Sicilian super cheese from the oven

As a chef in Sicily, I encountered "ricotta al forno" or "ricotta infornata." A lot of whey is left over from cheesemaking there, especially from pecorino production. The whey still contains dissolved proteins that don't curdle during the original cheesemaking process. These proteins can be precipitated—curdled—with the help of heat and then strained to create ricotta. It's a fresh cheese, so it doesn't keep indefinitely. A clever Sicilian woman, or perhaps a southern Italian from the mainland, came up with the idea of preserving this ricotta in the oven. Baking develops a dark brown, fragrant crust, and after baking, the ricotta can be grated—over pasta, for example. It tastes wonderful and goes much better with southern Italian dishes than Parmesan from the north. I've been trying to promote ricotta infornata for years in the restaurants I advise, as well as in columns and books—with limited success. Unfortunately, the cheese is rarely available north of the Alps. But you can also make it yourself, easily and simply! It's best to bake a few extras at once to make it worth turning on the oven. The cheese is a wonderful addition to Sicilian penne alla Norma, spaghetti with braised tomatoes , with smoked eggplant in a tomato sauce version , and many other pasta and vegetable dishes.

This bean salad was actually meant to be just a summery example of using this obscure super cheese. While trying it out, I made two discoveries: The combination of savory with garlic and anchovy fillets works extremely well! You can also sauté the mix briefly in olive oil as a special sofritto for steamed vegetables or as a base for a pasta sauce. Savory grows happily in an unkempt corner of my garden. I was thrilled to use this humble herb again after a long time. Discovery number two: If you have any leftover salad, simply cover it and cook it for a few minutes the next day, grate more ricotta over it, and maybe add some crispy roasted potatoes ( here's the recipe for the best ones). I've even skipped the salad version a few times; with aromatic summer tomatoes, the beans are fantastic!

1. Turn out the ricotta, season lightly with salt, and place it on a rack in the oven, placing a small piece of baking paper underneath if necessary. Set the oven to 160 degrees Celsius (320 degrees Fahrenheit) and bake for 2.5 to 3 hours until dark brown, opening the oven door a few times during the baking time to release the moisture. The finished cheese weighs about 120 grams. Once cooled, it grates easily and will keep well in the refrigerator.

2. Clean the beans, trim the stems, and cook in salted water until al dente. Halve, quarter, or slice the tomatoes, depending on their size.

3. Peel the garlic and chop it with the savory. For the dressing, finely grate the lemon zest and squeeze the juice. Slice the citrus leaves into very fine strips. Chop the anchovy fillets and add them to the lemon juice, zest, and leaves with a little anchovy oil. Stir in the savory mixture, chili paste, and olive oil. Mix with the beans, divide among plates, and arrange the tomatoes on top of the salad. Grate the ricotta over the top.

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