 

Transfer the batter to the souffle dish.

Without a moment’s hesitation (also Mollie’s words – why would I ever change these?), place the souffle into the oven, and reduce the heat to 350F.  Let it bake undisturbed for 45 minutes.

Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Serves 4.

Related articles

• Cammy’s Pesto (andreasgardencooking.com)
• Pesto Bean Dip (andreasgardencooking.com)
• Tomato Pie with Ricotta, Pesto, and Bacon (thestarvingartistfood.com)