CREAMED RICOTTA WITH CHUNKY PEA PESTO AND CHEDDAR CRACKERS

A simple cheese and veggie snack or help-yourself starter for easy entertaining.

Serves: 6
Difficulty: easy
Preparation time: 60 minutes + 60 minutes refrigeration time
Cooking time: 25 minutes

CRACKERS

1 C (250 ml / 125 g) cake flour
1 Tbsp (15 ml) sesame seeds
1 tsp (5 ml) salt
2 Tbsp (30 ml / 30 g) butter, at room temperature
½ C (125 ml / 60 g) mature cheddar, grated
¼ C (60 ml / 25 g) Pecorino cheese, grated
¼ C (60 ml) milk
1 tsp (5 ml) Dijon mustard

PESTO

1 (600 g) bag Findus Swedish Baby Peas, cooked
½ cup (125 ml / 50 g) Pecorino cheese, grated
¼ cup (60 ml / 42 g) roasted almonds, chopped
1 tbsp (15 ml) mint + extra to garnish
1 tbsp (15 ml) sweet chilli sauce
2 tsp (10 ml) garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp (5 ml) lemon juice
salt and pepper

RICOTTA

200 g ricotta
¼ C (60 ml) cream
¼ C (60 ml / 25 g) Pecorino cheese, grated
2 Tbsp (30 ml) sour cream
1 Tbsp (15 ml) spring onion, finely chopped
2 tsp (10 ml) lemon juice
½ tsp (2.5 ml) garlic salt

CRACKERS

Combine the cake flour, sesame seeds and salt. Add the butter and rub it into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it resembles the texture of fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the cheddar and Pecorino cheese.

Whisk the milk and mustard together. Stir it into the dry mixture and use your hands to bring the mixture together. Add a splash of water if the mixture is too dry or a sprinkling of flour if the mixture is too wet.

Roll the mixture into a sausage shape with a 4 cm diameter. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 170 °C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Remove the cracker dough from the plastic and cut it into 0.8cm discs. Arrange on the lined tray and bake, 14-16 minutes until golden and crisp. Transfer to a cooling rack.

PESTO

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and process until coarsely ground. Season it to taste.

For the ricotta, combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Season to taste.

To serve, spoon and spread the ricotta into a serving dish. Add half of the pesto and ripple it through with a spoon. Garnish with a few mint leaves and serve it with the crackers on the side. Serve the remaining pesto on the side.

Tip: Leftover pesto can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Photography and styling by Illanique van Aswegen

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