Ricotta Pockets Recipes

SPINACH AND RICOTTA PHYLLO POCKETS WITH GREEK SALAD

Steps:

• Drain and squeeze all the water out of the thawed spinach and set it aside. Mix the mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, egg, oregano, basil, nutmeg, salt and freshly ground black pepper together in a bowl. Stir in the chopped spinach.
• While building the phyllo pockets, always keep the dough sheets you are not working with covered with plastic wrap and a damp clean kitchen towel. Remove one sheet of the phyllo and place it on a flat surface. Brush the phyllo sheet with melted butter and then layer another sheet of phyllo on top. Brush the second sheet of phyllo with butter and layer a third sheet of phyllo on top. Cut the layered phyllo sheets into 4 strips, about 5-inches wide.
• Place roughly 1/3 cup of the spinach filling at the end of each strip of dough. Fold the bottom right corner of the strip over the filling towards the left edge of the strip to make a triangle. Continue to fold the phyllo dough around the spinach as you would fold a flag, making triangle after triangle. Brush the outside of the phyllo triangle with more melted butter and set it aside until you've finished the 4 strips of dough, making 4 triangles.
• Pre-heat the air fryer to 400ºF.
• Transfer the first two phyllo triangles to the air fryer basket and air-fry at 400ºF for 5 minutes. Turn the triangles over and air-fry for another 5 minutes.
• While the first batch of triangles is air-frying, build another set of triangles and air fry in the same manner. You should do three batches total. Once you have air-fried all the triangles, they can be warmed in the air-fryer for a minute or two just before serving if you like.
• To make the Greek salad, combine all the vegetables in a bowl. Whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together and then dress the salad, tossing until all the vegetables are evenly coated.
• Serve 1 to 2 warm triangles per person with the cool Greek salad on the side.

RICOTTA-APPLE POCKETS

Steps:

• Roll out refrigerated pizza dough to 1/4-inch thick; cut into 3-inch rounds. Top with ricotta, diced apple, and a pinch of cinnamon sugar. Brush the edges with beaten egg, fold in half and press to seal. Brush with egg and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Poke a hole in each; bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees F.

BLACKBERRY RICOTTA PIZZA POCKETS

Steps:

• Fill a Dutch oven about halfway with veggie oil and heat to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with paper towels and set aside.
• Roll the pizza dough to about 1/4-inch thick on a floured work surface. Cut out as many 4-inch rounds as you can. Reroll the dough, if needed, to get 6 rounds total.
• Combine the ricotta, confectioners' sugar and vanilla in a small bowl. Stir in the basil.
• Dollop a scant tablespoon of filling in the center of each dough round and place a blackberry on top. Dab a little water around the edge of each dough round. Fold over to make half-moons and pinch well with your fingers to seal.
• Add the pockets to the hot oil in batches and fry until golden and puffed, about 3 minutes. Remove to the lined sheet pan. Sprinkle on confectioners' sugar.

RICOTTA POCKETS

Steps:

• 1 Place the flour in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and stir until it is absorbed. Gradually stir in the eggs and Marsala to form a soft dough. Turn the dough out on a countertop and knead until smooth, about 10 minutes. The dough should be stiff. If it is too dry, work in 1 to 2 tablespoons of water. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes up to overnight. 2 Pass the ricotta through a fine-mesh strainer or blend it in a food processor until smooth. Stir in the sugar, chocolate, and lemon zest. 3 Cut the dough into quarters. Keep the remaining pieces covered with an inverted bowl while you work. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one piece into a 12 × 12-inch square. Brush with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Tightly roll up the dough into a 12-inch rope. Cut the rope crosswise into 12 pieces. Place the pieces on a plate. Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the remaining dough in the same way. You should have 48 pieces of dough. 4 Have ready a small bowl of cold water. Dip both cut sides of one piece of dough lightly in flour. Roll out the piece into a 5- to 6-inch circle. Place about 2 tablespoons of the ricotta filling to one side of the circle. Dip a finger in the water and lightly moisten the edge. Fold in half and seal by pressing the edge firmly with your fingertips. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. 5 In a deep heavy saucepan, pour enough oil to reach a depth of 2 inches, or if using an electric deep-fryer, follow the manufacturer's directions. Heat the oil to 370°F on a frying thermometer, or until a drop of the batter placed in the oil sizzles and browns in 1 minute. 6 Add as much of the dough pieces to the pan as will fit without crowding. Cook, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. 7 Remove the pastries with a slotted spoon or skimmer and drain on paper towels. Fry the remainder in the same way. 8 While still warm, roll the turnovers in granulated sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature. From "1,000 Italian Recipes." Copyright 2004 by Michele Scicolone. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.