Italian Recipe: Delicious Cannoli Dip

Among the most delicious Italian desserts out there are the cannoli. As normally presented, cannoli are pastry tubes filled with delicious, creamy filling. Why should we start with the pastry, however? That said, how about we take the best of the cannoli and get creative? Today's recipe is an offer you can't refuse: cannoli dip.

This recipe is perfect for parties. Line some plates with graham crackers, or strawberries, or Nilla Wafers and dunk away. Keep reading below for this great recipe...

Delicious Cannoli Dip

(makes 8-10 servings)

Ingredients

• 15 oz Ricotta cheese, strained
• 8 oz Mascarpone cheese
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons orange liqueur
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Mix together the Ricotta, Mascarpone, powdered sugar, and liqueur in a large bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy scream until soft peaks form, using a hand mixer.
3. Fold the whipped cream and 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips into the cheese mixture.
4. Transfer the mixture to a serving dish and garnish with remaining 1/4 cup chips.
5. Provide dippables of your choice.
6. Enjoy!

Italian Recipe: Stuffed Shells with Spinach and Ricotta

Spinach and ricotta are the perfect pairing – especially when they are tucked inside a big pasta shell and smothered in marinara. Pair the masterpiece that is stuffed shells with a nice salad and some garlic bread, and you’ll have yourself a winner at the dinner table.

There are tons of variations on this classic suppertime dish – shells come stuffed with everything from a medley of cheeses to Italian sausage to ground turkey. We’ve even seen bolder recipes for enchilada stuffed shells packed with refried beans and enchilada sauce.

For this recipe, we’ll keep it classic with spinach and three kinds of cheese: ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan. If you’d like to add ground turkey or ground beef, be sure to cook the meat before adding it to the stuffed shell mixture. One pound of meat would be perfect for this recipe.  

Stuffed Shells with Spinach and Ricotta

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

• 16 jumbo pasta shells
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 4 cups fresh spinach leaves, roughly chopped and packed tightly when measuring
• 12 ounces skim-milk ricotta cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped (or 1 teaspoon of dried basil)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/4 cups marinara sauce (click here for a homemade sauce recipe, which we used with our baked ziti recipe, or use store-bought sauce)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Heat a large pot of water until boiling, add a big pinch of salt to the water, and then add the pasta shells. Cook the pasta shells according to the package’s directions, until the shells are al dente.
3. Drain the pasta shells and set them aside.
4. Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and let it cook for a minute, until it starts to get a little bit brown, and then add the spinach. While the spinach is cooking, stir it occasionally for about four minutes, or until the leaves start to wilt –- the leaves should still be bright green. The entire batch of spinach should reduce in size by half.
5. Remove the spinach from the heat and let it cool.
6. Grab a mixing bowl and combine the spinach, cheeses, egg, basil, salt, and pepper until everything is evenly blended.
7. Lightly grease the bottom of an 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Then, pour 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce into the bottom of the dish (spread it evenly).
8. Get the shells and spinach/cheese mixture. Stuff each shell with a heaping spoonful or two of the spinach/cheese mixture (make sure each one is nice and full!), and then place each shell in the baking dish on top of the sauce.
9. Cover the shells with the remaining sauce and cover the dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes, remove the foil, and then continue baking for about 10 or 15 more minutes (until the top starts to get golden brown and the sauce starts bubbling).
10. If desired, sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese and extra slivers of fresh basil for garnish.
11. Enjoy!

Italian Recipe: Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake

A few bites of cheesecake normally leaves you feeling overstuffed-- it's one of the heaviest desserts out there. Delicious, but sometimes a little too much.  That's why basing the cake with ricotta makes such a difference. Ricotta is lighter and fluffier. It makes for an altogether more refreshing treat.

The addition of lemon zest makes for a tangy, mildly sweet cake that hits the spot on lazy, summer afternoons. All sorts of Italian desserts combine these two ingredients-- ricotta and lemons-- with palette-pleasing results. Make sure to stock up on high-quality ricotta (fresh from the farmer's market is ideal!). It makes all the difference. 

Ricotta-based cakes are a staple in bakeries all over Italy. They vary in texture and sweetness. We think this recipe provides just the right balance. It's a great alternative to the sticky, sugar-saturated desserts that populate supermarket shelves. Still, it's got just the right touch of sweetness.  Try it out for yourself, and you'll understand why it's so well-loved both in Italy and beyond. 

Photo credit: Flickr user Rowena

Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake

Ingredients:  Crust:  1-1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafers (about 45 wafers) 1/4 cup butter, melted 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest   Filling: 2 pounds fresh, whole-milk ricotta cheese 2/3 cup white sugar 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 6 eggs 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine wafer crumbs, butter and lemon peel. Press onto the bottom of a greased 9 1/2-in. springform pan. Bake at 325° F for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. 
2. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, stir ricotta with a rubber spatula until it reaches an extremely smooth consistency. Add the sugar and flour into the ricotta, mixing thoroughly.
3. Stir in the eggs 1 at a time. Next add in the vanilla, cinnamon, lemon zest, and salt. Mix well. Pour batter into crust.
4. Bake in the center of the oven for about 75 to 90 minutes at 300°  F, until the cake is a light golden color. When it's ready, the center should be fairly firm, and the point of a sharp knife inserted in the center will come out clean.
5. Cool cake on a wire rack. Cover, and chill till serving time.
6. Buon appetito! 

Italian Recipe: Homemade Cannoli

Of all the mouthwatering dishes to come out of Sicily, cannoli might just be the best known and best loved. Few can resist that decadent ricotta filling, the flaky pastry that surrounds it. While cannoli are commonly considered an "Italian" dessert, the truth is you won't find them in most any respectable bakery on the Italian peninsula. These treats are 100% Sicilian. Be wary of any so-called cannoli sold in other regions of Italy. If you want an authentic one, you'll have to venture over to the island itself. 

Alternatively, you can whip up a batch of your own! Made-from-scratch cannoli are a world apart from the store-bought variety. They're not as complicated to make as you might imagine. Homemade shells are infinitely better than pre-made ones. While many recipes call for the use of metal cannoli tubes to shape the shells, we recognize not everyone has them on-hand. And there's no need to fork over the money when you can create makeshift cannoli tubes at home with aluminum foil! If you'd like to make your own, we'll provide instructions for DIY cannoli tubes below. 

Follow along as we give you the scoop on making your own cannoli: homemade shells stuffed with a creamy ricotta, chocolate chip & cherry filling!

Homemade Cannoli

Shell Ingredients:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp of salt
• 3 tbsp of softened butter
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 tsp of nutmeg
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 cup sweet Marsala wine
• shortening, for frying

Filling Ingredients:

• 4 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup finely chopped maraschino cherry
• 1/4 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips
  
  For Garnish: 
• powdered sugar, maraschino cherries and/or chocolate chips, if desired

Directions:

1. Mix all "shell ingredients" except for the Marsala in a bowl with a pastry cutter until it is crumbly. The butter and egg yolks should be thoroughly mixed.
2. Next, add in the wine 1 oz at a time, until you are able to mix it with your hands.
3. Form mixture into a ball and let sit uncovered for about 30 minutes.
4. If you don't have metal cannoli tubes, create your own while you wait for the dough to be ready. For each tube you make, you'll need a 12x12 inch sheet of aluminum foil. Fold the sheet in half, then wrap it tightly around a dowel that's about 1 1/4 inches in diameter. Allow the foil to overlap on the dowel about 3 times to strengthen it. Then slide it off the dowel to make a few more. That's it! 
5. Once dough is ready, roll it out so it's almost paper thin, on a well-floured surface. Then, using the rim of a margarita glass (about 3-4 inches across), make circle imprints into rolled dough. With a paring knife, make sure circles are cut all the way through.
6. Roll each circle of dough around a cannoli tube, overlaping the ends and pressing to seal, flaring out the edges slightly.
7. Fry one or two at a time in hot melted shortening (about 360°F) for approximately 1 minute, turning to brown all sides. Remove from hot grease and drain on paper towels, seam side down. Let cool a minute or two before trying to remove metal tube.
8. To remove the metal tube, hold cannoli shell down on the paper towel and carefully slide the tube out one end. Leave cannoil shells on paper towel, seam side down to cool completely.
9. Next, make the filling! Combine ricotta cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Before adding in Maraschino cherries, squeeze them with paper towels to remove all liquid. Otherwise your filling will turn pink and watery! When ready, add cherries and chocolate chips to the mixture-- be sure not to over mix. 
10. Allow filling to chill for 30 minutes. Then pipe into cooled cannoli shells. Garnish with powdered sugar, chocolate chips and/or Maraschino cherries to your taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
11. Buon appetito!