Spaghetti ai Carcofi

Spaghetti with Artichokes

A simple artichoke-cream sauce that can be prepared in the time it takes to boil the pasta!

1 package frozen artichoke hearts (or 2-3 artichokes already cooked)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 TBSP fresh parsley, minced
pinch oregano
1/2 cup white wine
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated parmigiano cheese

In a saucepan, saute the garlic in olive oil until golden.  Add the artichoke hearts, parsley, salt and pepper and a sprinkle of oregano.  Saute a few minutes, then splash in the wine.  Cover and let cook about 3 minutes.  Stir in the cream; when it's heated, add the cheese.  Stir and simmer on low until the spaghetti is cooked al dente.

Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce.  Dust with parmigiano and a sprinkle of freshly-ground pepper.

Arancini

I know the sound of crickets has been deafening around here lately.  But lest you think I've given up cooking (and blogging) altogether, I refer you to a great recipe that I posted over at Summer in Italy.  If you aren't already familiar with them, the fine folks offer fanastic vacation rental properties around Italy, with a particular focus on the Amalfi Coast and Cilento Coast.  The travel guide part of their Web site also serves up regional recipes and tons of helpful travel information, so it's well worth a look!

Arancini di Riso - special and tasty fried balls of rice that are especially popular around Napoli!

Pollo Porchettato

Chicken cooked like porchetta. 
Anyone who has traveled to Italy has surely seen porchetta, the young pig stuffed with herbs and roasted.  It's very tender and flavorful, and proffered at market stalls over the peninsula, but particularly in the central regions.

I'm not about to get myself a whole hog and try the procedure at home, but an easy way is to use pork roast or chicken breast and pretend it's porchetta!  Simple enough to prepare anytime you don't really feel like cooking, but nice enough to serve to guests, too.

1 whole chicken breast, split
Slices of pancetta or bacon
garlic, minced
rosemary
thyme
sage
salt and pepper
peperoncino flakes, if desired
white wine

Butterfly the chicken breasts.  Drizzle on olive oil, then rub in the herbs.  Close the breasts, and wrap in pancetta.  Secure with toothpicks or tie with kitchen string.  Place in a baking dish; drizzle on a little white wine.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes, adding a little wine if needed to keep it from drying out, turning the breasts a couple of times.  Let the wine nearly evaporate for the pancetta to brown.  Slice and serve.
Serves 4 or 5.

Patate e Peperoni

Potatoes and Peppers

I've been the ready recipient of nature's bounty all summer:  fruit as it ripens, eggs from the hens, fagiolini (string beans), and more zucchini than a girl knows what to do with.  I've also been given sacks of peperoni, the local variety is friggetelli, which are slender, pointy peppers rather than bell-shaped.  They're sweeter and thinner.  My neighbor recited this easy recipe to utilize them.  It's good with a bit of "piccante," as they call peperoncino in these parts.

Adjust it depending on how many people you're serving:

A few potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, sliced in half
about 10 peppers (cut off the stems, wash, and slice)
salt and pepper
peperoncino (chile flakes or chile oil)
pinch of oregano

Boil the potatoes for about 8 minutes to partially cook them.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat some olive oil and add the garlic.  When it starts to brown, remove the cloves and discard.  Add the pepper slices and saute over medium heat until they become soft.  Add the potatoes and remaining ingredients along with about a half-cup of water.  Cover and simmer about 10 minutes, stirring now and then and adding more water if needed to keep it from drying out.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Grazie, Artusi

While Italy's celebration of unification was rather lackluster, something the whole nation can get behind is the 100th anniversary of Artusi.  Every household has a copy of the book that brought the country together more surely than politics or paper-signings every could.  The legendary cookbook author served up a collection of recipes that spanned the peninsula, the first of its kind.

I'm an Artusi devotee, so in honor of this anniversary I'm offering one of my favorite Artusi recipes.  Enjoy!

Here it is, in Artusi's words (as translated by Kyle Phillips):

Pollo alla Marengo

On the eve of the battle of Marengo, Napoleon's cook was unable to find the chuck wagons in the confusion and was forced to improvise, using stolen hens.  The dish became known as chicken Marengo, and it's said that Napoleon always enjoyed it, less for itself than because it reminded him of a glorious victory.

Chop a young chicken into pieces.  Saute it with 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 of oil, seasoning it with salt and pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.  Once the pieces are browned on all sides, drain off the fat, dust the meat with a level tablespoon of flour, and sprinkle it with 1/2 cup of dry white wine.  Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of broth over the chicken to keep it from drying out, cover it, and simmer it until done.  Before serving, sprinkle it with minced parsley and squeeze half a lemon over it.  This is an appetizing dish.

Buy the Artusi from Amazon:


Try this other Artusi recipe from my archives:  Maccheroni alla Napoletana

in Solidarity: Salmon Teriyaki

Since the tsunami struck I've been horrified and saddened by the images from Japan.  We await news of friends, praying they're safe.  I wonder about the beautiful and adventurous ladies who visited our village a few months ago, eager to see our mountain towns and participate in cooking classes.  My neighbor opened his wine cellar to them and I translated from Italian to English (which was then translated to Japanese) as Peppe explained the principles of his organic, home-made vino.  Their sweet smiles come into my mind and I just wonder...

There are many avenues for assistance, as this article on Huffington Post points out. 

Today I'm giving you a recipe a world away from Italy, but close to my heart.  It comes from a friend who owned a Japanese restaurant in New Mexico.  Enjoy, and do consider contributing to the relief efforts.

Salmon Teriyaki

1/4 cup molasses
1/3 cup dark soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup orange juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 TBSP fresh ginger, minced
dash of red pepper flakes
2 TBSP light oil

Combine all in a saucepan and cook until reduced by half and thickened.  Reserve half the sauce; use the other half to brush on the salmon filets while grilling.  Drizzle the reserved sauce over the cooked salmon, and serve with hot, steamed rice.

Beans and Greens

My grandpa likes to make a version of this down-home dish with a long-simmered ham hock with which the dry beans cook for hours.  It's rich - and fatty, and takes a lot of time.  I prefer the little lighter version they make here in Italia, using just a little bit of pancetta and a jar of beans.  There is just enough pancetta to add flavor.  It's done in about ten minutes, and it can be a main dish or an accompaniment.  Grandpa uses collard greens, but I prefer the fresh, tender spinach.

Cannellini e Spinaci

Extra virgin olive oil

1-2 TBSP pancetta, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

about 1/2 pound spinach, cleaned

1 can cannellini beans, drained

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup white wine

dash red chile flakes

Drizzle some olive oil in a saucepan or deep skillet that is large enough to hold all the spinach.  Add the pancetta and saute until starting to brown, then add the garlic.  When the garlic starts to color, add the spinach and mix well.  Saute and toss to get the spinach to start to wilt.  Add the wine, cover, and simmer about 5 minutes. Uncover; add the seasonings and the beans, and cook about 5 minutes.  Serve hot or at room temperature.

Liquore al Caffe'

The after-dinner hit of our Italian Thanksgiving feast was the liquore al caffe' that I made to serve as a digestivo.  Italians take their digestion quite seriously, and a little hit of booze to close the meal is said to aid the process.  I just know that it tastes good!  This recipe hails from a nearby town, Laurenzana, where my great-grandmother came from.  In fact, it was rather famous and -say the townspeople-the recipe was sold to Borghetti, a corporation based in northern Italy, which distributes coffee liqueur all over Europe.

Liquore al Caffe di Laurenzana

1/2 liter of freshly made espresso (made in the Moka pot)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 liter grain alcohol (or vodka)

Put the sugar in a heat-proof container that closes tightly; pour the hot espresso over it and stir to dissolve.  Let cool.  Add the vanilla and alcohol.  Let sit for a few weeks to mellow.

Panino di Melanzane

Eggplant Sandwich

Don't start thinking that this is an ordinary veggie sandwich.  Oh, no.  You should know me better than that by now!  Instead of plopping some grilled or fried eggplant between bread, the eggplant becomes the delivery mechanism while the oozy-fresh, melty mozzarella is sandwiched in between.  Just a couple of ingredients make this a fast lunch option or a delicious appetizer.

Eggplant, sliced
fresh mozzarella, sliced
a bit of marinara sauce
basil leaves

If you have young, really fresh eggplant you can use them freshly-sliced.  Otherwise, slice them, salt them and leave the slices to draw out the bitterness for about 1/2 hour.  Then rinse and dry well with paper towels.

Lightly coat the eggplant slices in flour.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Fry in olive oil until golden brown and drain on paper towels.

Heat the sauce.  Spread a little bit of sauce on a slice of eggplant, then top with mozzarella to cover the eggplant.  Sprinkle a couple of basil leaves, then top with another slice of eggplant.  Press together and eat!

Agnello Ammollicato

I'm back in Basilicata and enjoying the down-home flavors of the Motherland.  Lamb features heavily in these mountain areas.  It is prepared in a variety of ways and it is so tender and flavorful.  One of my favorites that comes from the central mountain zone is called agnello ammollicato, or lamb with bread crumbs.  It uses the mollica di pane recipe that I've shared with you previously and makes a humble but delicious dish.

Lamb chops or pieces (best with a bit of bone)
mollica di pane
olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, sliced
oregano
peperoncino (chile flakes)

Rub the lamb pieces with a bit of olive oil and place in a baking dish.  Sprinkle on the mollica di pane, the garlic slices, the oregano and peperoncino flakes, along with a bit of salt and pepper.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Bake at 400 for about an hour, until the lamb is tender and the breadcrumbs are golden.

Pasta e Pesto

It's basil season and that means fresh pesto!  I love the smell of the fresh-picked leaves, and adore that sweet-peppery burst of flavor when it's ground into pesto.  This recipe incorporates two pestos - basil, also known as Pesto alla Genovese, and sun-dried tomato.  Both can be made ahead and stored in the fridge. 

Pesto alla Genovese
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup grated parmigiano or pecorino cheese
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 clove garlic
salt and pepper
dash of red chile flakes
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Pulse everything in a food processor or blender, adding more oil as needed to get a smooth consistency and to emulsify it together.


Sun-dried Tomato Pesto
1 jar sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup red wine
1 tsp. fresh oregano
salt and pepper
Blend everything together until smooth.

FOR THE PASTA:
Cook any type of pasta you want al dente.  In a saucepan, heat equal amounts of the two pestos, adding a bit of cooking water from the pasta to thin it slightly.  Drain the pasta, stir in the sauce, top with grated parmigiano or pecorino, and sprinkle on some toasted pine nuts.

Poor Man's Parmesan

Much is made lately of the "cucina povera," or peasant cooking.  It's become rather trendy and even rather costly in restaurants for the typical "poor man's" dishes that sustained the tenant farmers and working classes through the centuries.  It's a quest for authenticity and simplicity that has brought it into vogue.

In Italy, most of these dishes never died off.  They were passed down from la nonna for years.  While certain recipes have gone national, it is the regional cooking that offers the most variety and flavor, changing from one region to the next.

In Basilicata, a quintessential element is the mollica di pane, which is often used instead of cheese to top pasta dishes.  It reflects the past poverty of the region; cheese was eaten fresh as the primary protein source, rather than being saved and aged.  They couldn't afford to reserve and "waste" their cheese for sprinkling on pasta, so they came up with this rather ingenious (and tasty!) condiment made from breadcrumbs.  The local wood oven-baked hearty bread made from semola flour is perfect for this.

Mollica di Pane

2/3 cup coarse bread crumbs (preferable homemade)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 handful of parsley, minced
1 leaf sage, minced
2 peperoni crushi, crumbled (or a sprinkle of chile flakes, if you want it a little piccante)
olive oil

In a saute pan, heat a little olive oil.  Add the garlic and saute lightly until softened, then add the other herbs and the breadcrumbs.  Saute, stirring, until lightly golden brown.  Add in the crumbled peperoni if you have some.  Set aside until cool.  Prepare cavatelli, orecchiette or pasta of your choice in whatever method you prefer, then sprinkle the mollica di pane over top and serve.

Bruschetta with Rapini

Bruschetta con la rape

What we call rapini is cima di rape in Italy (rah-pay).  It's a cool weather green that has little broccoli flowerettes peaking through the stalks.  While my husband Bryan doesn't like broccoli, he will eat la rape.  It is often boiled and served with a drizzle of olive oil and a squirt of lemon juice as a refreshing side dish to the main course, or sauteed and served with orecchiette.  I put it to work as an antipasto, too.  It's always a hit, even with my veggie-picky husband.

You'll need:
a generous bunch of rapini
a clove of garlic
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
freshly grated parmigiano
crusty bread

Clean the rapini and strip the leaves and broccoli flowers from the stems.  Roughly chop them and put them in a large saucepan with a bit of water and salt.  Bring it to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes.  Drain well, squeezing the leaves in a tea towel or paper towels to extract the moisture.  (Reserve the stems, which can be trimmed and added to soups.)

Make the bruschetta:  Slice the bread and drizzle on a bit of olive oil.  Broil or grill until golden brown.

In a skillet or saucepan, heat about 2 tsp. olive oil.  Add the minced garlic and saute until softened but not browned.  Add the rapini and stir well, coating it in the olive oil, adding another drizzle if needed.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add 2 TBSP balsamic vinegar.  Combine well.  Top the bruschetta with the rapini.  Sprinkle on a little parmigiano cheese and serve.

Photo Credit: Uprising Seeds, where you can buy seeds to grow your own rapini.

Ratafia - Cherry Liqueur

This delicious wine-soaked cherry liqueur hails from the Abruzzo region, where we tasted it in a family-run trattoria in a splendid town called Sulmona.  Local Montepulciano and wild cherries were marinated together to create the perfect after-dinner digestivo.   The owner put the bottle on the table and invited us to help ourselves, then brought crunchy cherry-studded biscotti to dip into it.

I have learned that creating delicious liqueurs depends on the Biblical principle of 40 days and 40 nights - leaving the fruit and liquor to macerate that proverbial period of time draws out all the fruity goodness and makes luscious liqueurs!

Ratafia di Ciliegia

1 1/2 pounds pitted cherries
1 bottle Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
1 cup grain alcohol (or high-proof, good quality vodka)
1 stick of cinnamon
1 vanilla bean
a big glass jar or bottle that will seal well

Split the vanilla bean open and put it in the jar, along with the other ingredients.  Give it a shake and put it in a dark place for 40 days and 40 nights, shaking it gently every few days.  After the maceration period, strain it.

Combine 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water in a saucepan, bring to a gentle boil, stirring well to dissolve the sugar, then turn off the heat and let it cool.  Add it to the liqueur, stirring well.  Divide into bottles and keep in a cool, dark place. 

We prefer the pretty gasket-topped bottles as they seal better and make a nice presentation for gift-giving.

photo credit: Faynor Orchards

Aparagi con le Uova

Asparagus with Eggs

I've seen this simple dish in various cookbooks, and the combination of asparagus and eggs just seems very "Spring" to me.  It is also called asparagi alla milanese, as well as asparagi alla bismarck, though I'm not sure that it is truly regional and I have no idea where Bismarck would fit into the Italian equation.  Either way, it's delicious and easy.

Asparagus
Eggs
Wine or broth
Pecorino cheese
Salt and pepper

Clean the asparagus and line them up in a skillet.  Add about 1/2 cup of wine or broth (or water), sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover and boil a couple of minutes.  Uncover, add a tablespoon of butter and shake the pan to distribute it.  Break the eggs carefully over top of the asparagus, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, then cover and cook about five minutes (or until the eggs are the desired consistency for you).  Sprinkle on some freshly grated pecorino and serve.

Photo credit:  Moon Angel

Cacio e Pepe - Absolute Simplicity!

Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe

Seriously folks, it doesn't get any easier than this!  Three ingredients is all it takes, but those three little elements combine to a big flavor combo.  This is a well-known Roman dish, and the real star is the well-aged Pecorino Romano cheese, so be sure to get the best quality chunk you can find.

You'll Need:
Spaghetti
about 2/3 freshly grated Pecorino cheese
about 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Cook the spaghetti in salted water.  Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water. 

Put the cheese in a bowl and add 1/4 cup of the cooking water.  Stir it with a fork until it becomes creamy.

Drain the spaghetti and add it to the bowl.  Toss well, adding the pepper and a little more cooking water if necessary to make it moist and creamy.

Serve, topped with an extra grating of cheese and another twist of the pepper grinder.

Photo Credit: Jon Sullivan / Public Domain Image

Cicoria alla Materana

Matera-style Greens

Southern Italy has a way with vegetables.  They take fresh, simple ingredients and turn out a flavorful dish that allows the real taste of the veggies to come through.  Everything seems to burst with freshness there.  I have enjoyed a few variations of this cooked greens dish; some cooks like to add pancetta or a diced tomato to the mix so feel free to jazz it up at will.

Chicory is a popular cool weather vegetable there but harder to find in the US.  I substitute chard or mustard greens, or even spinach on occasion.

*Wash a bunch of greens and boil them in salted water for about ten minutes.  Drain well.  Set aside.

*Slice an onion and mince a clove of garlic.  Saute on low heat until tender and golden; you want to bring out the sweetness of the onion.

*Add the cooked greens to the pan and combine well.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and a dash of red chile flakes. 

*Add about 1/2 cup of chicken or vegetable broth.  Partially cover and simmer until the broth is mostly evaporated.

*Sprinkle in about 1/4 cup grated pecorino cheese and grind some freshly-cracked pepper into it; serve.

Buona!

Pour On The Polenta!

One of the Christmas-time traditions we have came to look forward to is the polentone, or big polenta feast.  Each year on Santo Stefano, the day after Christmas, our friend Giorgio would simmer up some sauce, stir up a pot of polenta, and serve it up on a big board, crowned with plump sausages.  The board pulled double duty as serving tray and dinner plate, as everyone was provided with only a fork and told to go to town on the section in front of them.  He cleverly put the meat and mushrooms in the middle of the polenta, so you had to "fare una strada" (make a road) through the polenta to reach the rich stuff.

It's a fun tradition and a great meal concept that really encourages joviality and interaction.  Giorgio has two enormous wooden boards that he uses for his polentone.  We couldn't find anything suitable for our US version, so we went to a restaurant supply store and purchased two industrial-sized baking sheets for our festa, which worked very well.

This method of serving polenta originates from Abruzzo, where its toppings vary depending on province.  Some places serve it with sausages, other traditions use porcini mushrooms, while some prefer lamb pieces.  It is always generously dusted with roughly-grated aged pecorino cheese.

For the Sauce:

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, minced

2/3 cup dry red wine

1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes or tomato puree

Fresh sausage (spicy or mild) - enough for the number of guests

1/2 cup mushroom broth (soak dried mushrooms in 1/2 cup of hot water for 1/2 hour; or use a mushroom broth boullion cube), or rich vegetable stock

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until soft but not brown. Add the wine and allow to partially evaporate, then add the tomatoes and a little salt and pepper. Cut the sausages in half if they are long, poke each with a fork, and drop into the sauce*. Add the mushroom broth, cover and let simmer about 1 hour. Uncover and let simmer another 1/2 hour.

*I put the sausage in for about 10 minutes, then remove all but three or four pieces, so the sauce doesn't become too fatty, while leaving a few pieces in to flavor it nicely. Put the removed sausages into a big saucepan, add a bit of the tomato sauce along with some more red wine, cover and simmer about 1/2 hour. With a big crowd I put them into a baking pan, add some sauce and wine, cover them and put them in a 250` oven to cook, so they're off the stove until I'm ready to serve them.

For the Polenta:

You can prepare traditional, long-cooking polenta for an authentic taste, or the quicker-cooking variety.  Since the "real" polenta involves 45 minutes of constant stirring, I follow Giorgio's method of using the faster version; not the "minute polenta" which he says has no texture to it, but the variety that requires about five minutes of cooking.  An Italian polenta meal works best.  It comes in vacuum-packed bricks and is found in import stores.  For ten people I used 1 1/2 packages of polenta, albeit a few of the guests were light eaters.

Follow the cooking directions on the package, bringing salted water to a boil in a very large pot, then lower the heat and sprinkle the polenta grains in slowly, while stirring with a heavy wooden spoon. 

Pour It On!

When it is thickened but still soft and pourable, turn it out onto the sheets, smoothing it out with a wooden paddle or spoon.  You may have to add a little hot water first to get it to a pourable consistency.

Bring the pot of sauce to the table and ladle it out evenly over the polenta.  Sprinkle generously with grated pecorino cheese.  Top with sausages (or cooked mushrooms, if you prefer).  Dig in and enjoy!

Pesce al Forno

As Christmas approaches I'm reminded that Italy celebrates la Vigilia (or Christmas Eve) with fish.  While the "feast of the seven fishes" has become almost fabled, the reality is that most households do eat fish, but not necessarily seven plates of it.  Our own experience of the past three Christmases spent with Roman friends brought four to five fish dishes to the table each year.  There is usually one or two seafood-based antipasti, followed by a pasta with salmon or shrimp, and then the obligatory pesce fritto, fried small white fish that everyone devours while complaining about the grease and fat, being careful to leave no speck of breading on the plate.  The highlight is always the pesce al forno, baked or roasted fish that is meaty with a delicate flavor.

You can use any whole fish - bass, redfish, snapper, bream, or perch.  Obviously the herbs can be varied to taste, substituting fresh dill or the rosemary or thyme.  Roasting whole fish on the bone gives it a wonderful flavor and moistness you don't get with fillets.

Whole fish - cleaned and gutted
1 lemon, sliced
1 garlic clove, sliced
fresh herbs - rosemary, thyme, oregano, parsley, or dill
olive oil
white wine

Rinse and dry the fish, then rub it with olive oil.  Sprinkle it generously all over with salt.

In a roasting pan or baking pan lay some sprigs of rosemary or thyme, then lay thin slices of lemon on top.  Put the fish on the "bedding".  Put slices of lemon, sprigs of thyme and slices of garlic inside the cavity of the fish.  Lay more lemon slices on top.  Drizzle with a little bit of white wine (about 1/3 cup).

Bake at 400 F. for about 1/2 hour.  Fish is done when the eyes turn white and the flesh flakes with a fork.  A good rule of thumb for cooking fish is ten minutes per inch of thickness.

Related Link:

How to Eat Fish on the Bone

Italyville's Feast of the Seven Fishes Roundup

Torta di Mele

I admit that I don't have a rabid sweet tooth.  I *do* like chocolate as much as the next girl and was happy to hear there are medicinal properties to it, but I try to avoid blatant binges.  I don't generally order dessert when dining out because they are just too big, fat-filled, and achingly sweet for me.  When I do go for a dolce, I prefer it to be fruit-based.  I also prefer to make my own so that I can control the type and amount of sugar.

This torta di mele, or apple cake, fits the bill perfectly for me.  Wholesome apples and whole grains combine to make a delicious cake that is nice enough to serve as dessert for guests but also makes a healthy breakfast.  It is naturally conducive to a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, though I've enjoyed it with a bit of honey-sweetened ricotta, too.

Torta di Mele

1 cup whole grain pancake and waffle mix (I use Bob's Red Mill 10 Grain Pancake Mix)
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2/3 cup  sugar (I use Sucanat, a "whole" sugar, but maple syrup can be used, too)

2-3 apples, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Oven: 325 F.

Grease a 9" pie plate.

Beat the eggs until foamy, add the milk, then stir in the sugar.  Add the baking mix and stir until combined; the batter will be stiff.  Fold in the apples and nuts.  Spread the batter into the pie plate.

Bake for 50 minutes, until golden brown and set.  Best when served warm.  It naturally begs for a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but I've also enjoyed it with a dollop of honey-sweetened ricotta on top.