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Baked Feta and Ricotta with Mint
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In Athens and Sicily, we discovered similar baked cheese dishes. In Greece, it was a slab of briny broiled feta cheese eaten with bread. In Italy, it was chewy rounds of firm ricotta that had been doused with spicy-peppery seasonings, then baked until tender and lightly browned. At Milk Street, we found that neither cheese performed well on its own—a victim of lesser cheeses than what we'd had overseas. But we discovered that a creamy, mild ricotta mitigated the graininess that resulted from baking some so-so brands of feta. Look for blocks of feta packed in brine and avoid anything pre-crumbled. If you don't have or can't find Aleppo pepper, substitute 1½ teaspoons sweet paprika mixed with ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper. Serve with pita chips or warm pita bread.
8
Servings
Don't forget to heat the broiler. If your broiler tends to run cool, give it at least 15 minutes to come to temperature. A fully heated broiler is important because if the cheese is in the oven for too long, it will turn soupy. If the crumbled feta on top doesn't brown after about 4 minutes, remove the pan anyway.
20 minutes
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1
15- to 16-ounce container whole-milk ricotta cheese
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8
ounces feta cheese, crumbled, divided
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4
tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint, divided
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3
teaspoons Aleppo pepper, divided (see note)
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1
teaspoon dried oregano
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Kosher salt and ground black pepper
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5
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
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01Heat the broiler with a rack about 4 inches from the element. In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, half the feta, 1 tablespoon of mint, 2 teaspoons of Aleppo pepper, the oregano, 1 teaspoon salt and ¾ teaspoon black pepper. Stir in 3 tablespoons of oil.
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02In a broiler-safe 10-inch skillet, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons oil with the remaining 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, then swirl to coat the bottom of the skillet. Scrape the cheese mixture into the skillet, then spread it out, stopping about ½ inch from the sides of the pan and leaving it slightly mounded in the center; the oil will pool around the cheese. Sprinkle the remaining feta evenly over the top.
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03Broil until the feta on top begins to brown and the oil at the edges begins to bubble, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 3 tablespoons mint and serve warm.