Ricotta Cheesecake With Balsamic Reduction
A velvety soft crumbly ricotta filling inside a light gluten free pastry with the added kick of caramelised onions.
Servings
4
Ready In:
1hrs 25minutes
Good For:
Brunch, lunch or Sunday supper
About this Recipe
By: Amanda Higgins
Believe it or not this is really the easiest quiche like tart to make. The pastry is very light and crumbly, holding a delicious filling. I love caramelised onions with most things, so having a thin layer at the bottom of the tart gives a gorgeous flavour.
Ricotta is an Italian curd cheese made from whey left over from the production of other cheese. Compared to most cheeses, ricotta is a healthier choice because it contains less salt and fat – 10% fat, of which 6% is saturated.
Ingredients
Pastry: The pastry is gluten free
150g rice flour plus extra for dusting
55g fine polenta
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
salt and pepper to taste
115g cold, diced salted butter
1 egg beaten
2-3 tablespoons cold water
3 eggs
2 white onions sliced into rings
10ml olive oil
5ml salt and a sprinkle of sugar
handful of fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
300g fresh ricotta
Balsamic vinegar – reduction – store bought or made by simmering balsamic vinegar till thick and syrupy.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Preheat oven to 170°C.
To make the pastry put the rice flour, polenta, xanthan gum and a little salt into a food processor and blitz until the mix is well combined. Add the butter and mix until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Pour in the egg and as much water as is necessay to make a soft but not sticky dough. Squeeze this into a ball and wrap in cling film. Leave to rest for 10 minutes in the fridge.
Step 2
Mix the 3 eggs and the ricotta cheese together. It will look curdled, this is perfect.
Step 3
Fry the onions in the olive oil with the salt and sugar until they are caramalized. This can take about 25 minutes on a low heat.
Step 4
Chop the fresh thyme and add this to the egg mix with the salt and pepper.
Roll the pastry out and either press it into 4 small pie tins or one large one. Don’t worry if the pastry breaks just patch it with more of the left over pastry. There is no need to leave a pastry overhang as this pastry does not shrink. Blind bake this for 10 min.
NOTE: blind bake means popping a piece of baking paper into the pie on top of the pastry making sure it comes up the side of the pastry and then filling this with rice or baking beans.
Step 5
To assemble: put the onion into the pie case first and then top it with the egg mix. It is nice to have the egg and onion in a layer and not combined in the cake.
Bake for 25 minutes until the pie has no wobble and it is a little golden on the top.
When cool enough drizzle the balsamic reduction over the top and serve.
Ricotta cheesecake with balsamic reduction
- Total Time: 1hr25
- Yield: serves 4
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
A soft velvety ricotta filling in a gluten free pastry.
Ingredients
- Pastry: The pastry is gluten free
- 150g rice flour plus extra for dusting
- 55g fine polenta
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- salt and pepper to taste
- 115g cold, diced salted butter
- 1 egg beaten
- 2–3 tablespoons cold water
- 3 eggs
- 2 white onions sliced into rings
- 10ml olive oil
- 5ml salt and a sprinkle of sugar
- handful of fresh thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
- 300g fresh ricotta
- balsamic vinegar reduction (store bought)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170°C.
- To make the pastry put the rice flour, polenta, xanthan gum and a little salt into a food processor and blitz until the mix is well combined. Add the butter and mix untill it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Pour in the egg and as much water as is necessay to make a soft but not sticky dough. Squeeze this into a ball and wrap in cling film. Leave to rest for 10 minutes in the fridge.
- Mix the 3 eggs and the ricotta cheese together. It will look curdled, this is perfect.
- Fry the onions in the olive oil with the salt and sugar until they are caramalized.
- Chop the fresh thyme and add this to the egg mix with the salt and pepper.
- Roll the pastry out and either press it into 4 small pie tins or one large one. Don’t worry if the pastry breaks just patch it with more of the left over pastry. There is no need to leave a pastry overhang as this pastry does not shrink. Blind bake this for 10 min.
- To assemble: put the onion into the pie case first and then top it with the egg mix. It is nice to have the egg and onion in a layer and not combined in the cake.
- Bake for 25 minutes until the pie has no wobble and it is a little golden on the top.
- When cool enough drizzle the balsamic reduction over the top and serve.
Notes
You can make your own balsamic reduction by simmering 500ml balsamic vinegar on the stove top until it is thick and syrupy.
- Prep Time: 1hr
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
Keywords: Amanda In The Kitchen, The Health Nut, gluten free pastry, ricotta cheese, caramelised onions, balsamic vinegar
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