Sweet Corn and Ricotta Sformato

Name: Sweet Corn and Ricotta Sformato
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing; 6 ears fresh corn, kernels removed (about 5 cups kernels), cobs discarded; 2 tablespoons flaky sea salt, plus more to taste; 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 2 cups fresh ricotta; 1/2 cup heavy cream; 2 tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream; 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan; 4 large eggs, whites and yolks separated; Coarsely ground black pepper; 1/3 packed cup fresh basil leaves (about 20 leaves); 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon)

By Clare de Boer

Total Time: 2 hours
Rating: 4(861)
Comments: Read comments

Think of a sformato as a soufflé that requires no technique. This one is fluffy and rich at the same time. A cheesy base of ricotta, Parmesan and crème fraîche is combined with a double dose of corn: whole kernels and a purée. Lightness and rise comes from egg whites, whipped to stiff peaks and folded through right before cooking. Make sure your eaters are assembled at the table when you pull this out of the oven. It’s best eaten immediately, still puffed up and drizzled with crushed basil oil.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

2tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
6ears fresh corn, kernels removed (about 5 cups kernels), cobs discarded
2tablespoons flaky sea salt, plus more to taste
6tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2cups fresh ricotta
½cup heavy cream
2tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream
1½cups grated Parmesan
4large eggs, whites and yolks separated
Coarsely ground black pepper
⅓packed cup fresh basil leaves (about 20 leaves)
2tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from ½ lemon)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the corn kernels and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until corn is just beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Transfer half the kernels to a food processor and purée with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Transfer the corn kernels and puréed corn to a large bowl and let cool, about 30 minutes.
Step 2
Heat the oven to 450 degrees. When the corn mixture has cooled, add the ricotta, heavy cream, crème fraîche, 1 cup Parmesan and the remaining 1 tablespoon salt; season to taste with more salt, if desired.
Step 3
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks on high speed, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir the yolks into the ricotta mixture until combined then gently fold in the whites, working delicately to avoid deflating.
Step 4
Rub the sides and crannies of a 6-by-10-inch oval or 8-by-8-inch square (or similar 2-inch-deep) baking dish with a knob of butter. Add 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan, knocking it around the baking dish to coat the entire thing, then follow with a few grinds of pepper.
Step 5
Pour the ricotta batter into the dish. Top with another 3 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake until the cheese has browned and the sformata has set in the center, 35 to 40 minutes.
Step 6
Using a mortar and pestle, grind the basil with the lemon juice and a pinch of salt, then stir in the remaining ¼ cup oil.
Step 7
Just before serving, top the warm sformata with the remaining 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, drizzle with basil oil and serve.

Ratings

4 out of 5

861 user ratings

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Comments

Rebecca Gordon5 years ago

Two *table*spoons of salt? Should these be teaspoons?

John Corliss5 years ago

Rebecca, I think the emphasis should be on *FLAKY* sea salt, not the tablespoon. Not all salts are equal, and if you're using something like Maldon, which is a flaky, pyramid-shaped salt, you're not going to have the same salinity as a tablespoon of kosher or iodized due to the shape, and thus the amount of air in your measuring spoon.

terry5 years ago

This was delicious and pretty easy to make. I substituted Greek yogurt for the creme fraiche, 1/2 and 1/2 for the heavy cream. The parmesan burns pretty quickly on the top at 450 and I had to put tin foil over it while the rest of it cooked, so I would leave that out the next time or wait until 10 minutes before done and sprinkle with the Parmesan. The basil oil was delicious on it.

Dean L8 months ago

My six ears of corn yielded just a little over two cups of kernels so I cut most ingredients in half, and followed the salt adjustments recommended by others. It was really delicious. But any recommendations for serving would be helpful - should you flip it upside down out of the baking dish (I got the impression you need to get the entire thing out immediately) or serve it in portions from the baking dish?

Su3 weeks ago

You *could* grease the baking dish really, really well and try to flip it out and cut it into squares, but it's likely to stick, and to deflate. Much better to serve it in scoops directly from the dish, as shown in the photo.

Julia8 months ago

This was a bit of a project, but very doable. I used two scant teaspoons of salt (maybe closer to 1.5 teaspoons) total and found it adequate and would not add more. The result was rich and robust, and definitely very tasty.

Julie1 year ago

I can’t believe it took me 3 years to find this recipe. So so so good. As others stated, reduce salt to 1.5 tsp. Also, drain the ricotta if you don’t use fresh. I used an extra cup of corn kernels too.

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