Spinach-Ricotta Fritters

 

There is something to be said for the multicourse meal. On a normal night I'm cooking for myself, so dinner is more of a one-pot, one-meal deal. So when I spent the weekend with family a fortnight ago, I took advantage of a low-key Saturday afternoon to make a miniature feast. The day passed by in a blend of spices and National Public Radio as I concocted four dishes for the evening meal: pasta al cavolfiore, honey-mustard glazed tempeh, roasted root veggies and these spinach-ricotta fritters. I think I had three burners and the oven going at once at one point; it made for a very warm afternoon, which is a feat for a Minnesota January.

I am a huge ricotta fan; I find it lovely with a drizzle of balsamic, or rough scoops with pasta and black pepper. But it's a common bedfellow for spinach, and the pairing here is no exception. The spinach is lightly wilted, and then combined with the fluffy ricotta cheese. There's some parmesan and smoked mozzarella in there too, although I'd suggest whatever cheese you have on hand. A little egg and flour to bind essentially rounds out the ingredient list. These could certainly be baked, but I was really delighted with the luscious taste of the fried fritter.

Adapted from Spinach-Ricotta Fritters in Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

Spinach-Ricotta Fritters
Ingredients:
16-oz bag of baby spinach, stems removed
1 lb ricotta
2 eggs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1/4 cup mozzarella, shredded (I used smoked)
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Vegetable oil for pan

Directions:
--Place spinach in a pot with a small amount of water. Heat and cook just until spinach is wilted. Let cool and squeeze excess water from leaves. Chop roughly.
--Mix together ricotta, eggs, cheeses, flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add spinach and stir to combine.
--Pour oil in a large skillet until to a 1/2-inch depth. Heat on medium high until a small bit of fritter batter spits when added to oil. Using a large spoon, scoop batter in 1/4 cup portions onto pan, flattening tops slightly. I cooked 2-3 fritters at a time. Cook 4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove from oil with a slotted spatula and let cool on paper towels.