Baked Ricotta With Italian Parsley Salad - cooking recipe

Ingredients

BAKED RICOTTA
2 (15 ounce) containers whole milk ricotta cheese
1/3 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs
PARSLEY SALAD
6 cups loosely packed Italian parsley, stem removed
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 pint golden cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 small red onion, cut into paper-thin slices
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, more as needed
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Put ricotta in a large sieve or colander lined with a double thickness of cheesecloth. Cover the ricotta with the cheesecloth, set the sieve or colander over a bowl to catch the draining whey, and set a plate with a weight on top of the ricotta to speed draining. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
RICOTTA PIE:
Preheat the oven to 375\u00b0. Butter a 10-in pie pan. In a large bowl, stir together the ricotta and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the eggs, beating well. Transfer the mixture to a prepared pan spreading it evenly. Bake in the upper third of the oven until puffed and lightly brown-55 minutes. Let cool, then unmold onto a cutting board.
PARSLEY SALAD:.
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Toss well. Taste and season according to personal preference. Serve immediately or let stand for up to 1 hour, tossing occasionally.
Cut the ricotta into 8 wedges and place on individual plates. Accompany each serving with some of the parsley salad.